Take your weeknight dinner to the next level with this crunchy and succulent tonkatsu. Enjoy the tonkatsu with rice and cucumber sunomono for a hearty meal.
Tonkatsu is one of all our time favorite weeknight dinners. We love the thin pork cutlet breaded in flour, eggs, and crunchy panko breadcrumbs then fried to golden perfection. According to the Nihombashi Restaurant Association, tonkatsu originated from Tokyo’s glamorous Ginza district in the 1890s. This tonkatsu recipe rivals even the tonkatsu at the popular Katsukura in Japan. We swap out the cabbage slaw for the cucumber sunomono which brings a tangy element that plays a very nice contrast to the sweet and crunchy pork. Get a bit of rice, the succulent pork covered by the crunchy yet light panko crust, and cucumber for an explosion of flavors.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork: pick cutlets that are a bit fatty so that they stay juicy while frying. Either pork sirloin or pork loin cutlets work well.
- Panko: this ingredient is essential to getting a crunchy, yet light coating. Panko is lighter and more flaky compared to regular breadcrumbs. Restaurants in Japan use fresh panko. To make your own fresh panko, buy a loaf of shokupan, trim off the crusts, let it go stale for one day, then use the grading disc of a food processor to turn it into fluffy breadcrumbs.
- Tonkatsu sauce: for the tonkatsu sauce, we use this popular brand Bull-Dog.
How to Make Tonkatsu
- Pat 4 thin-cut pork chops dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make small cuts about ½-inch apart along the white fat cap around the edge of each pork chop to prevent the meat from curling up while cooking.
- Place the pork in between two pieces of plastic and pound until you get an even thickness of ½ inch.
- Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the breading station with three separate bowls containing all purpose flour, whisked eggs, and panko.
- Working with one piece of pork at a time, dredge it in flour, shake off excess, coat it in egg mixture, then panko. Don't be afraid to put a bit of pressure on the pork to make the panko stick. Repeat with remaining pork pieces and set aside.
- Bring a large frying pan over medium heat to 325-350 degrees F. Gently lower the breaded pork in the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden. Flip the pork and fry the other side for 45 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the fried pork cutlet to a wire rack over a baking sheet or surface lined with paper towels to let the excess oil drain.
- Serve the tonkatsu with tonkatsu sauce, cucumber sunomono, lemon wedge, and rice.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- The pork loin cutlets can be breaded ahead of time.
- It’s better to enjoy the tonkatsu after frying. Left-overs tend to lose their crunchiness and not taste as good.
For more Japanese food inspiration:
Tonkatsu Fried Pork Cutlets (Recipe adapted from Japanese Soul Food cookbook)
Enjoy this crunchy and succulent tonkatsu with rice and cucumber sunomono for a hearty meal.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless pork loins (about 4 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups neutral oil for frying
- steamed rice for serving
For Serving
- 1 lemon cut into 8 wedges for serving
- cucumber sunomono for serving
Instructions
- Pat 4 thin-cut pork chops dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make small cuts about ½-inch apart along the white fat cap around the edge of each pork chop to prevent the meat from curling up while cooking.
- Place the pork in between two pieces of plastic and pound until you get an even thickness of ½ inch.
- Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the breading station with three separate bowls. In one bowl whisk flour and cornstarch until combined. In another bowl add eggs and whisk lightly. Add panko to the third bowl.
- Working with one piece of pork at a time, dredge it in flour, shake off excess, coat it in egg mixture, then panko. Don't be afraid to put a bit of pressure on the pork to make the panko stick. Repeat with remaining pork pieces and set aside on a plate.
- Bring a large frying pan over medium heat to 325-350 degrees F. Gently lower the breaded pork in the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden. Flip the pork and fry the other side for 4-5 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the fried pork cutlet to a wire rack over a baking sheet or surface lined with paper towels to let the excess oil drain.
- Slice tonkatsu crosswise into ½-inch-wide pieces. Serve the tonkatsu with tonkatsu sauce, cucumber sunomono, lemon wedge, and rice.
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Cathleen
This seriously looks perfect!! I am craving this right now at 11pm :p
Vy Tran
Thank you so much Cathleen!
Huey
Thank you for this recipe. Question--can I use any miso paste for the tonkasu sauce or does it have to be Hatcho miso?
Vy Tran
Hi Huey! You can use any types of miso. I typically keep white miso and hatcho miso in my fridge. You might need to adjust the amount to your liking.
MS
Please be sure you are using the correct words… tonkatsu is different from tonkotsu.
Vy Tran
Thank you for the correction. Much appreciated!