Crispy Tofu Steaks with Caramelized Onion Gravy

A Sliced Up Tofu Steak and Asparagus on a Plate

5 from 6 votes

Crispy Tofu Steaks with Caramelized Onion Gravy

These tofu steaks will satisfy your comfort food cravings! Covered in a crispy panko coating and topped with savory caramelized onion gravy, they make a great vegan main course for special dinners.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Alissa

Ingredients

For the Caramelized Onion Gravy

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch organic granulated sugar
¼ cup dry white wine
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the Batter

½ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, very finely minced

For the Breading

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Tofu Steaks

1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
Olive oil, for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make the Caramelized Onion Gravy

Place the olive oil, onion, thyme, and sugar into a medium skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Allow everything to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes.
Add the wine, raise the heat to medium, bring it to a simmer, and allow it to cook until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the flour to form a paste coating the onion. Cook the onion and flour for about a minute.
Slowly stir in the broth and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to cook until it becomes nice and thick, about 5 minutes. The gravy thickens quickly, so add in some additional broth or water if it becomes too thick.
Remove the skillet from heat. Taste test the gravy and add more soy sauce if you'd like.

Make the Crispy Tofu Steaks

In a shallow dish, whisk together the batter ingredients. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes, until it thickens up.
In a separate dish, stir together the ingredients for the breading.
Cut the tofu in half width-wise, then cut each piece in half thickness wise, creating 4 rectangular slabs.
Very generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. You want at least ⅛ inch of oil.
When the oil is hot, place one of the tofu slabs into the batter, flipping to coat each side, then transfer it to the panko mixture and coat each side. Place it into the skillet, and repeat for the remaining tofu slabs, cooking as many as you can fit at a time without crowding.
Cook the tofu steaks for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown, very carefully flipping between sides so as not to remove the coating.
Cook any remaining tofu slabs in a second batch, following the method above.
Divide the tofu steaks onto plates and top with caramelized onion gravy. Serve.

Notes

This recipe only makes a small amount of gravy, but like I said above, you only need a little. If you're a serious gravy monster, make a double batch.

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