Indulge in my Katsudon recipe: crispy pork over a bed of rice, topped with onions, tender egg, and an exquisite sauce. A comforting Japanese dish, perfect for a quick and flavorful preparation.
What is Katsudon?
Katsudon is a comforting Japanese dish combining a breaded and fried pork cutlet (Tonkatsu pork) with rice, all covered with a mixture of lightly beaten eggs, onions, and a savory sauce.
The name “Katsudon” breaks down into “katsu” for the breaded pork and “don” for donburi, which refers to a bowl of rice with toppings. It’s also known as Tonkatsu Donburi. This dish beautifully combines crispiness, tenderness, and richness of flavors. It is a great classic of Japanese cuisine
Tips for Successful Katsudon
Choice of meat: Opt for quality pork chops, neither too lean nor too fatty, to ensure a texture that is both tender and juicy after cooking. The beef version is called gyudon, the non-fried version butadon… and the sandwich version katsu sando or even miso with miso katsu
Perfect breading: Ensure that the panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) adheres well to the meat for a crispy Tonkatsu. Don’t skimp on the quality of the panko for optimal results. A small tip is to spray a little water on it after rolling in the breadcrumbs. By the way, you can make your tonkatsu pork in the air fryer
Egg cooking: The beaten egg poured over the dish should be just cooked, creating a soft texture that binds all the ingredients without masking their taste.
Serve immediately: To fully enjoy the varied textures, serve the Katsudon as soon as it’s prepared so that the Tonkatsu remains crispy.
The Main Ingredients of Katsudon
Panko: These Japanese breadcrumbs ensure the characteristic crispiness of Tonkatsu.
Eggs: Beaten and cooked until just set, they add a silky texture.
Dashi stock: The foundation of the sauce, it’s essential for its umami. Find my homemade dashi recipe here
Pork: Use well-marbled pork, you can also replace it with chicken in the style of chicken katsu
Light soy sauce: you can replace it with Japanese tamari soy sauce, it adds saltiness and umami to the dish
Mirin: a sweet Japanese condiment made from sake, it is essential for the good taste of the dish
Authentic Japanese Katsudon
Ingredients
- 2 Pork Chops Boneless, pounded until “1 cm” thick
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon flour For Sprinkling
- 1 egg
- 100 g of panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for Frying
- 120 ml Dashi Stock Homemade or Using a Powder Base
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Mirin
- 2 eggs
- 1 Thinly Sliced Onion
- 2 portions of cooked white rice
- 1 Sliced Green Onion
Instructions
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then lightly dust them with flour.
- In a shallow dish, beat the egg. Place the panko in another shallow bowl.
- Add a thin, even layer of oil to a cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat. The oil is ready when you drop a piece of panko into the oil and it sizzles.
- Dip the pork in the egg to coat. Transfer the pork to the panko and press evenly to coat the meat well.
- Carefully place the pork chops in the hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes on one side, until golden brown.
- Flip and cook the other side for an additional 5-6 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- While the pork is resting, add the stock, sugar, soy sauce, and Mirin to a small bowl. In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to a pan over medium heat and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onions until translucent and slightly caramelized.
- Pour the stock mixture over the onions.
- Cut your tonkatsu into pieces and place on top of the onions.
- Pour the egg over. Cook over medium-low heat until the egg is just set.
- Serve over bowls of rice and garnish with green onions.
Thank you for sharing this katsudon recipe, the step-by-step tips (especially the panko trick and egg timing) were super helpful and made it come out perfectly at home 🙂
Made this katsudon last night and the tonkatsu stayed perfectly crispy under that silky egg and savory dashi sauce; honestly it’s as good as, if not better than, what I’ve had at Japanese restaurants 😊
Made this on a hectic weeknight when I was exhausted and it still came together so quickly and easily; the crispy pork with that savory egg-onion sauce over rice was pure comfort. Definitely going into the regular rotation 😊
Made this katsudon on a rainy evening and it was the ultimate comfort food, crispy pork with that silky egg and savory sauce over rice is pure cozy vibes. Everything came together quickly and felt so warm and comforting in a bowl 😊