Once you make this amazing Tofu Chili it will never leave your meal rotation! It is hearty, super delicious, and so nutritious. I’ve made so many types of chili in my life, but this tofu chili has fast become my favorite. It reminds me of the turkey chili of my childhood. The secret: air fried tofu. The tofu is meaty yet light, and it blends perfectly with the tender beans and thick tomato broth. You won’t believe the texture and taste of this perfect chili!
My favorite way to cook tofu
My favorite way to cook tofu is in the air fryer. The air fryer dries out the tofu and transforms its texture. The star of this chili––the thing that sets it apart from other vegan chili recipes––is the “ground” tofu. I hand crumble the tofu, then toss it with olive oil and a variety of spices like nutritional yeast and smoked paprika. The seasoned tofu is cooked in the air fryer until it is dry, meaty, and even crispy. The result: the most flavorful and meaty tofu. A perfect wholesome replacement for ground meat in recipes.
Tofu Chili Basics
The ground tofu is the star of the show, but the other ingredients are important too.
The base: This recipe starts with a base of sautéed onions, garlic, jalapeño, and red bell pepper. Red bell pepper adds a subtle sweetness and extra flavor to the chili. Tomatoes are a must. I use both diced tomatoes (acid and sweetness) and tomato paste for extra umami (savoriness).
The beans: Chili should have at least 3 types of beans. I most often use a mix of chickpeas, cannellini beans, and kidney beans. The different texture only adds to the appeal of this tofu chili.
The tofu: Air fry the tofu while the chili is cooking, then stir it in before serving. The air fryer concentrates the texture and flavor of the spiced tofu. Add that to the chili, and it becomes a lovely flavor bomb in every bite.
This tofu chili is
- Crazy delicious
- Packed with plant-based protein and fiber
- A great source of calcium, iron, and magnesium
- Easy to make
- Perfect for meal prep––it even freezes well
- Made with everyday ingredients
Notes on this recipe:
- You do not need an air fryer to make ground tofu, however, it does make the process of meati-fying the tofu a lot quicker and more reliable. You can also make delicious ground tofu in the oven. Where the air fryer takes 15 minutes the oven takes around 30-45 minutes, depending on your type of tofu.
- No need to press the tofu if you are air frying it. All of that excess liquid will evaporate. However, if you are making the tofu in the oven you should press it for 20 minutes before seasoning.
To press tofu: Place it in between two paper towels or wrap it in a clean tea towel. Place the tofu in a shallow bowl or baking dish and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or books). Let that sit for at least 20 minutes as the heavy object presses liquid from the tofu.
- This tofu chili can be frozen too! The texture of the tofu will change a bit as it absorbs more liquid. If you prefer the tofu to be as meaty as possible, consider making fresh ground tofu when you plan on thawing the rest of the chili.
If you like tofu chili, try these other recipes too!
Green Chili Chik’n Enchiliadas
Better Than Chipotle Burrito Bowl
Hearty Tofu Chili
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow or red onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper minced (optional to remove the seeds)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 14- oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cans of beans 1 each of chickpeas, kidney and cannellini beans
- 2-3 cups water + more to thin if necessary
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegan vegetable bouillon paste or 1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Rice or cornbread for serving
Ground Tofu
- 1 package of firm or extra-firm tofu
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive or over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions, garlic, and peppers, and a pinch of salt.
- Saute until the onions turn slightly translucent.
- Add the chili powder and cumin, and stir. Allow it to toast for 30 seconds.
- Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, water, and bouillon paste.
- Bring the tofu chili to a boil then reduce it to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes with the lid ajar or off. If it is too thick for your liking add a little more water.
- Stir in the ground tofu.
- Season to taste with more spices and/or salt.
- Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and lime to garnish.
Ground Tofu
- Break the tofu into very small pieces.
- Add it to a mixing bowl, then add the oil and spices.
- Stir well, making sure all of the tofu is well coated.
- Transfer it to an air fryer or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Air fryer: Fry the tofu at 375° for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cook longer if you want it even crispier.
- Oven: Roast the tofu at 375° for 30 minutes. Stirring after 20 minutes. Cook longer if you want it meatier or more dried out.
https://www.wonderfulcook.com/ / December 20, 2022 at 1:05 am /
This tofu chili was super flavourful and tasty! Love an easy recipe that’s super impressive. Thank you!
Sam / November 30, 2022 at 6:02 pm /
Love this recipe! I’ve made it numerous times!! But tonight I grabbed tomato sauce instead of paste. What should I do?
Sarah Gensler / October 23, 2022 at 7:26 pm /
I made this and I really liked it
Sherri Reid / July 18, 2022 at 6:38 pm /
This is **seriously** good! I added more veggies than what was in the recipe (2 bell peppers, 2 carrots, 8 oz container of mushrooms and 1 cup corn) And I just used the whole can of tomato paste as I didn’t want any leftovers. (I never seem to use it up!) This was my first time using nutritional yeast – but I had been wanting to try it and was looking for a good recipe to try it in. I tasted the dry nutritional yeast – and I thought it was OK – but the combination of all of the flavors in this recipe are so good that I probably won’t make any other kind of chili ever again! (My assumption is the nutritional yeast bolstered the flavors in this recipe.) I also did not have an air fryer – so I used the oven – and this method worked really well. I couldn’t believe how the tofu changed into a much meatier version of itself. I was unsure if the tofu would reconstitute after adding to the chili but I made this at about 2PM yesterday afternoon and didn’t eat until about 7:30 and the tofu retained its newly minted texture.
Lorine / April 14, 2022 at 2:33 pm /
I tried this yesterday and can I say this was the BEST! I added more soy sauce to the tofu . I could eat that entire basket alone ! My family tired it and didn’t know it wasn’t meat !
Joia / March 28, 2022 at 6:08 pm /
The smell of the tofu before cooking it was heavenly. I know it’s going to taste just as good as it smells. I’m cooking a chili from a food delivery service and decided to try Jenné’s tofu version instead. This for sure will be my go to way of making a “meaty” tofu.
Whitney / February 21, 2022 at 7:20 pm /
My new favorite chili and I use the Tofu in a lot of other dishes now too. Thank you for these great recipes!
Kelsey / February 9, 2022 at 5:38 pm /
This was delicious. Easy to prepare and the tofu took it over the top! We don’t have an air fryer so I baked it for a while in the oven and it came out really well. Will absolutely make this again.
Deesha / February 9, 2022 at 9:16 am /
My family loves tofu. Now this is a new dish for me to make and I am sure everyone will going to like it.
Laura / February 1, 2022 at 9:48 pm /
Best chili ever. Loved the smokey ground tofu, what a treat! My husband had 2 bowls and so enjoyed it.
Thank you much for always posting great recipes…Your cookbook is fabulous.
MsRaeDiva / January 30, 2022 at 10:24 pm /
I love tofu but have never tried fixing myself, so I was unsure if I could pull it off. I air fried longer to get the brown crispy texture and added a few extra seasonings. When I finished, I wanted to just eat the tofu but I left enough to add to the dish. I used black, dark kidney and cannellini beans, added minced carrots that I needed to use before no longer good and also added Williams seasoning too! Now I know how to fix tofu and a great vegan chili dish that I’m sure to fix again! Thank You
Gwena'e / January 30, 2022 at 9:04 pm /
Literally the best vegan chili I’ve made so far. This was actually my first time cooking and eating tofu. I usually use a plant based meat. But let me tell you, this was so amazing, thanks for sharing such a great recipe! ˆIt’s so so yummyyyyy
gwalters / January 18, 2022 at 5:07 am /
This was delicious. Like so many others, I made changes based on what was around, but boy… that air-fryer tofu was the missing link! I couldn’t believe how delicious it was, even with only one type of beans
Jenne / January 24, 2022 at 7:40 pm /
Isn’t it great! I just made it tonight. Definitely a family favorite over here ☺️
Janet / January 17, 2022 at 4:34 pm /
This chilli is fantastic. So simple to make with ingredients I already had on hand. I love how the tofu turned out, and may cook it that way to eat on its on. Thanks for another great recipe.
Jenne / January 24, 2022 at 7:41 pm /
Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed. I love this tofu in tacos too. Topped with some shredded cabbage or romaine, and guacamole, it’s such an easy delicious meal
Lisa Gonzales / January 13, 2022 at 11:14 pm /
Jenne Thank you for sharing this magnificent chili. I enjoyed it so much and added extra cilantro with it. I enjoyed the combination of hot and cold from the avocado and cilantro. This transition to more plant based is going to be easy this year.
Shawns / January 12, 2022 at 11:06 pm /
Made this vegan chili tonight! Delicious. Took much more time at that temp in my small air fryer to get the tofu meat to look like ground beef, but it worked!!! This tofu ground meat is an absolute game changer. The chili was so filling! I’m a big eater, and it only took one normal size bowl to fill me up!
Lisa / January 12, 2022 at 7:49 am /
WOW! I have a few tasty vegan chili recipes in my arsenal, but from now on, THIS will be the one I make for my family. My husband, son and I absolutely loved it! Air frying the tofu takes it to the next level. Thank you Jenne!
Karen / January 11, 2022 at 6:38 pm /
OMG! I’ve been looking for a vegan chili recipe FOR YEARS and this one NAILED IT! Even my meat-eater hubby went back for third! This is a keeper, thank you so much!!!
Joslyn Jones / January 11, 2022 at 5:58 pm /
I’m speechless… this chili was beyond yummy!!! I made the mistake of putting the whole can of tomato paste in and was so worried it was ruined. I added 1 extra large can of beans and upped the spices a bit and it was perfect. I’m excited to make it again with the 2TB of tomato paste as was called for. Thank you for sharing you talent with us to also enjoy
Monika / January 10, 2022 at 8:55 pm /
Amazing recipe. I could not believe the flavor and texture of the tofu. Thank you for sharing your brilliance.
Nicole / January 9, 2022 at 8:17 pm /
This was sooo good! Loved the texture of the crispy tofu and different beans. New favorite chili! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes!
Heather / January 3, 2022 at 11:07 pm /
I’m not much of a chili fan, but my dedication to trying new-to-me recipes prompted me to try this! All I can say is, YAYYYY! The touch of rice on the side, cilantro, lime aaaand a few slices of avocado…ooooh yeahhh!
Angela Wand / January 3, 2022 at 7:21 am /
Delicious!!
Just like everything you make! So good. I baked the tofu and it’s a massive success.
Thank you!!
Linda Bertuzzi / December 31, 2021 at 3:01 pm /
Oh my gosh! So delicious. I used black beans and a can of chickpeas since that’s what I had pantry, and some TVP for the “meat” Your spices were perfect. I don’t know if it will last long in my family. May be making more sooner than I planned
in2insight / December 26, 2021 at 5:47 pm /
This turned out well, tasty and filling with minimal fuss.
Ended up going with only 2 cups of water and it was plenty.
The tofu is awesome.
There were a few things that I could not figure out:
1) When to add the baked tofu to the chili
2) Cook the chili covered or not
3) Cilantro – add to chili or use as garnish
Thank you for sharing.
Taheerah / December 18, 2021 at 6:11 pm /
I am super excited to to try this recipe, but I don’t see where I would add the ground tofu.
Taheerah / December 18, 2021 at 6:18 pm /
I jumped to the recipe and didn’t read the other part. I see it now! Thanks for this recipe!!!