This Teriyaki Tofu Katsu are slabs of tofu coated in breadcrumbs and cooked until golden brown and crisp.
I served these over steamed short grain rice then topped off with homemade teriyaki sauce. Finished off with some togarashi or Japanese seven spice blend. 🙂
HOW TO PREPARE THE TOFU KATSU
USING EXTRA FIRM TOFU
I prepared my tofu by wrapping it in a towel and placing some plates to press out the liquid. You can also pre-freeze your tofu if you want that meatier texture!
If freezing, DO NOT press your tofu before freezing. You can press it in the same container you bought it in or transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Make sure to thaw it completely before squeeing out the liquid after freezing overnight.
Leave your tofu to press for 10-15 minutes. This way the excess liquid seeps out and is absorbed by the towel.
I sliced the extra firm tofu into slabs before preparing the batter and coating.
PREPARE THE BATTER
Dry Mix
Dip each piece of the tofu into the batter then transfer it to the bread crumbs to evenly coat.
I like to use my left hand for wet and my right hand for the dry breadcrumb mix to keep things as clean as possible.
)
Repeat this until you’ve coated all the slabs.
)
COOKING THE TOFU KATSU
I used a large cast iron pan and heated up some neutral oil. I used vegetable oil
To test out the heat of the oil, you can simple add a few breadcrumbs. If it immediately sizzles, it’s good to go!
You’ll want the oil to be VERY HOT.
Once the oil is hot, you can add in the tofu.
Leave the side to cook until golden brown and crisp before flipping the tofu katsu over to cook the remaining side.
After it cooks, remove the tofu from the oil and drain any excess oil by placing it on a strainer or cooling wrack. You can leave the tofu to cool for a few minutes.
You can then slice them diagonally. I served mine over some steamed rice and shredded cabbage. And of course–the teriyaki sauce! More about that below.
TERIYAKI SAUCE
I made my own teriyaki sauce for this recipe, that I thickened with some corn starch. You can find the homemade recipe here.
You can also make this in big batches and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Drizzle that sauce!
I topped mien with some Togarashi or Japanese 7 spice blend too. Enjoy!
If you try out this recipe, I’d appreciate if you leave a rating or simply click on the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on my recipe card!
You can also check out my other tofu recipes here or down below:
You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
- Baked Peanut and Lime Tofu
- Pineapple Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Fried ‘Chicken’ and Gravy
Teriyaki Tofu Katsu
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 lb extra firm tofu
- Neutral oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika powder optional
- ½ cup room temp. water
Breading
- 1 cup japanese breadcrumbs or panko plus more as needed
To Serve
- Homemade teriyaki sauce
- Steamed rice
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped Scallions
- Togarashi
Instructions
- You can watch the video below on how to make tofu katsu!
- Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.
- Slice each tofu into 1/2 inch thick square slabs. You may be able to slice one tofu into 3 slabs, depending on the thickness of your tofu. Season with salt as needed. If you end up with extra tofu, you can always enjoy it as is!
- Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients until smooth. In another plate or tray, add the breadcrumbs.
- Place each tofu in the batter then coat into the breadcrumbs. Repeat this step for the rest of the tofu.
- Baking and air-frying option below.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once hot (you can test this by putting a little bread crumbs), add in the tofu. Fry for around 6-8 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. Take them out of the oil then turn off the heat.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes to maintain the crispness then you can opt to slice them diagonally into 1-inch thick pieces.
- Enjoy served over rice with teriyaki sauce, togarashi, sesame seeds, and some chopped scallions.
- Baking option: Heat your oven to 350F. Place the coated tofu on a lined baking tray (I used parchment paper). Spray or brush some oil on the tofu. Bake them for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Flip halfway through baking. Note that they won't turn as evenly golden brown compared to those that are fried but still very crisp!
- Air-Frying option: Note that air-fryer settings may vary. This is using a Cuisinart air fryer/toaster oven combo. To air-fry the tofu, set the air-fryer at 350F then cook for 10 minutes on each side until lightly brown and crisp.
- Do note that when baking/air-frying the tofu will not be as "juicy" as those that are fried with oil.
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
You can pin this image:
This Post Has 9 Comments
This tofu was amazing! We had it with sweet chilli sauce and a stir fry. Will definitely make again!
Made this tonight with the teriyaki sauce. The sauce turned out runnier than I wanted but I think I prefer it this way rather than a thick sauce. It was great! The katsu were crispy and meaty since I froze them beforehand, and were really nice in combination with the sauce!! My meat-loving boyfriend even asked if I could keep these in rotation for dinner! Thanks for this lovely recipe 🙂
Amazing!!!
It was sooooooo good, didn’t make the homemade sauce cause I couldn’t find all the ingredients but the texture and taste was amazing. I made algae rice with it and even a couple days later heated in the over it was still very good. Definitely will make again!
Im thinking the fried tofu would be also very good in a salad in a “chicken breast” style…🤔😋
Glad you liked it Gabrielle! And yes, having this in salad would be great too! I actually love them in wraps ◡̈
Fantastic recipe! It’s awesome and very delicious, I did it twice so it could feed a family of 4 and they all loved it!
Yaaay so happy you all enjoyed this. Thanks so much Mei! ◡̈
Just made it and it’s even better than I expected and I LOVE your recipes.
So easy and SO delicious. I made the option 2, thickened sauce and added a splash of rice vinegar.
Served with roasted broccoli. YUM.
Yaaay, thanks Sarah! Happy you liked it!! ◡̈