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Tonkatsu is crispy and crunchy Japanese fried pork cutlet with panko bread crumbs. This homemade tonkatsu recipe is so easy and tastes like restaurants.
I love Japanese food especially bento boxes. One of my favorites is Tonkatsu which is crispy fried pork cutlet coated with Japanese panko breadcrumbs and a thick Tonkatsu sauce.
Tonkatsu bento box usually comes with steamed rice, Japanese salad, miso soup and tastes absolutely delicious!
Difference Between Katsu And Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is part of the katsu family in Japanese cooking. Katsu means fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with panko breadcrumbs so Tonkatsu is a katsu of pork cutlet.
Chicken katsu or torikatsu is fried chicken cutlet while Katsudon means katsu with rice as “don” means rice in Japanese.
Tonkatsu Sauce
You can buy Tonkatsu sauce in a bottle at Japanese or Asian restaurants but homemade sauce is very easy to make. It calls for the following ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Worchestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sugar
Tips On How To Cook Tonkatsu
My homemade Tonkatsu recipe is very simple. It calls for a few basic ingredients.
- Use panko which is available at supermarkets in the International food aisle. Panko is lighter in texture and will be very crispy after deep frying. If you can’t find panko, you may use regular breadcrumbs.
- Deep-fry the pork cutlet at 350 degrees F for extra crispy, light and airy texture like Japanese restaurant.
- Don’t be afraid of deep-frying as panko breadcrumbs are dry, the oil won’t splatter.
- Drain the excess oil of the pork cutlets on paper towels.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 257 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Tonkatsu
This meal is best served with a bowl of steamed white rice. For a wholesome Japanese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- oil, for deep-frying
- 2-3 boneless pork cutlets
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup Japanese panko, preferred or regular breadcrumbs
- cabbage, shredded
- tonkatsu sauce, bottled
Instructions
- Heat a small pot of oil for deep-frying to 350°F (176°C).
- Rinse the pork cutlets with cold water, pat them dry with paper towels, and season with salt and black pepper. Arrange the cornstarch, egg, and panko in three separate containers side by side.
- Lightly coat a piece of pork cutlet with cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Dip the pork cutlet into the egg, then press it into the panko to coat.
- Ensure the pork cutlet is evenly coated with a layer of panko, then set it aside for deep-frying. Repeat the process with the remaining pork cutlets.
- Deep-fry the pork cutlets until golden brown. Remove with a strainer and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Slice the tonkatsu into pieces and serve immediately with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bea ,what part of meat do you use for tonkatsu?
Tonkatsu consists of tender pork loin.
Use boneless pork chops and trim them well. I’ve been making this dish for about 50 years–it was a fave with my kids and a real winner with my grandkids, probably the single thing they asked for most when eating at my house. I pound and tenderize like crazy and these days have a non-Japanese twist–half panko, half grated parmesan cheese. That combo makes a crunchy piece of pork that exceeds the output of any restaurant I know.
Which brings up another issue! Why is something compared to restaurant output something to brag about–most home cooks can do better than anything other than highly rated and very expensive restaurants. I would hate to be compared to Olive Garden for instance–just about anything I serve is better quality, better prepared, and cheaper.
Hi Bee! Thank you so much for creating especially this one! It was scrumptious ? Please continue to do recipes! It will be nice indeed!!???
Thanks.
Hello Bee, I noticed that for the Tonkatsu ingredients you had cornstarch on the list but for the chicken katsu recipe you do not have the cornstarch on the ingredient list. What this a typo? was there suppose to be cornstarch too since the only difference between both recipes is the pork and chicken and the cooking results come out the same? Thanks
Either recipe works. Cornstarch will make the meat a bit tender as I think pork is tougher.
I usually give pork cutlets a bit of a bash before crumbing them to tenderise.
You got me craving for a good Tonkatsu — It is one of my favorite Japanese food! thank you for sharing lots of tips!
I LOVE your recipes! Always tasty, different and EASY! I’ll be making this tonight…. Thanks for all the Great ideas
I wish I had all ingredients or I would make it tonight also.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Katsu Sauce from Rasa Malaysia. So crunchy & delish. Spend the money and buy some Panko.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Can it be air fried instead of deep fried?
Yes, you can try.
I oven baked it (toasting the panko in a frying pan was nice). If you have an air fryer or convection oven it works great. But I would do 450 degrees (425 on convection) and 15 minutes.