A delicious, traditional Japanese breaded pork dish that is quick and easy.
Tonkatsu Pork is a Japanese dish of breaded, deep-fried pork. Ton means “pork” and katsu is short for the English word cutlet, which comes from the French côtelette. It is one of Japan’s most popular dishes: not only is it easy to make, it is also incredibly tasty. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
Like many popular dishes in Japan (think ramen, tempura, soba, etc.), there are restaurants dedicated solely to tonkatsu, serving this juicy pork cutlet as their specialty.
No tonkatsu plate is complete without a mound of freshly shredded cabbage and a generous drizzle of tonkatsu sauce. (For the Korean version, the donkatsu, the sauce is different.)
A bit of history…
Before tonkatsu became popular as a pork dish in the early 20th century, it was usually made with beef.
When the recipe first appeared in the 1870s, it was already considered yoshoku (a Japanese dish inspired by Western cuisine). Just a few decades later, beef was replaced by pork, giving us the beloved dish we know today.
Tonkatsu is thought to have been inspired by the French veal cutlet, essentially a breaded veal escalope pan-fried in butter. The Tokyo restaurant Rengatei 炉瓦亭 (still open today!) adapted the dish to the Japanese palate, and in 1899 tonkatsu made its debut.
Thirty years later it even evolved into the katsu sando sandwich, and today you can also enjoy the miso variation, miso katsu.
Tips for making perfect Tonkatsu Pork
This step is optional but yields a far better result: about 10 minutes beforehand, lightly mist the panko breadcrumbs with a spray bottle. The panko breadcrumbs will fry up more compact and golden.
Of course, tonkatsu should be served with its signature sauce. You can buy it ready-made in Asian grocery stores, but I also include an easy recipe below.
Make several small cuts through the connective tissue (the white strip) between the meat and the fat. Because the meat and fat shrink at different rates as they cook, these slits help keep the tonkatsu flat and prevent it from curling.
If you have a meat mallet, give the pork a good pounding. This tenderizes the meat and helps it keep its shape.
The main ingredients of Tonkatsu Pork
Pork: choose a cut that is not too fatty; a boneless chop or tenderloin works well
Panko: traditional Japanese breadcrumbs that give the dish its signature crunch
Prepare either the quick sauce below or the more elaborate homemade tonkatsu sauce
Tonkatsu Pork – Easy Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless pork chops/pork fillets
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil for frying
Breading
- 1 large egg beaten in a bowl
- 2 tablespoons of wheat flour in a shallow dish
- 1 plate panko breadcrumbs
Homemade tonkatsu sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Pound with the back of a knife or with a real meat tenderizer if you’re fancy, then season the pork with salt and pepper. Also trim any fat around the edges.2 boneless pork chops/pork fillets, Salt, Pepper
- First dip in the flour, press well, and shake off the excess.2 tablespoons of wheat flour in a shallow dish
- Dip into the egg.1 large egg beaten in a bowl
- Dip into the panko breadcrumbs, press firmly, and shake off.1 plate panko breadcrumbs
- Fry for 1 minute on each side at 180°C.Oil for frying
- Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Fry again for 30 seconds on each side.
- Let rest for 2 minutes before cutting.
- For the sauce, mix the ingredients in a bowl.1 tablespoon ketchup, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar
Never made tonkatsu before and honestly thought I’d mess up the frying, but it came out super crispy and the quick sauce was way better than expected 😊 Feeling oddly proud for a beginner!
Such a gorgeous plate once sliced, with that crisp golden crust and the cabbage piled up so neatly; had to snap a photo because it honestly looked like it came straight from a food magazine.
The tonkatsu looked absolutely gorgeous on the plate, with that perfectly golden crust and neat slices beside the cabbage. Had to snap a photo because it honestly looked like something straight out of a food magazine 🙂
Made this tonkatsu on a rainy evening and it was the ultimate comfort food, so crispy outside and juicy inside with the sauce and cabbage. Total cozy vibes, like a warm hug on a plate 🙂