Ready to try the ultimate Japanese Agedashi Tofu Recipe? Lightly fried tofu with an airy crunch – covered in savory Tsuyu broth and topped with katsuobushi! Make this classic Japanese izakaya snack at home in only 25 minutes!
Agedashi tofu is one of my favorite Japanese foods!
It’s a popular Japanese appetizer (similar to korokke) that can be found in most izakayas (pub style restaurants).
Read about the advent of Izakayas here. When made well, agedashi tofu is one of the best tofu dishes you can have!
You see, the outside is lightly fried – while the the tofu inside is so soft it almost melts in your mouth.
The warm tentsuyu broth added to the dish just before serving is full of savory umami and just a touch of sweetness. Meanwhile, the grated ginger on top brings a spicy freshness, that rounds out the flavor profile beautifully.
Our history with Japanese fried tofu
Back when my husband and I were first dating, he took me to a small izakaya in the East Village in NYC because he knew I loved Japanese food. (Smart guy!)
I’ll never forget the look on his face when he took his first velvety bite of agedashi tofu.
That night there were three pieces of tofu in the small bowl – and he insisted that I take two.
As soon as the waiter came back to the table, he ordered a second serving. And who could blame him!
I guess you could say he became an agedashi tofu convert right there on the spot!
How to cook Agedashi Tofu
Lightly dust your drained silken tofu with a bit of potato starch. This will provide an airy, crunchy exterior to your tofu once fried.
Then heat your cooking oil to around 340°F. Once hot, carefully place your tofu cubes inside and deep fry until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels until the excess oil has run off.
Meanwhile in a small pan, heat up your dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar has disolved.
Serve your fried tofu cubes in the broth – and top with scallions, katsuobushi and grated ginger and daikon.
YUM!
Agedashi tofu pro-tip: before frying, it’s always a good idea to wrap your tofu blocks in paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Agedashi tofu makes a great side to noodle dishes such as miso ramen, ja ja men (dry ground pork noodles) or Vietnamese chicken noodle soup.
Here are some of my other favorite tofu dishes:
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Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Agedashi tofu (deep-fried tofu in tsuyu broth)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Deep fryig
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Make this traditional Japanese tofu dish at home in just 25 minutes!
Ingredients
- Two 12-ounce box silken tofu (drained)
- potato starch or cornstarch (for dusting)
- oil (for frying)
- 1 cup dashi stock
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Toppings:
- ginger (peeled and grated)
- green onion or chives (finely chopped)
- shiso leaves (chopped) optional
- myoga (chopped) optional
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and then wrap it in paper towels and place in a strainer for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Cut the tofu into four pieces, dry again with paper towels, then coat with the potato starch.
- Heat the oil to a suitable temperature for deep-frying (around 340 degrees). Carefully put the tofu pieces in to fry and when they turn golden, remove and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- In a small pan heat up the dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, ensuring that the sugar has dissolved.
- Divide the tofu among four bowls. Pour a little of the hot broth into each bowl and garnish with the grated daikon, a dab of grated ginger, shiso, myoga, and green onion to taste.
Notes
This Agedashi Tofu recipe is meant to be enjoyed immediately. The broth can be saved for later, but once the tofu is fried it will not keep in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 163
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 744.3 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.4 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 12.9 g
- Cholesterol: 2.3 mg
I loved this recipe so much and made it exactly as written. Made a cucumber salad to go with it and it was perfect
Does this yield a bit of crust on the tofu, even without potato starch? I’ve made one version of Agedashi Tofu, and most of the recipes I’ve read called for potato starch. I’d be happy to skip that step, but I do like the crispiness! Thanks!
Hi Joyce! You do need the potato starch to get the crispy gooey exterior. You can also use cornstarch! 🙂
Absolutely delicious and quite simple! Even the husband who doesn’t go for tofu likes it.
I was hoping to find a good agedashi tofu recipe after having a very disappointing experience at a restaurant in northern California. Your recipe look absolutely delicious and simple to make and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
EXCELLENT! FIRST TIME I ‘VE DONE IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS DIFFICULT BUT IT TURNED OUT PERFECT. LOVE IT! QUICK & HEALTHY RECIPE.
FINALLY, I FOUND EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS.
Thank you so much Therese!! 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe. Mine didn’t really brown though with just the potato starch. So I rolled in potato starch dipped in egg mix then rolled in panko. Gave it more of a crunch also.
Lovely recipe! The broth was perfect. We shallow fried because we don’t have a deep fryer. Because it requires more handling of the tofu we cut it into smaller pieces before coating and frying. Turned out great! I was craving this dish and was so chuffed to make it at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful Kris! I shallow fry all the time too and it works just as well 🙂
Thanks I love this recipe!
Can the tofu be air fried? Instead of deep fried
Hi Fabiola,
That’s a good question, I’ve never tried air frying tofu but I definitely will add it to the list of “must try”. If you get to it before I do, let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Really really tasty. This is serious comfort food.
I tried your recipe and it tastes exactly the same with the onese served in japanese restaurants. Thank you for the recipe.
I just googled for an agedashi tofu recipe and yours looks stunning! Im bookmarking it to make ASAP and after having a little nosy around your blog, I’m subscribing 🙂
Beautiful pictures! i love agedashi tofu. I just love tofu, but its a very under appreciated food…