Easy Crispy Tofu Katsu With Spicy Sauce

What is Katsu?

Katsu is a Japanese traditional dish of fried chicken cutlet with a sweet dipping sauce

In Japanese, katsu translates to “cutlet”

Here we have reimagined this katsu in a healthier version by swapping out tofu for the chicken, and roasting in a convection oven, plus kicking up tofu and dipping sauce a notch by adding a bit of gochugaru powder and Sriracha

The tofu is cut in cubes to get more surface area for the panko to give it a crispy coating

This is a very satisfying dish that requires just one sheet pan – So clean up is a breeze

The sweet dipping sauce in this recipe has ketchup, garlic, mirin (a sweet Japanese wine), and tamari, plus a little spice from Sriracha to balance it out

What are Benefits of Tofu?

Tofu is one of the most versatile and nutritionally impressive plant-based foods available, making it a staple ingredient for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and just for people that want to add some plant forward meals to their repertoire.

Made from condensed soy milk pressed into firm white blocks by coagulating it with a calcium salt, tofu is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs to carry out the various fates of protein like muscle building, tissue repair, making enzymes, and immunoglobulins for proper immune response. It’s naturally low in calories and saturated fat while being rich in healthy fats, and plus bone building minerals like iron, calcium, and manganese.

Tofu is also packed with isoflavones, powerful plant compounds that have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease, improved hormonal balance, and even lower rates of certain cancers. Incredibly adaptable in the kitchen, tofu absorbs flavors beautifully, making it as easy to love as it is good for you.

Be sure to choose organic, or look for the Non-GMO verified label to ensure the soybeans do not have glyphosate, which is a known carcinogen

How Do I Prepare Tofu?

For this dish, choose either firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu is too soft, and will not hold its’ shape. Silken tofu is used for puddings and for blending into soups to make them creamy

Pressing excess water from the tofu can help it to absorb marinades, and hold its’ shape when used in a stir fry

Press tofu between two cutting boards so excess liquid can drain in the sink

Start by slicing the tofu block in half lengthwise, place between two cutting boards next to your sink, and prop a small plate under the far side of the sink

Fill a small pan with water and place it on top of cutting board to add weight to help press water out of tofu, as shown

Or, you can use a tofu press like the one shown here, allowing to press for about 15 minutes

What Coating is Used for Katsu?

The tofu is first coated with whole wheat flour, then flax egg is used as a binder so the whole wheat panko bread crumbs will stick to the tofu

Flax egg is made by mixing two tablespoons of ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons water. After about ten minutes, it forms a gel and can be used as an egg substitute. You can use eggs or egg whites if you do not want to use flax

Read panko label ingredients and choose a product without added sugars

Follow along on Instagram for easy healthy cooking tips, and watch an instructional post for Tofu Katsu here

https://www.instagram.com/tina_integrative_dietitian/

Print

Easy Crispy Tofu Katsu

Vegan take on a Japanese classic

Course dinner

Cuisine anti inflammatory, Japanese, vegan

Keyword 30 Minute Meal, 5 Ingredients, Anti Cancer, Asian, crunchy, Detox, Easy, healthy, Immune Boost, Japanese, Tofu

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra firm organic non-GMO tofu
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp gochujang powder or smoked paprika optional
• 2 eggs beaten or flax egg*
• 1/2 cup sugar free whole wheat panko bread crumbs

For the Katsu Sauce

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp tamari or good soy sauce
• Small squeeze of Sriracha optional

Instructions

1. Press tofu between two cutting boards so excess liquid can drain in the sink
2. Start by slicing the tofu block in half lengthwise, place between two cutting boards next to your sink, and prop a small plate under the far side of the sink
3. Fill a small pan with water and place it on top of cutting board to add weight to help press water out of tofu, as shown
4. We are not marinating the tofu here, but this is a great strategy to use when marinating, plus make the tofu a bit firmer if you are using it in a stir fry
5. Or, you can use a tofu press as shown above
6. Allow tofu to press for about 15 minutes
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F on convection roast
8. Gather tofu coating ingredients in three small separate bowls
9. Mix whole wheat flour in one bowl with salt and gochugaru powder
10. Beaten eggs (or flax egg) go in the second bowl
11. Panko goes in the third bowl
12. Drain tofu and cut into two bite cubes
13. Coat tofu cubes first in flour mixture, then egg, then panko, working in small batches of a few pieces at a time
14. Make sure all sides of tofu cubes are coated
15. When breading ingredients, I like to use my left hand for wet ingredients, and right hand for dry to keep the process cleaner
16. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet
17. Make sure there is plenty of space between pieces of tofu for maximum crispiness
18. Roast in middle of oven for 30 minutes, turning with tongs or spatula half way through
19. Serve warm with katsu dipping sauce on the side
20. Mix all katsu sauce ingredients
21. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed

Recipe Notes

*Make this dish vegan by swapping “flax egg” for eggs. Mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 1/4 cup plus two tbsp water and let stand for about 10 minutes. It will form a gel that you can swap out for eggs as a binder in this dish, as well as baking