Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) – with Recipe Video 🎥

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A crispy breaded and deep-fried Japanese pork cutlet. This Pork Tonkatsu recipe is so simple and delicious! It’s served with homemade Tonkatsu sauce.

The Japanese pork cutlet is crispy on the outside, and juicy and tender inside. It’s the perfect meal for any weeknight, especially when you have a Japanese food craving! Skip the take out and make this tempura pork cutlet, Tonkatsu today!

An Easy Japanese Recipe You Can Make at Home

From ramen to sushi, cooking Japanese food is not as difficult as it may seem. In this post, I am going to show you how to make pork katsu (deep-fry and bake cooking instructions included), also known as pork tonkatsu.

Pork Tonkatsu is probably the easiest and simplest Japanese recipe. This deep-fried pork cutlet recipe requires no special cutting or cooking skills! Anyone can make this restaurant-quality Pork Tonkatsu at home. 

From preparation to cooking time, this quick Japanese meal can be ready in less than 30 minutes! It doesn’t hurt that it is also a budget-friendly meal!

The Japanese Pork Cutlet or Schnitzel

Pork Tonkatsu is one of the most popular “European-style” Japanese foods.  It’s similar but crunchier than most pork schnitzel. It’s usually served with shredded cabbage, and a sweet and tangy Tonkatsu sauce or curry sauce on the side. It’s one of the most popular food items that you can easily find at almost any Japanese restaurant or as part of bento items. 

Easy Ingredients:

This crispy Japanese pork schnitzel is made with simple ingredients and everyday seasoning. You can easily find everything you need to make this recipe in your pantry or your local grocery.

To make the perfect Pork Tonkatsu (とんかつ), you will need boneless pork loin chops, eggs, flour, panko bread crumb, salt, and pepper. 

How to Make Tonkatsu Sauce from Scratch

The homemade Tonkatsu sauce is made of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, light brown sugar, light soy sauce, and black pepper.

Check Out More Recipes Using Breadcrumbs:

• HEALTHY BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS (AKA CHICKEN STRIPS)
• SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE – CHEESY AND HEALTHY
• PANKO BREADED CHICKEN KATSU

How to Make the Best Tonkatsu or Pork Cutlets:

• Use the right breadcrumbs: The key secret to making the best Tonkatsu is the type of breadcrumb to use! The traditional Japanese Panko breadcrumbs (パン粉) are made of bread baked by an electrical current and processed into flakes and then dried. They have a flakier, airier, and dryer consistency than regular breadcrumbs. The large flakes give foods a light, airy, crunchy coating whether you deep-fry, bake, or toast them.

I usually purchase the Panko breadcrumbs at Trader’s Joe. It’s definitely become a staple pantry item. I have used them in many recipes including meatballs, crispy baked chicken, katsu, gratin, and even used them as a pasta topping.

• Pound the meat until evenly thin: Pounding is a quick and easy way to tenderize meat. It also helps to flatten the meat, which allows it to cook more quickly and evenly. You can use a flat side of the mallet or fry pan to pound the pork loin chops to about 1/4-inch in thickness.
• Do not overcook the meat: In this recipe, we are going to use boneless pork loin chops. They are lean cut and relatively quick to cook. I’ll stress that it’s very important not to overcook the meat. The amount of cook time will depend on the thickness and temperature of the cutlet, usually from 2-4 minutes per side.

• Season the meat with salt and pepper: After pounding the meat, make sure to season the pork cutlets with salt and pepper so the flavor will get into the meat. It is also an important step in bringing out the meat’s natural flavors. 
• Double Fry: Double frying is a great way to get crispy Tonkatsu. To do this, you will need to deep fry once for about a minute on each side, then remove it from heat and let it sit for a few minutes. After that, you deep fry the cutlets one more time for a minute or so, depending on the thickness. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. 

CHECK OUT MORE ASIAN RECIPES:

• TWICE-COOKED PORK BELLY – (SZECHUAN HUI GUO ROU)
• CHICKEN IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
• SPICY SICHUAN NOODLES
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Tonkatsu – Japanese Pork Cutlet

A crispy breaded and deep-fried Japanese pork cutlet. This Pork Tonkatsu recipe is so simple and delicious! The cutlet is crispy on the outside, and juicy and tender inside.

5 from 11 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Japanese Pork Cutlet, Katsu, Pork Katsu, Pork Tonkatsu, Tonkatsu

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Rika Livingston

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 pork loin chops (about 5 oz each and ½ inch thick)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• ½ cup flour (for dredging)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (add more if needed)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
• ½ tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
• peanut or canola or vegetable oil (or more for deep frying)

Tonkatsu Sauce:

• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• a pinch of garlic powder

Garnish:

• shredded cabbage

Instructions

• Make 3-4 tiny slits on the connection tissue between the meat and fat and without cutting through meat.
• Pound the meat with a mallet, a flat pan, or the back of your knife into thin and an even thickness (about ¼ inch each).
• Season the pork loin chops with salt, and pepper.
• Prepare 3 large bowls. Add beaten egg onto the first bowl, flour to the second bowl, and panko breadcrumbs onto the third bowl.
• Dredge the meat into the flour, shake excess flour and then dip it into the beaten egg. Dredge in panko, then cover the meat evenly with panko breadcrumbs by pressing gently. Turn it over and repeat. Make sure the meat is well covered.

Deep-Fry Cooking Instructions:

• Heat at least 1 ½ inches oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F on medium-high heat.

  Dip a chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. 
• Working in batches, deep fry the meat for about 1 minute per side (or more depending on the thickness). Remove from heat then drain on a paper towel. Let it cool down for a few minutes while you are working with other cutlets.
• After resting for about 3-4 minutes, bring the cutlets back into the hot oil and cook for 1 minute total (or more depending on the thickness). The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. 
• Cut the pork cutlets into ½-inch slices. Transfer to a plate, serve with cabbage and Tonkatsu sauce.

Tonkatsu Sauce:

• In a medium bowl, stir in all the Tonkatsu sauce ingredients. Set aside until its ready to be used.
• You can store this leftover Tonkatsu sauce for 2-3 weeks in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer.

Oven-Baked Cooking Instructions:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. 
• Transfer the pork loin chops onto the sheet pan and bake until the meat is no longer pink inside for about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. 
• Cut the pork cutlets into ½-inch slices. Transfer to a plate, serve with cabbage and Tonkatsu sauce.

Video

Notes

If you don’t want to double-fry, you can deep fry the cutlet (one at the time) until golden on the bottom for about 3 minutes (more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of the cut). Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes  ((more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of the cut). Transfer pork to a paper-towel-lined platter to drain.

The minimum cooking time is determined by the thickness of the cut. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. 

If you don’t have an oyster sauce at home, feel free to skip it, and adjust the seasoning by adding a little extra sugar and regular soy sauce. 

The Nutrition Facts for Pork Tonkatsu only, the sauce is not included. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Tonkatsu – Japanese Pork Cutlet

Amount Per Serving

Calories 396 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 160mg53%

Sodium 865mg38%

Potassium 594mg17%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 103IU2%

Calcium 68mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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