Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) - with Recipe Video 🎥

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!

Jump to:

• An Easy Japanese Recipe You Can Make at Home
• The Japanese Pork Cutlet or Schnitzel
• Easy Ingredients:
• How to Make Tonkatsu Sauce from Scratch
• Check Out More Recipes Using Breadcrumbs:
• How to Make the Best Tonkatsu or Pork Cutlets:
• CHECK OUT MORE ASIAN RECIPES:
• Tonkatsu - Japanese Pork Cutlet

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 ¼-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.  I personally tried both deep fry and double deep fry methods and the results were pretty similar.

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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