This vegan tonkatsu features tofu cutlets soaked in a smoky marinade, then breaded and fried until irresistibly golden and crispy. Serve with rice, cabbage, and a drizzle of tangy tonkatsu sauce for a comforting, Japanese-inspired meal that’s surprisingly easy to make!
You just can’t go wrong with crispy tofu! There are so many ways to make tofu delicious, but I always know that dishes like my tofu chicken nuggets, crispy tofu steaks, and vegan fish fillet sandwiches will convert even the staunchest tofu skeptics. One of my favorite ways to create a crispy tofu recipe is by borrowing techniques from non-vegan dishes — and today we’re making tofu tonkatsu. It’s definitely a new favorite!
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Traditional tonkatsu is made with a pork cutlet that's breaded and fried. Tofu is DELICIOUS breaded and fried. A quick soak in a smoky marinade gives it that classic flavor, and it all gets served with rice, cabbage, and zippy tonkatsu sauce. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make this scrumptious vegan version of a Japanese classic in your own kitchen!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Tofu. Extra-firm tofu works best. It has a nice firm texture, but is still soft enough for soaking up marinade. Super-firm tofu can also be used (and does not require pressing), but it won't hold as much marinade.
- Soy sauce. We're using both regular and reduced-sodium soy sauce. If you don't feel like buying both, just use regular soy sauce and dilute it with about one-third water as a replacement for the reduced-sodium variety.
- Rice vinegar. Look for this in the international aisle of the grocery store.
- Liquid smoke. This is made from actual distilled smoke, and it's totally vegan. Most stores sell it near the barbecue sauces.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Spices. We're using white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can find them all in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Ketchup.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Be careful, as many brands of Worcestershire sauce contain anchovy paste. Whole Foods and Annie's are vegan.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe using all-purpose wheat flour, also known as white flour.
- Non-dairy milk. Use any unsweetened and unflavored variety, such as almond, soy, or oat milk. Read my guide to dairy-free milks if you need help choosing.
- Cornstarch.
- Panko breadcrumbs.
- Salt.
- Vegetable oil.
- Accompaniments. Tonkatsu is traditionally served with rice and shredded cabbage. I also like to top mine with some toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Press the tofu. You'll want to press it for at least 30 minutes in order to remove lots of moisture and make room for it to soak up the marinade. If you've never pressed tofu before, don't worry — I've got a complete guide to pressing tofu.
Steps 2-4. Marinate the tofu. Stir together the low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, liquid smoke, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cut the tofu into slabs and combine it with the marinade. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Mix the sauce. Stir ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. This is your vegan tonkatsu sauce.
Step 6: Prepare dipping stations. Place flour in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together non-dairy milk, flour, and cornstarch to make your batter. And in a third bowl, make the breading by stirring together panko breadcrumbs, flour, salt, and white pepper.
Steps 7 & 8: Get ready to fry. Begin heating up your oil in a medium skillet. While your oil heats up, dip one of your tofu slabs in the flour. Get it well coated. Next, dip it in the batter, then the breading.
Step 9: Fry the tofu. Place as many slabs in your hot skillet as you can fit without crowding, coating each one using the method above. Fry them for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Let them drain on a wire rack when they're done.
Step 10: Serve. I like to slice my tofu tonkatsu into strips before serving, but that's optional. Serve it with rice, cabbage, and your tonkatsu sauce, along with some scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Variations
- Tofu katsu curry. Skip the tonkatsu sauce, and instead borrow the curry sauce from my eggplant katsu curry.
- Vegan "chicken" katsu. Skip the liquid smoke in the marinade, and instead add a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes. It'll give your cutlets a slightly different flavor that's more in line with chicken katsu.
- Katsu sando. Stuff your vegan tonkatsu cutlets between two slices of bread with cabbage and katsu sauce to create a vegan version of the classic Japanese sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tested a gluten-free version of this recipe. If you'd like to give it a try, use all-purpose gluten-free flour, vegan gluten-free breadcrumbs, gluten-free tamari, and make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free.
That should work! I recommend spritzing the cutlets with a bit of oil after breading, although this isn't required. Then bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 425° for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy, flipping about halfway through. This is the method I used to make my baked tofu nuggets.
Leftover tofu tonkatsu cutlets will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat, place them under a broiler and broil each side until sizzling and crispy again.
More Vegan Japanese Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Tofu Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) package extra-firm tofu
For the Marinade
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Tonkatsu Sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons organic granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For Dredging
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
For the Batter
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Breading
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper, or more to taste (up to ½ teaspoon)
For Frying
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Shredded cabbage
- Chopped scallions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the packaging, then drain the water and press the tofu for at least 30 minutes.
- While the tofu presses, stir the marinade ingredients together in a small container or bowl.
- When the tofu has finished pressing, cut the tofu block into four slabs by slicing lengthwise, parallel to the widest sides to maximize surface area.
- Plate the tofu slabs into a shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Let the slabs soak for about 30 minutes (Note 1), occasionally turning the pieces and spooning the marinade over them.
- While the tofu marinates, stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Prepare your dipping stations. Place the dredging flour into one bowl. Whisk the batter ingredients together in a second bowl. Stir the breading ingredients together in a third bowl.
- Add oil to a medium nonstick skillet, getting it about ¼ inch deep. Place the skillet over medium-high heat to begin heating up the oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer, remove one of your tofu slabs from the marinade. Gently shake off any excess liquid, then dip the slab into the bowl of flour, getting it lightly coated on all sides. Dip it in the batter next, again getting it well coated, then dip it in the breading.
- Carefully place the coated tofu slab into the skillet of hot oil. Repeat the dipping process, adding as many tofu slabs as you can fit without crowding. I like to cook two at a time. You can cook the remaining slabs in a second batch, adding oil to the skillet if needed. Cook the tofu for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Move them to a wire rack to drain when they're done frying.
- Optionally, cut each tofu cutlet into thin slices. Serve over rice and cabbage with tonkatsu sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Notes
- Make sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating for more than 2 hours. You can leave it in the fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours.
- Nutrition information does not include rice or cabbage.
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