The best vegan karaage! This Japanese fried chicken is perfectly crispy on the outside while still juicy and flavourful on the inside– just like the real thing.

If you’ve ever had fried chicken before, you know that theres texture in the actual meat portion. Tender in some and a little ‘firmer’ on the edges. To mimic the same effect, I’m using a combination of tofu AND TVP. When battering, it’ll stick the two together and makes for a texturized fried chicken!

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The Best Vegan Karaage Chicken

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5 from 37 reviews

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Description

The best vegan karaage! This Japanese fried chicken is perfectly crispy on the outside while still juicy and flavourful on the inside– just like the real thing.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lbs cotton / traditional tofu (450g)*
  • 1 oz soy chunks (30g)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (1 tsp // 4g)
  • slice of minced ginger (2 tsp // 6g)
  • 2–3 tbsp soy sauce, to taste (30-45ml)
  • 2–3 tbsp sake, to taste (30-45ml)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar (23g)
  • 6–8 tbsp potato starch (60-80g)

Instructions

Tofu Preparation

  1. Day 1: Drain the tofu and then dry with a kitchen cloth. Gently press to remove any excess water. Cover and store in the freezer. 
  2. Day 2: Remove the tofu from the freezer and place into the fridge to let it thaw completely. Then press the tofu, removing as much liquid as you can without breaking it apart. Place into container and freeze again.
  3. Day 3: Remove the tofu from the freezer. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes. Flip and microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until thawed. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess liquid. Now it’s ready to be used!

For the karaage:

  1. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake and sugar together. This is the marinade.
  2. Tear off chunks of tofu and place into the marinade. Add soy curls and toss with the marinade. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. a
  3. Add potato starch to the container and then shake it up. Let it sit for a few minutes– the potato starch should start firming up while sticking the soy chunks to the pieces of tofu. Before frying, add another thin coat of potato starch.
  4. Over medium heat, fry the karaage or until crispy golden brown (2-3 minutes). Place on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drip off. Fry in small batches until complete.
  5. Serve with vegan Japanese mayonnaise and lemon juice, and enjoy!

Notes

  • *Cotton / traditional tofu has the texture between soft fresh tofu and medium firm tofu. This kind of tofu yields the best meat-y texture while still keeping it juicy– however, if you can not find traditional tofu soft fresh or medium firm (or really, any firmness of tofu) can be used. 
  • Leftovers can be stores in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Konnichiwa

About Lisa

I'm Lisa, a home cook, recipe developer and founder of Okonomi Kitchen. Here, you'll find a mix of classic and modernized Japanese recipes, and creative, plant-forward meal inspiration using seasonal ingredients. I hope to share more about Japanese cuisine and culture through food and recipes.

Read More About Me

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43 Comments

  1. this karaage is addicting… I made it for lunch with a friend and we just demolished the whole plate between us. It’s super crunchy & textured!



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  2. i have this recipe memorized because i make it THAT MUCH, has revolutionized and made eating less meat so easy! i can make sooo much out of a single block of tofu….so the hard part is just not eating all of it instantly lol. thank you lisa for this recipe! its a household staple!!!



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  3. Even my partner who regularly eats fresh, real kaarage (in Japan, mind you) was raving about the texture and flavor of these. I’ve tried a couple other recipes I’ve found in Japanese before but nothing comes close to this one. Next time, I’ll try adding the potato starch in gradually for a more even coating as I ended up with some white bits leftover after frying. This is purely cosmetic though – the taste is out of this world!



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  4. We make this recipe all the time now, so you can usually find tofu in our freezer in preparation for it. Love the ginger, so I usually add in a bit more to highlight it. We weren’t sure what temp to fry it at, but 350 F worked well, and we let it get back to temp before the next batch. It tastes best when you finish with a little salt right out of the oil. There’s a high likelihood that we finish eating one batch before the next one is done frying. 🙂 Love this recipe, thanks so much!



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  5. this was so delicious! i made this for my birthday, and while it definitely requires some planning ahead, it’s well worth the effort. i used firm tofu because it was what i had, and the texture still turned out wonderful. so tasty!!!



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  6. Lovely recipe! Swapped the Sake with some Vodka and Potato Starch with Rice Flour as that was all I had on hand. The crispiest shell and super delicious and spongey and flavorful Tofu. Cannot wait to make it again, following the recipe as is.



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  7. This recipe is awesome!! The crispness is perfect !! Make sure you follow the tofu prep instructions to get the best chicken like tofu texture 🙂



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  8. Hey Lisa! I’ve made this recipe by frying it in oil and it came out great. I was wondering if you’ve tried to make this in the air fryer? And if so what times/temps did you cook it at?
    I would like to make this recipes for some friends that have oil sensitivities. Thanks!



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  10. Hi there! I love your recipes. Thank you so much! Can you tell me which cooking sakes to use? I’m new to Japanese cooking. Xox

    Reply