This recipe was sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are my own.
Tofu Satay cooks up incredibly quickly in the air fryer. It’s perfect dipped in my quick-and-easy, blender peanut sauce. Serve it as an appetizer or entree!
When I was a kid, we would go out for Thai food once a week, on average, and I so looked forward to Thai food night!
My family orders big when we eat out, and we’d order mee grob, massaman curry, and at least one order of chicken satay. This Tofu Satay is me trying to veganize that childhood favorite.
Like most of my tofu recipes, pressing before you make your Tofu Satay is super important. In this recipe, pressing does two things:
1. Gets the water out, so the marinade can soak in.
Tofu is very watery, and when you press out the extra water, it gets thirsty, which is ideal for soaking in alllll of the flavor.
2. Makes your tofu more firm.
Yes, the tofu will soak in marinade, but you’d not adding back nearly as much liquid as you press out.
I’ve measured the water many times, and 10 minutes of pressing in the EZ Tofu Press gets out as much as 1/2 cup of water. A half hour of marinating doesn’t put back that much liquid, so you end up with firmer, more toothsome tofu. Perfect for skewers!
Ready to make some Tofu Satay? Check out the recipe video, and get the written directions below!
Air Fryer Tofu Satay
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- juice of 1 fresh lime
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger - no need to peel, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 block tofu - see video, cut into strips
- 1 batch 5-Minute Peanut Butter Sauce - Use the full 6 tablespoons of water that the recipe calls for
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, ginger, sriracha, and garlic in your blender or food processor, and puree until smooth.
- Pour the marinade over the tofu strips*, and marinate for 15-30 minutes. While the tofu marinates, soak 6 bamboo skewers in enough water to cover.
- When your marinating time is up, use a wire cutter to cut your skewers in half, so you now have 6 half-sized skewers. A full bamboo skewer won't fit into your air fryer basket, but these half-skewers will! Remove any splinters from the cut skewers, then, skewer 1 tofu strip onto each little stick. Make sure you are sticking the UNCUT side through your tofu. You do not need to eat any splinters today!
- Transfer the mini tofu skewers to your air fryer. Cook at 370F for 15 minutes, DO NOT SHAKE. While the tofu cooks, make your 5-Minute Peanut Butter Sauce, if you haven't already.
- When the air fryer beeps, you are ready to eat!
Equipment
Notes
- Pro tip: You can reserve the leftover marinade and use it as salad dressing! It's lovely over a green salad or even as a slaw dressing.
- Satay marinade adapted from Food Network Kitchen.
Nutrition
Marc
Swedish pancakes with butter and sugar was a favorite of mine.
Milt
I enjoyed delicious,Baked Mozzarella Sticks.
Rob
I always liked some tasty Lasagna.
Jill
Learning how to make cookies and cupcakes when I was little!
Maryann D.
I loved when my mother made soup when I was a child. Any of her soups were wonderful and I try to make them like she did now.
Fiona
My favorite childhood for memory is making crispy fried tofu with sweet sauce at home, and then bring them to school for my best friends to try 🙂
Thank You
Richard Brandt
My favorite childhood for memory is my mom’s fried chicken and gravy.
Elicia
Watching my Baba bake and cook. She died in January and I would love to go back in time to watch and taste her food.
Becky Striepe
I am so sorry to hear about your Baba. I know what you mean. I’d give anything to cook with my Nani Dorothy again.
Christine
Yum! This looks so good. Definitely on my “to-make” list.
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Christine!
angie w
Having the apple pot pie my gram would make 🙂
Dolores
My favorite memory is cooking with my Mother!
Janet
Every Wednesday night my mom would make spaghetti. Oh it was so good. There is a picture of me in my high chair was spaghetti sauce all over my house looking quite happy.
Jenna
This recipe sounds so delicious! My favorite memory is pot pies! So comforting and filling! Yummmm!
Terri Cole
All my favorite childhood food memories center around my grandma’s kitchen. She made everything from scratch, cakes, pies, doughnuts. She taught me how to cook and she even wrote down the beloved German potato salad recipe for us. My daughter and I have successfully veganized several of my childhood favorites, including that famous potato salad, and a Christmas macaroon that has cornflakes as an ingredient!
Now if I could just make a vegan version of Grandma’s bread pudding with caramel sauce, I could die happy. LOL!
Becky Striepe
Aw, I love this! All of my Nani Dorothy’s recipes got lost, and it breaks my heart. I’d love to veganize her chocolate cake or matzoh ball soup!
Gail
Favorite childhood food memories. Watermelon! YUM!
Becky Striepe
Yum!
Scott
Best childhood food memory is my mom’s beef stew! I’ve come along way since then since we are 100% plant based now.
Becky Striepe
Aw my dad made a good beef stew also. It was even better the next day!
Scott
We eat tofu very often and this tool and recipe all look/sound amazing!
Libby
My favorite child food memory – while in Dallas, there was a vegetarian restaurant and I had the best sub sandwich. First time I ever had avocado OR sprouts!
Becky Striepe
Oh wow! I bet that was gamechanging.
Linda @ Veganosity
Tofu Satay is the best! I’m drooling over that peanut sauce.
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Linda!
Mel |avirtualvegan.com
This tofu looks so good! I could easily eat the whole lot dipped in that gorgeous sauce!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Mel!
Stephanie
This recipe looks so yummy. I loved watching my mom cook in the kitchen when I was younger…and getting to taste all the food. 🙂
Sarah
I’m so impressed! I hadn’t had thai food until I was in my 20s! You’re so cultured 🙂 Peanut Satay is my favorite thing ever—we’ll have to give these a try!
Becky Striepe
Ha! We were lucky in the food department. At the time, though, my friends mostly thought we are weird food. Good preparation for going vegan later, where everyone thinks that again!
Dianne
This looks amazing! You know exactly how I like my tofu!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Dianne!
Sadie
I”m so excited to try this recipe in my air fryer!
My favorite childhood food memory is making chicken and dumplings with my grandmother. It’s the ultimate comfort food to me. I have a photo of me standing on a chair to be able to reach the counter and roll out the dough. I need to find a way to vegan-ize the recipe!
Becky Striepe
Aw that is so sweet!!
Janeen
OH this recipe is wonderful !!!! Great idea using sticks, sure it makes turning in oven easier also. Thanks for recipe and chance to win
Mary Ellen | VNutrition
Thai food is amazing and so is this tofu! I wish my parents took me for Thai when I was little, it was the same old McDonald’s for us as a treat (blah). Love the video!
Becky Striepe
Aw thank you! At the time, most of my classmates thought our food was sooooo weird.
Kristina
as we head into summer and BBQ parties, I love a food on a stick! 🙂 this is my kind of tofu – love the flavors!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Kristina! I agree: sticks make any food special.
Kristina
this video is mesmerizing. cannot stop watching. 🙂
Becky Striepe
Aw thank you! <3
Jenna Urben
Great post and a great giveaway! My favorite childhood food is my moms banana bread. She added chocolate chips and nuts, sometimes even peanut butter!
Becky Striepe
Peanut butter in banana bread is genius!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I’m drooling! I love Thai food so much! We usually have it every weekend, but our local restaurant doesn’t serve tofu satay. I should suggest it to them since they make everything else vegan for us. Anyway, my food memories are of things at home, like Lipton’s onion dip with potato chips and eating black olives off my fingers. And licking the “stuff” out of Oreos and leaving the cookies behind. LOL
Becky Striepe
Ooh you totally should! And ruffled chips with Lipton dip will forger remind me of grade school sleepovers. So fun!
sarah
making oatmeal cookies with my granny 🙂
Becky Striepe
Aw, I love that!
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
I love satay sauce! And anything on sticks is right up my alley. Looks delicious!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Sophia! I agree – skewers male everything more delicious.
Ginny
Such a great video to go along with your recipe. You really help it showing the steps. I am jumping on this recipe right away!
Becky Striepe
Enjoy it, Ginny!
Jenn
I’m feeling a little behind the times lately since I don’t (yet) have an air fryer. It soared to the top of kitchen must haves pretty darn quickly. I think I need one if for no other reason than this tofu satay! LOVE crispy tofu – so totally addictive. NEED!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Jenn! It’s so good!