
Vegan tofu katsu thats perfectly crispy served with rice and rich Japanese curry for the ultimate comfort meal! This vegan katsu curry is easy to make and make ahead friendly, too. (Gluten free option)

Katsu and curry and two national home comfort dishes in Japan. And when you take two comfort foods and put them together, you're left with the ultimate hearty, satisfying and incredibly delicious meal.
What is katsu curry?
Katsu Curry (カツカレー) is Japanese curry topped with a light and crispy panko-breaded is a combination of Japanese Curry and a panko-breaded cutlet. In Japan, curry is a frequent dinner of choice because of how quick, easy and make-ahead friendly it is. However, adding katsu to it makes it extra special (in our family, we only had it for special occasions).
The combination of a crispy crunchy cutlet mixed with a rich and flavourful curry sauce.. you really just gotta try it to experience the magic.
Vegan Katsu Curry
Katsu is typically made from pork or chicken cutlets but surprise surprise!! Tofu is an amazing substitute for vegans and vegetarian. It's the perfect substitute because of how meaty the texture is and how easily you can make it look like real cutlets too!

Ingredients you'll need
To make vegan katsu curry, you'll need one recipe of Japanese curry and rice. For the katsu, you'll need:
- Medium firm OR firm tofu: For the best meaty texture, although you can also make this with firm tofu.
- Flour: Either all purpose or rice flour if gluten free.
- Aquafaba: Replaces the egg typically used. Be sure to use a thicker aquafaba (if using from the thin, reduce over low heat on the stove until its thicker). You can also use a combination of water and corn starch if you don't have aquafaba.
- Oil: For deep frying and also adding it into the egg mixture. My grandpa actually taught me this trick and said that it was his secret way to prevent the breading from coming off when frying.
- Panko: Japanese breadcrumbs are key to a really good katsu! Do not use regular bread crumbs.

How to make vegan tofu katsu curry
There are three components to katsu curry: rice, curry and katsu. Start cooking the rice and prepare one portion of Japanese curry. While the curry is simmering is when I'll start making the tofu katsu.
Preparing the vegetables
When making katsu curry, some people like to cut the vegetables smaller so that it kind of melts away into the curry. I personally still like to have chunks of veggies in my curry but experiment and see which you like better
Preparing the tofu: the best method
To mimic the texture of meat with tofu, we first have to draw the moisture out of it. There are a couple of ways to do this:
- Double Freezing: Works best with medium firm tofu, as mentioned in my air fryer tofu recipe. If you want to go beyond that, a third freeze makes extra tight flakey layers!
- Press, freeze & freeze: Again, works best with medium firm tofu but this method also works with firm tofu (slightly spongier texture).
- Freeze & Boil: My personal favourite method! Simply just place a block of frozen tofu in boiling salted water over a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Soak in salted water: salted water over the tofu and let it sit for 8-10 minutes. The salted water will draw the moisture out of the tofu.
- Microwave: On medium (600 W) for 4 minutes until defrosted.
Slice the tofu into 4 squares. You can use the tofu as is or cut them into irregular shapes like (kinda like larger nuggets). Then season the tofu pieces with salt and pepper on both sides.

How to make tofu katsu
There are three methods of making tofu katsu: fried, air fried and baked.
First, prepare three shallow bowls and fill one with flour, another with aquafaba (+ the oil) and the third with panko.
Dredge the tofu in flour and shake off any excess flour. Dip into the aquafaba. Then dredge into the panko making sure you have an even coating all around.
Deep frying / pan frying
- Add oil to a heavy bottom pot about 1 ½ inches in height. Heat over medium-high. I like to start frying at 320 F because it makes for a more even and golden exterior. If you want to pan shallow fry, add enough oil to cover the pan and then fry each side over
- Place 1-2 pieces of the katsu (do not over-crowd) into the oil and deep fry for 1-2 minutes without moving it. Once golden, carefully flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden.
- Carefully remove the katsu with tongs or chopsticks and place onto a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
How to know the oil is ready to fry
There are three ways to check:
- Thermometer: the easiest and most accurate
- Chopsticks: Place chopsticks into the oil and if you see small bubbles on the tip, then you're ready to fry.
- Panko: Add a piece of panko to the fryer. If it sinks and pops back up, then it's ready to go.
Air frying
- Follow the steps from above but instead of deep frying, air fry at 375 F. I highly recommend spraying the air fryer basket and tofu katsu with oil to get a more 'fried' texture. Air fry for about 6-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Flip and air fry for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Baking
- Follow steps 1-3 from above.
- We are also going to be pre-toasting the panko for a better crunchy crust. Add the panko to a pan over medium heat and spray with oil. Cook until lightly golden brown and then remove to the third bowl. Then do the dredge, dip and dredge.
- Place the katsu pieces on a prepare oven safe wire rack or baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 10-12 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Now that we have all three components ready, place some rice into a bowl and then add 2-3 pieces of tofu katsu. Then pour over the curry. Add some fukushinzuke to the side and enjoy!

Quick & easy with left overs
Making katsu kinda sounds like a lot of work. You gotta cook the rice, the curry AND the katsu buttttt, it's actually very quick and easy to make if you're efficient with your time (aka multi-tasking). To make it even faster, you can use leftover curry!
I'll purposely make extra curry and tofu katsu to keep in the fridge or freezer. And then when I feel like katsu curry, I'll make the katsu fresh (from frozen) and then serve it with warmed up left over rice and curry. It takes me under 15 minutes to put together.
How to store curry
Curry will keep in the fridge for 3-4 in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer. Be sure to remove the potatoes from the curry if freezing because when thawed, they tend to become soggy-spongy in texture.
To reheat
To reheat, you may need to add some water to get a smooth consistency because it will thicken as it cools.
- Microwave: Do it in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until heated.
- Stove top: Let the curry thaw first and then add to a pot over medium low heat. Once it starts to heat up, bring heat down to low to keep it warm.
How to store tofu katsu
Tofu katsu will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, place in toaster oven or oven at 350 F until warmed and crispy again. Do not microwave or the katsu will get soggy.
You can also freeze tofu katsu! I'll always make a double batch just to keep in the freezer for quick meals. You can either freeze it before frying or after frying. Place un-fried katsu on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen keep in freezer safe containers. If after frying, let it cool completly and then place in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready, let the tofu katsu thaw and then fry. If pre-fried, reheat in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed and crispy again.

More vegan curry recipes to try:
- Authentic Vegan Japanese Curry
- Japanese curry powder
- Japanese kabocha curry
- Homemade curry roux cubes
- Yaki Curry (coming soon)
- Curry udon
- Curry fried rice
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓

If you recreate this Vegan tofu katsu curry recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Tofu Katsu Curry (Vegan)
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Crunchy tofu katsu served with white rice and a rich Japanese curry sauce! So hearty, flavourful and is truly the ultimate comfort dish. (Vegan + Gluten free option)
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vegan Japanese Curry
- 2 servings of cooked rice
- 400g medium firm or tofu, double frozen & thawed
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour or rice flour for gluten free (22g)
- ⅓ cup aquafaba (80ml // or substitute ⅓ cup water + 1 tablespoon corn starch)
- ½-¾ cup panko (30-45g // gluten free panko if needed)
- 2 tsp oil, optional (10g)
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Tofu preparation
- If using medium firm tofu, freeze the tofu. Thaw, press and then freeze. Then thaw, and press again. If using firm tofu, press the tofu for 40 minutes, freeze, thaw and press for another 30 minutes. Note: Alternatively for a quicker version, you can freeze sliced firm tofu overnight, thaw, microwave on high and squeeze as much water out of it as you can.
- Slice the tofu into 4 squares. You can use the tofu as is or cut them into irregular shapes to make them look more like pork katsu.
- Line up 3 shallow bowls. Add the flour to one, aquafaba to the next and panko to the third. Add the oil to the aquafaba bowl and stir (if using- this helps prevent the panko from detaching when frying).
- Dredge the tofu into the flour and remove any excess flour. Dip into the aquafaba. Dredge into the panko, ensuring you get a nice even coat on each side and around the edges. Gently shake off any excess panko and then lightly press the tofu between your hands.
- Add oil to a heavy bottom pot about 1 ½ - 2 inches in height. Heat the oil over medium high heat and wait until the oil is heated to 320 F. If you don't have a thermometer, add a piece of panko to the oil, if it floats up then it's ready to start frying.
- Place 1-2 pieces of the katsu into the oil and deep fry for a few minutes (about 1 - ½ minutes) without moving it around. When it gets golden brown, carefully flip it over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the katsu with tongs or chopsticks and then place on a paper-lined wire rack or plate. Repeat until all of them are fried
Air fried
- Follow steps 1-4 from above. Pre-heat air fryer to 375 F. Spray the air fryer basket and katsu with oil (optional, but will make them more crispy and 'fried'). Place the tofu katsu into the basket and air fry for about 6-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Flip and air fry for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Baked
- Follow steps 1-3 from above. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Place a oven-safe wire rack onto a baking sheet (or parchment paper).
- In a pan over medium heat, add the panko and spray with oil. Cook until golden brown. Remove from heat and add to the third bowl. Then follow step 4 from above.
- Place the tofu katsu onto the wire rack and bake for 10-12 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
To serve
- Add cooked rice to a shallow bowl along with the curry. Top with katsu and enjoy!
Notes
- Helpful Equipment:
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Category: entree
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: tofu katsu, vegan katsu, vegan japanese curry, vegan katsu curry, tofu katsu curry, baked katsu
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Gina Liu
Even though I chose to be cheap and swap out some key ingredients (cornflakes are definitely not the same as panko), it still came out great and really tasty and crunchy. This was also my first time pressing tofu using the freeze and boil method, so I really appreciate the instructions on how to do so. Great for beginners!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Gina! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Sylvain
I made this using the oven method, and for a no-oil method, the resulting texture was really interesting! It was so satisfying to be able to cook this at home this easily.
Like an other commenter, I also swapped out some key ingredients (potato starch instead of the cornstarch listed here as an aquafaba alternative) but the result turned out really OK (even though the panko didn't stick that much at first).
I also enjoyed learning about the freeze and boil method to "dry" the tofu!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara
Thanks for trying this recipe, Sylvain! Glad it worked out for you in the end 🙂
Samara
Yum yum yum!!!! I've always been too lazy to make the katsu but if you have the time definitely do it! This was so delicious thank you so much for your recipes!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara
Thank you for trying this recipe Samara! So happy to hear it was a hit!
Paula
This is so good! I made the curry powder yesterday and then made this today (airfried tofu version). It's so so good. Thank you!
★★★★★
Krystal
This recipe was excellent, thank you! The tofu Katsu was the most successful breading/ frying recipe I’ve ever used... and I’ve been vegetarian for almost 15 years, so I’ve made a lot of tofu! The curry was just like from our favorite Japanese restaurant. I added the soy sauce and cocoa for hidden flavors and will try others next time I make this to experiment.
★★★★★
Hanna
The tofu katsu came out amazing! I never breaded anything with aquafaba before so I’ve even learned something new here 🙂
★★★★★
Christian
Thanks for sharing this recipe and for all the preparation instructions, I used the Press, freeze & freeze technique, and now I always have a tofu in the freezer.
★★★★★
Tori
I made this last night and it was sooo good! I didn’t get all the moisture out of the tofu before freezing it (oops!) but it still came out just fine. My boyfriend even asked what kind of meat it was!
I used the air fry method, and I didn’t use enough oil which meant it didn’t get as dark as I wanted on the first go. My second batch browned much more nicely with more oil. But it cooked all the way through in the time listed on the recipe! It was crispy and delicious and everything I wanted in a katsu 🙂
★★★★★
Tori
I made this last night and it was sooo good! I didn’t get all the moisture out of the tofu before freezing it (oops!) but it still came out just fine. My boyfriend even asked what kind of meat it was!
I used the air fry method, and I didn’t use enough oil which meant it didn’t get as dark as I wanted on the first go. My second batch browned much more nicely with more oil. But it cooked all the way through in the time listed on the recipe! It was crispy and delicious and everything I wanted in a katsu!! 😀
★★★★★
Isabel
I used regular medium firm tofu /pressed for 30 mins (I forgot to freeze my tofu) and followed the recipe and still turned out really good!
Ps.make sure to cook lots of rice cause you will come back for more
★★★★★
Vanshika Arya
I recently had Japanese curry at a local restaurant and was head over heels on how delicious it was and surely the cook in my wanted to recreate it at home, and OH BOY!!! thank you so much Lisa for this recipe, I made it for the first time and it was
1. so easy to make
2. so quick
3. I could experiment with differnet kakushi aji
4. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!
thank you so so so much!! <3
★★★★★
Isabelle
The fried tofu katsu is surprisingly really good despite not having any salt or seasonings!! The first time I made it, I didn’t freeze the tofu and squeeze out excess water which was a mistake because the panko didn’t stick as well. The second time, I froze and thawed it once which made the panko stick better, but I’m sure it would be ever BETTER if I froze and thawed it a second time like the instructions said haha. I’m just impatient 😂 The curry itself is AMAZING and I made homemade pickled radishes to go along with it. Thank you so much for the recipe, Lisa! ❤️
★★★★★
Ezra
Lovely delicious recipe! Easy to follow, and having a variety of ways to cook the tofu was helpful. The four different ways to prepare the tofu were particularly useful - I used the salt water method and it worked nicely! Would definitely make this meal again in the future!
★★★★★
M
I have been meaning to try this recipe for the longest time and finally came around to it. It is probably the best form of tofu I have ever made! I froze firm tofu and opted for the deep fry method; I actually forgot to add oil in the wet mixture so the Panko did not stick as well. However, I repeated step 4 about 3x and this helped with the Panko sticking and I think this made for an extra crispy tofu katsu! Also, I did not have aquafaba on hand so I used unsweetened soy milk and added some salt to the flour mix to season the katsu a bit more. Despite these slight changes, the result was still delicious.
Highly recommend this tofu katsu recipe-- it is so crunchy and the texture is insanely close to what I remember of meat. As for the taste, it would make any tofu-hater convert to a tofu-lover 😉
★★★★★
Brigitte
This turned out so incredibly GOOD! The tofu was so crispy (I chose to shallow fry it) and complemented the silky texture of the curry sauce very well. I had never tried this dish before making this recipe, and I was BLOWN away at how much I enjoyed it. I’m not vegan, but the aqua faba as an egg replacer in the coating worked out so well that I’ll now consider using it instead of egg when frying from here on out. I loved this recipe and will definitely be making this often 🙂
★★★★★