Tender pork cutlets in my Tonkatsu recipe are breaded in ethereal and fluffy Japanese panko after which deep-fried till juicy, crisp, and golden. Serve them with my irresistible sesame tonkatsu sauce for an additional savory contact!
Tonkatsu is likely one of the many Western-inspired dishes that’s develop into synonymous with Japanese consolation meals. It’s composed of crispy, deep-fried pork cutlets, and it’s simpler to make than you suppose. I’ll share my secrets and techniques for a light-weight and ethereal breading and succulent, tender meat.
For those who’re searching for extra katsu recipes, strive my Katsu Curry, Katsu Sando, and Baked Rooster Katsu subsequent!
What’s Tonkatsu?
Tonkatsu (とんかつ, 豚かつ) is tender pork loin that’s breaded in Japanese panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried till golden. The phrase ton (豚) comes from “pork,” whereas katsu (カツ) is derived from the phrase “cutlet.” Fried cutlets in Japan appeared within the 1870s and have been primarily made utilizing beef. After a lot tinkering, the unique French recipe was tailored to swimsuit the Japanese palate. Right now, it’s much-loved and extensively obtainable in numerous Japanese specialty eating places.
Why I Love This Recipe
- The sunshine and crispy breading – I take advantage of flaky panko breadcrumbs for his or her gentle, high-quality, and supercrisp crunch.
- A flexible recipe – We usually serve tonkatsu with a heaping pile of cabbage and a aspect of pickles, however you can cook dinner it over tender onions and serve it on rice to make my favourite donburi, Katsudon.
- Easy, but irresistible – The ingredient record is brief, and the cook dinner time is minimal, but you’re left with a richly flavored and textured dish everybody will love.
Substances for Tonkatsu
- Pork loin or pork fillet – Use both pork loin or pork tenderloin, as they’ve an important layer of fats that provides the meat an additional tender chew.
- Salt and black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Any impartial flavored oil, similar to vegetable oil – for deep-frying
- Tonkatsu sauce
- Black and white sesame seeds – non-compulsory, for the dipping sauce
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Pork loin: You should use hen to make Rooster Katsu!
- Tonkatsu sauce: This savory, tangy sauce will be purchased in any Japanese grocery retailer or Amazon. I want making Do-it-yourself Tonkatsu Sauce with Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, and sugar as a result of it’s really easy and simply as scrumptious.
What’s Japanese Panko?
These Japanese-style breadcrumbs are made out of smooth, crustless Japanese milk bread. Their giant flakey texture absorbs much less oil than finely floor breadcrumbs, creating a light-weight, crisp coating. Attempt to discover a Japanese model, as non-Japanese variations differ in texture. You may get Japanese panko from Amazon or at Japanese/Asian grocery shops.
In Japan, we frequently use nama panko (生パン粉), a recent model with extra moisture content material than dried panko leading to a greater texture. To recreate it, I frivolously spray dried panko wtih water to rehydrate it earlier than coating the cutlets.
Find out how to Make Tonkatsu
Preparation
Step 1 – Make the dipping sauce. Grind the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle. Divide the powder into small sauce bowls and prime with tonkatsu sauce.
Step 2 – Put together the pork. Trim the surplus fats from the meat and reduce slits into the connective tissue on each side. Pound the pork with a meat mallet, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 3—Arrange the breading station and warmth the oil. Lay out three shallow trays or plates. Add the breadcrumbs to at least one. Add the overwhelmed eggs and oil to the second, then whisk to mix. Add flour to the third. Add the oil to a deep pot and warmth on medium till it reaches 340ºF (170ºC).
Step 4 – Bread the pork. Dredge the cutlets in flour, then the egg combination, then the panko combination.
Cooking
Step 5 – Fry. Add one cutlet to the recent oil and cook dinner for 1 minute, then flip and cook dinner for one more minute. Switch the fried cutlet to a wire rack and repeat till all cutlets are fried.
Step 6 – Fry a second time. Elevate the oil temperature to 355°F (180°C), then fry one cutlet for 30 seconds on all sides. Switch it to a wire rack and clear the oil with a fine-mesh skimmer. Repeat with the opposite cutlets.
Assemble
Step 7 – Minimize and serve. Slice the cutlets into ¾-inch-thick items, then serve with the dipping sauce.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Shake off the surplus flour – It will stop flour and panko from falling into the oil, which might make the oil darkish and have an effect on the tonkatsu’s taste.
- Monitor the oil temperature – The quickest and most correct solution to hold the oil on the optimum temperature is with an instant-read thermometer. I extremely advocate utilizing one so there’s no guesswork concerned.
- Don’t crowd the pot – As tempting as it could be, you don’t wish to crowd the oil with too many cutlets. It will trigger the oil temperature to drop, and the pork received’t cook dinner as evenly.
- Double-fry – I’ve discovered the important thing to completely cooked tonkatsu is to fry it, let it sit on a wire rack for a number of minutes, then fry it a second time to get that crispy, golden exterior.
- Clear the oil between batches – Scoop up the fried crumbs within the oil with a fine-mesh strainer. This fashion, the oil stays clear and the crumbs received’t darken or keep on with your crust.
Variations and Customizations
Tonkatsu is a straightforward dish that may be simply modified or enhanced with different components. Listed below are a few of my solutions.
- Add spices to the breadcrumbs. For a extra intense aroma and taste, you possibly can add a number of teaspoons of garlic powder, onion powder, and/or ginger powder to the flour.
- Bake it as a substitute. For those who would favor to not deep-fry the pork, strive my Baked Tonkatsu. It’s simply as scrumptious, with out the deep-frying cleanup!
- Skip the sesame seeds. You’ll be able to serve this dish the usual means with straight tonkatsu sauce. We do that on a regular basis!
What to Serve with Tonkatsu
- Make cabbage slaw – I typically serve Tonkatsu with a easy cabbage and cucumber slaw. Toss the slaw in Japanese Sesame Dressing (or any Asian dressing of your selection).
- With pickles – Serving it with Asazuke not solely imparts a barely candy and salty taste but in addition creates a beautiful textural distinction.
- With hearty soup – Tonjiru or Asari Miso Soup is usually served at Tonkatsu eating places, making them the right companion.
- With rice – It’s simple to make Japanese Quick-Grain Brown Rice in a rice cooker.
Storage and Reheating Ideas
To retailer: As soon as the tonkatsu has cooled utterly, retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3–4 days or within the freezer for as much as 3–4 months.
To reheat: Reheat leftover cutlets within the oven and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes if defrosted or 30–40 minutes if frozen.
Often Requested Questions
Since you don’t want to pour oil down the drain, I recommend shopping for an oil-solidifying powder for simpler elimination (see the model I take advantage of in my recipe card). Alternatively, let the oil cool utterly, then pour it into an empty container and place it within the rubbish.
It’s probably the pork was overcooked. When doubtful, use an instant-read thermometer to test the inner temperature of the pork. Ideally, the pork ought to register an inside temperature of 145°F. Prepare dinner it any longer, and also you danger the meat changing into overcooked and chewy.
For the Shredded Cabbage Salad (non-compulsory)
For the Sesame Dipping Sauce
Stop your display from going darkish
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For those who want to not deep-fry, see my recipe for Baked Tonkatsu.
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Collect all of the components. I extremely advocate utilizing recent panko (known as nama panko) from a Japanese grocery retailer, if obtainable. For those who can’t get it, comply with my directions under to make recent panko utilizing dried panko. Ensure that to make use of a Japanese model of panko from Japan. Western “panko breadcrumbs” are a bit totally different from genuine Japanese panko.
To Put together the Shredded Cabbage (non-compulsory)
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In Japan, we serve tonkatsu with a aspect of recent shredded cabbage. To arrange it, shred ¼ head inexperienced cabbage very finely with a pointy knife or slicer. I really like to make use of a cabbage slicer (you may get one from Amazon or JOC Items) as a result of it saves time and vitality! I additionally thinly slice 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber diagonally, then reduce them into skinny strips. Toss the cabbage and cucumber collectively and put aside. Put together 4 Tbsp Japanese sesame dressing (retailer purchased or make do-it-yourself Japanese Sesame Dressing) and hold refrigerated till able to serve.
To Make the Dipping Sauce
To Put together the Recent Panko and Breading
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If you’re utilizing dry panko from the shop, place ½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) in a deep dish and spray with water till the panko is moist (I take advantage of a mister). Put aside for quarter-hour, or till the panko turns into smooth and tender. Optionally, you may make recent panko by pulsing some Shokupan (Japanese Pullman bread) in a meals processor.
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In the meantime, put together the opposite breading components. Crack 1 giant egg (50 g every w/o shell) right into a deep dish or tray (or use my favourite prep trays from JOC Items). Add ½ Tbsp impartial oil and whisk collectively till effectively mixed. Then, put together one other dish or tray with 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour). Tip: By including oil, the breading received’t detach from the meat whereas deep-frying and this can assist seal within the meat’s juices and taste.
To Put together the Pork
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Use a pointy knife to take away the additional fats from 2 boneless pork loin chops (½ inch thick). Then, make a number of small slits on the connective tissue (the white space) between the meat and fats. Tip: Pink meat and fats have totally different elasticities, and so they shrink and increase at totally different charges whereas cooking. These slits will permit the tonkatsu to remain flat throughout cooking as a substitute of curling up.
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Flip the meat and make a number of slits on the opposite aspect of the connective tissue.
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Pound each side of the meat with the again of a knife or a meat tenderizer/mallet.
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Mould the cutlet again into its authentic form together with your arms.
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Season each side with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper.
To Bread the Pork
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First, dredge the pork within the flour and mud off any extra. Subsequent, dip the pork into the egg combination and coat effectively. Tip: Extra flour will stop the egg combination from adhering to the pork.
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Lastly, dredge the pork within the recent panko and gently press it to stick to the cutlet. Gently shake off any extra, then place the breaded cutlets onto a tray or plate. Set them apart for five–10 minutes to set the breading. Tip: The panko will “puff up” whereas deep-frying, so it would not should be fluffy at this stage.
To Prepare dinner: The First Fry
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Add 3 cups impartial oil to a pot. Ensure that your oil is 1¾–2 inches (5 cm) deep. I take advantage of the tip of a chopstick to measure. Preheat on medium warmth and produce the oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Tip: For those who don’t have a thermometer, stick a chopstick within the oil; for those who see tiny bubbles seem across the tip, it’s sizzling sufficient. Alternatively, you possibly can drop in a chunk of panko; if it sinks down and instantly pops as much as the floor, then the oil is prepared.
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Gently put one pork cutlet into the oil and let it cook dinner for 1 minute. Don‘t flip it or contact it for 30 seconds. Tip: Why one piece at a time? An excessive amount of meals without delay will drastically scale back the oil temperature, and the tonkatsu will take up an excessive amount of oil. You must see huge oil bubbles while you add the pork. Additionally, monitor the oil temperature so it would not rise above 340ºF (170ºC). If it does, the breading will get darkish earlier than the pork is cooked and also you meat will probably be undercooked.
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After a minute, flip the pork and cook dinner the opposite aspect for 1 minute.
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Take away the pork and let the surplus oil drip off by holding the cutlet vertically over the pot for a number of seconds. Place it on a wire rack or paper towel and prop it on its aspect, if doable, to empty extra oil. Let it sit for 4 minutes. The residual warmth will proceed to cook dinner the meat because it rests.
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Flip off the warmth briefly. Scoop up and discard any fried crumbs within the oil with a fine-mesh strainer. Maintain the oil clear of fried crumbs, which might burn and make the oil darkish and soiled. Then, activate the warmth once more to medium and produce the oil again to 340ºF (170ºC).
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Whereas the primary cutlet is resting on the wire rack, deep-fry the second cutlet for 1 minute with out flipping. Don’t contact it for 30 seconds.
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Flip and cook dinner the opposite aspect for 1 minute.
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Take out the pork and drain the surplus oil as earlier than. Place it on the wire rack and let it relaxation for 4 minutes. Clear the oil of fried crumbs.
The Second Fry
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Elevate the oil temperature to 355ºF (180ºC). After 4 minutes, the primary piece of pork is prepared for its second frying. Fry the cutlet once more for 30 seconds on one aspect, then 30 seconds on the opposite aspect. Take away from the oil, let the oil drip off, and drain on the wire rack for 2 minutes. This prevents the breading from getting soggy on one aspect.
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Clear the fried crumbs within the oil, then fry the second cutlet once more. Take away from the pot and drain the surplus oil as earlier than.
To Serve
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Minimize the tonkatsu crosswise into slices about ¾ inch (2 cm) large.
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Switch to a plate and serve it with the shredded cabbage and cucumber, the sesame dressing in small particular person cups, and the sesame tonkatsu dipping sauce on the aspect.
To Retailer
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You’ll be able to retailer leftovers in an hermetic container and freeze for as much as a month. To reheat, put the defrosted or frozen tonkatsu on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes if defrosted or 30–40 minutes if frozen. Examine if the within is heat earlier than serving.
To Get rid of Used Cooking Oil
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Please comply with your native pointers for disposing of cooking oil. In my neighborhood, we will take it to the recycling middle and dump it into a chosen container, so it’s very simple.
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If you’re utilizing a Japanese oil solidifier, add the powder into the recent oil proper after deep-frying and blend effectively.
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Set it apart and let the oil utterly solidify because it cools, which can take in a single day.
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Minimize into small items and discard them within the trash.
Energy: 523 kcal · Carbohydrates: 15 g · Protein: 27 g · Fats: 37 g · Saturated Fats: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 19 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 10 g · Trans Fats: 1 g · Ldl cholesterol: 131 mg · Sodium: 491 mg · Potassium: 458 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 96 IU · Calcium: 74 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Editor’s Word: This put up was initially revealed on July 12, 2011. The put up was up to date with new video and pictures in August 2021. The put up was up to date with extra useful content material on August 11, 2025.