Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)
Japanese tonkatsu — a thick pork loin cutlet coated in panko and fried crisp. Served with sweet-tangy tonkatsu sauce, crunchy shredded cabbage, and rice, it's a universal favorite.
Ingredients
- Pork loin · 2cm thick, for cutlets2 pieces
- Flour0.5 cup
- Eggs · beaten2
- Panko · Japanese breadcrumbs2 cups
- Frying oil · plenty
- Cabbage · shredded, to serve0.25 head
- Rice & lemon · to serve
- Seasoning
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Black pepper0.5 tsp
- Tonkatsu sauce
- Worcestershire sauce3 tbsp
- Ketchup2 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Soy sauce1 tsp
Steps
- ⏲ 2 min
Snip the connective tissue on the pork, pound it flat to shape, and season with salt and pepper.
- ⏲ 2 min
Coat in flour, then beaten egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly and thickly.
- ⏲ 1 min
Heat the oil to 170C. (A dropped crumb should rise slowly.)
- ⏲ 5 min
Fry the cutlets 2-3 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Don't flip too often.
- ⏲ 2 min
Drain and rest 1-2 minutes so the carryover heat cooks it through (no pink when sliced).
Mix and warm the sauce. Slice the cutlet, serve with shredded cabbage, rice, and lemon, and pour over the sauce.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Katsudon: Simmer the cutlet with onion and egg, served over rice.
- Katsu curry: Set the cutlet on Japanese curry rice (see that recipe).
- Cheese tonkatsu: Fry with cheese tucked inside for a melty pull.
- Chicken/fish katsu: Use chicken breast or white fish instead of pork.
Tips
- Snip the connective tissue so the cutlet doesn't curl while frying.
- Press the panko on firmly for a thick, crunchy crust.
- Keep the oil at 170C — too hot burns the outside before the inside cooks.
- Stand it up to drain and rest so carryover heat finishes it juicy.
- Soak the shredded cabbage in cold water to crisp it and cut the richness.
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