Tofu Katsu. A delicious tofu coated in a crispy panko breadcrumb exterior. The perfect vegetarian side dish for dinner or lunch. Ready in 30 minutes and only requires 6 ingredients.
What is tofu katsu?
Essentially it is a piece of tofu that is coated in some flour, egg and panko bread crumbs and usually it is deep fried. It's served with a sweet katsu sauce. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Usually, this is served with rice and veggies or as a side dish. It is a recipe that originates from Japan.
I would highly recommend pairing this tofu katsu recipe with a delicious katsu sauce or a curry sauce. I've shared an easy katsu sauce recipe below that you can make or alternatively you can purchase it at any Asian grocer.
My fried tofu katsu is is vegetarian so it does contain to make the panko breadcrumbs stick well to the surface of the tofu. It is also not deep fried, but shallow fried to give it that crispy exterior without drying out the tofu.
Other recipes you may like!
SWEET SOY TOFU & VEGETABLES
CHINESE SALT & PEPPER TOFU
INSTANT POT INDIAN BUTTER TOFU
MALAYSIAN CURRY TOFU
ASIAN STIR FRIED TOFU & VEGETABLES
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients:
420 grams firm tofu, sliced into 1 cm thick pieces
¼ + ⅛ cup cornstarch
1 large egg, whisked
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Katsu Sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 2½ tsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp oyster sauce
- 1⅛ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Mix together in a small bowl and serve!
How to make Tofu Katsu
Slice your tofu vertically into 1 cm thick pieces. Pat dry each piece on both sides with paper towel. This is important or your coating will fall off.
Season each tofu steak with a sprinkle of salt and garlic powder on both sides.
Coat tofu steak into corn starch, then whisked egg, and lastly panko breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat all sides.
In a pan set over medium heat, add oil. Allow this to heat up. To test if it's hot enough, place a wooden chopstick into the oil and if bubbles form then it's ready for frying.
Fry 3 mins each side until golden brown. Enjoy with Tonkatsu or curry sauce.
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Tofu Katsu recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @christieathome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Take care,
Christie
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Tofu Katsu (30-min. Recipe)
Ingredients
- 420 grams tofu firm kind sliced into 1 cm thick pieces
- ¼+ ⅛ cup cornstarch
- 1 egg whisked
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Katsu Sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Slice your tofu vertically into 1 cm thick pieces. Pat dry each piece on both sides with paper towel. This is important or your coating will fall off.
- Season each tofu steak with a sprinkle of salt and garlic powder on both sides.
- Coat tofu steak into corn starch, then whisked egg, and lastly panko breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat all sides.
- In a pan set over medium heat, add oil. Allow this to heat up. To test if it's hot enough, place a wooden chopstick into the oil and if bubbles form then it's ready for frying.
- Fry 3 mins each side until golden brown. Enjoy with Tonkatsu or curry sauce.
Katsu sauce
- Mix together in a small bowl and serve!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Mmm, I've never thought to make tofu katsu -- I'll have to try this out to get my youngest to eat more tofu!! Thanks for the recipe, Christie!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your tofu katsu looks so amazing with that beautiful panko crust... and I really love your 4 ingredient homemade katsu sauce. Yum!
Sherri
Tofu is one of my favorite foods! I literally have to stop myself from eating the entire block sometimes lol. This dish is absolutely stunning with the crispy tofu and the beautiful katsu sauce!
Kim Lange
Lately I've been eating more tofu and this looks super yummy the way you prepared it! Can't wait to try.
Balvinder
Whenever I make fish for dinner I cook tofu for my in laws. Looking forward to try this with GF panko bread crumbs.
christieathome
I hope you enjoy it! It's so good with some katsu sauce 🙂
Angie
Loved this recipe as it's simple to make and the tofu is super crunchy, even though I prepared it with an airfryer instead of frying it on a pan.
christieathome
Thanks so much Angie! I'm so glad you enjoyed my Tofu Katsu recipe!
Jan
I just Love all kinds of katsu but this evingball I had was tofu (which I also enjoy) and I was inspired to make this easy quick recipe this evening after scrolling through Christie’s posts. It’s super easy and tasty. My daughter enjoys her meal with the katsu sauce but I have mine with ponzu. Either way it’s crispy and delicious! Thanks for inspiring me!
christieathome
Thanks so much Jan for making my recipe and your kind review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it with your daughter 🙂
Selah
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Tofu was crispy and the Katsu sauce very tasty!!! I do have leftovers and wondering about recommendations for reheating??
christieathome
Thanks so much for making it, Selah! Happy it was delicious! I recommend reheating in the air fryer or toaster oven for 4-6 minutes at 350 F or in a non stick pan on the stove top over medium heat.