Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this Baked Tonkatsu recipe is a total game changer. All you need are the right techniques and tips to achieve perfection. Served with a special sesame tonkatsu sauce, you can now enjoy this popular dish at home.
Tonkatsu (とんかつ) or Japanese pork cutlet is one of the well-loved dishes on the Japanese menu. Imagine taking a big bite of tender juicy pork chop encased in crispy panko that is deep-fried to perfection. That alone will make anyone’s mouth water.
Since tonkatsu requires deep frying, it’s understandable why this delicious pork cutlet is not a common dish to make at home. Most people prefer not to deep fry food at home because of the grease and the smell. So today I’m going to show you how you can make Baked Tonkatsu that’s juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
Table of Contents
What is Tonkatsu?
Tonkatsu (豚カツ) is one of the top popular Japanese foods consisting of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It’s crunchy and juicy and typically served with shredded cabbage and a drizzle of a savory sauce.
You can read about the origin and background of tonkatsu here!
As a purist and a true foodie, I’ve always made my tonkatsu the original way, that is to deep-fry the cutlet. All for the love of good food! When I received requests for a non-fried version, I was rather hesitant but once I perfected this oven-baked technique, it completely changed my mind. The baked version of tonkatsu is just as good, and to be honest, so much more crunchier!
Now, I have two options for you when you wish to make tonkatsu at home: Original Tonkatsu (Deep-Fried) and a baked version.
Why You’ll Love Oven-Baked Tonkatsu
- Bake, instead of deep-frying. Such a wonderful healthier alternative! If you don’t want to deep-fry, this recipe is for you!
- Easy to make. The cooking process is very easy. You can even have your children to help out.
- Perfect texture. The crust is unbelievably crispy, and the meat inside tender and juicy. A foolproof oven-baked technique!
- Easily adaptable. If you don’t like pork, use chicken, shrimp, salmon, or firm tofu.
Ingredients for Baked Tonkatsu
- Boneless pork loin chops – It should be half an inch thick. Pork loin chops
- Flour
- Eggs
- Panko – Make sure to get Japanese breadcrumbs called panko.
- Cooking oil
- Tonkatsu sauce – You can always make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce, if preferred!
How to Make Baked Tonkatsu
- Toast the panko till golden brown in an ungreased pan.
- Prepare the meat by making slits on the connective tissue and fat, pounding the meat, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the pork in the flour, egg, and toasted panko.
- Bake in the oven until the pork is cooked through.
- Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick pieces and serve.
Cooking Tips
1. Use panko (Japanese breadcrumbs).
Don’t use regular breadcrumbs when you make tonkatsu. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) have larger flakes and stick better to the cutlet, yielding a light yet ultra-crispy texture for your tonkatsu.
2. Toast the panko in a frying pan before breading.
Just like how I prepared the Crispy Baked Chicken Katsu recipe and Crispy Salmon recipe
The key for panko to stay crispy and golden brown is to pre-cook panko before breading the pork. With the pre-cooked panko, you don’t have to worry about taking too much time to brown the crust and this helps to prevent the pork loin from overcooking.
3. Use 1/2-inch thick pork loin chops.
Please use only thin slices of pork loin when baking the cutlet so it cooks fast and evenly. The thickness of pork should be no more than 1/2 inch (1.2 cm).
Remember to use good quality meat and pound it so that the pork loin will be nice and tender after it’s been cooked. When the food is as simple as this, the quality of the ingredients speaks for itself.
4. Make slits on the connective tissue.
Red meat and fat have different elasticities, and they will shrink and expand at different rates when they are cooked. Making a few slits will allow the tonkatsu to stay nice and flat and prevent the cutlets from curling up.
5. Use a wire rack when baking.
The panko-coated pork loin should be placed on a wire rack over a baking sheet. This way, the air circulates underneath the pork so the panko underneath will be crispy.
How to Serve Tonkatsu
Enjoy the baked-to-perfection tonkatsu with tonkatsu sauce and freshly ground sesame seeds (I like to use both black and white sesame seeds).
In Japan, panko-breaded cutlet dishes are commonly served with shredded cabbage salad, along with a dressing of your choice.
I use this cabbage slicer to thinly shred the cabbage head. You can use a sharp knife, but it’s a lot easier to use this slicer. Unlike a typical mandoline, the cabbage slicer is wide enough for a small head of cabbage to fit.
Prefer Classic Deep-Frying Method?
Here’s my regular deep-fried tonkatsu recipe, which I do indulge in occasionally. Both versions bring different enjoyment, but for a healthier alternative, this baked tonkatsu is AWESOME!
More Katsu Recipes
- Baked Chicken Katsu
- Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Katsu
- Chicken Cheese Katsu
- Ebi Katsu (Shrimp Cutlet) Burger
- Crispy Salmon Baked Nuggets
What to Serve with Baked Tonkatsu
- Rice: Steamed Rice
- Soup: Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup), Clam Miso Soup
- Sides: Simmered Kabocha, Spinach Ohitashi
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Baked Tonkatsu
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick) (½ lb, 227 g)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- ½ Tbsp neutral oil
- tonkatsu sauce (or make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)
For the Sesame Tonkatsu Sauce (Optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with an oven-safe wire rack as it allows hot air to circulate around the cutlets and prevents the panko underneath from getting crushed.
To Toast the Panko
- Add ¾ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 1 Tbsp neutral oil to a frying pan.
- Turn on the stove‘s heat to medium and stir the panko and toast until golden brown. Transfer the toasted panko to a shallow dish and allow it to cool.
To Prepare the Pork
- From 2 boneless pork loin chops (½-inch thick), cut off the extra fat and make several slits on the connective tissue between the meat and remaining fat. Tip: Red meat and fat have different elasticities, and they will shrink and expand at different rates when they are cooked. Making a few slits will allow the Tonkatsu to stay nice and flat and prevent the cutlets from curling up.
- To tenderize the meat, pound both sides of the cutlets with a meat pounder; if you don’t have one, then use the back of the knife. Mold the flattened meat back into the original shape with your hands.
- Sprinkle the cutlets with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Beat 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and ½ Tbsp neutral oil in a shallow dish.
- Next, add 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) to a shallow dish.
- Dredge each pork piece in the flour and pat off the excess. Next, dip the cutlets into the egg to coat them completely.
- Then, cover completely with the toasted panko. Press on the panko flakes to make sure they adhere to the pork. Place the pork cutlets on the oven-safe wire rack (so the air can circulate underneath) or parchment paper in the prepared baking sheet.
To Bake
- Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until the pork is no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes. Once it's done, remove it from the oven.
- Rest the Tonkatsu for 3 minutes on the countertop. Then, cut the Tonkatsu into 1-inch pieces (so you can eat them with chopsticks) by pressing the knife directly down into the cutlets, instead of sawing back and forth. This way, the panko crust will not come off.
To Serve
- Flip the middle piece to show the interior of Tonkatsu as some restaurants would do. Transfer to individual plates and serve immediately.
- Drizzle tonkatsu sauce as you like at the table.
To Make the Sesame Tonkatsu Sauce (Optional)
- I recommend making this Sesame Tonkatsu Sauce. It's easy to make and delicious! Grind 2 Tbsp toasted white and black sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle, add the tonkatsu sauce, and mix it all together. Dip your tonkatsu pieces to enjoy!
To Store
- You can freeze the fried and cooled baked cutlets in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to a month. To reheat, bake it at 375ºF (190ºC) on a wire rack until the inside is warm.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 11, 2014. It’s been republished with a new video, new step-by-step and final images, and more helpful content on September 29, 2023.
I have made this for some of my health conscious friends and it is almost as good as fried. But I still think the fried is more tender and flavorful.
Hi Michael! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Yeah I agree, nothing beats the deep fried goodness! 🙂
made this last night. browning the panko prior to coating REALLY makes a huge difference. i prefer this recipe than to frying now. it tastes better in my opinion.
Hi Mike! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, the toasted panko is the key! I’m happy to hear you enjoy baked version more than deep fried ones. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
I so Love Japanese food and Japanese restaurant here in USA don’t have Tonkatsu. I miss Asia..
Hi Rhea! So happy to hear you like Japanese food! Wait, they don’t have tonkatsu in their menu?! Unless Sushi only restaurants, Japanese restaurants should have Tonkatsu on the menu along with other basic dishes! I think most restaurants in Bay Area have it though. Hope you try this at home! 🙂
This turned out beautifully. Thank you.
Thank you Terald! So happy to hear yours came out well! 🙂
Hello Nami,
We absolutely love your recipes. We recently moved to Tokyo and find you method of cooking suits us perfectly. I just tried the Tonkatsu recipe and my wife gave it a 10! She never gives anything a 10. So thank you for sharing your recipes.
Jeff
Hi Jeff! I’m so happy to hear you two enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! I’m so flattered and honored to receive a 10! Yay! 🙂 Enjoy your life in Tokyo! I can’t wait to go back this summer…. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! My husband and son loved it. We turned it into tonkatsu sandwiches, but next time will make with rice. Love that it is baked. Love that it is so easy. Love that it is CRISPY!!! Thank you.
Hi Kristina! Awesome!!! I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Isn’t it great that it’s baked, easy and delicious!? 🙂 Thanks for trying this recipe!
Aww, why did I not see this two days ago? I just bought a deep fryer because I can’t make crispy tonkatsu on the stove. Oh well… I’m a long time lurker on this site. I love your recipes and your posts about your daily life! Thanks for making a great resource for those of us that are Japanese at heart if not by blood.
Hi Vanessa! I hope yo give this a try. I love deep fry food and they are so good, but this one is pretty close… it’s not as good as deep fried one, but considering just 1-2 Tbsp. of oil, it’s pretty amazing how crispy outside and juicy inside is. We still need a deep fryer for Karaage and other dishes which can’t be oven baked. 😉 I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi Nami
I tried this recipe along with your Tonkatsu sauce and I have to say it was magnificent. So tasty, tender like butter. Due to your method of browning the Panko, it tasted fried. I followed your recipe to the T and it did not disappoint. None of your recipes have yet to disappoint. I thank you for introducing me to Japanese home cooking. My experience has been as most Americans, through Japanese restaurants, which I still love and marvel at the wonderful diverse flavors and seasonings, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring those umami tastes into my home.
Hi Kazy! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Yeah pre-fried panko makes it very crispy and closer to deep fry texture. I’m happy to hear that you now enjoy cooking Japanese food at home! Thank you for your kind feedback. I really appreciate it because these feedback keep me going! 🙂 Thank you!
That was a great video. I wish every recipe that I want to cook at home had a recipe as easy and as informative as yours. What do you recommend as a side for the Tonkatsu? Rice? Noodles? I already have a side salad plus shredded cabbage for it, I’m just not sure what kind of starch would compliment it.
Hi Kazy! It’s usually served with rice but if you prefer noodles, that works too. Hope you enjoy!
Ahh! I’m so happy I found this! I am making katsu curry this weekend and have very little experience in deep frying food. Now I can bake it in the oven~~~!
Thank you!!!
Hi Courtney! Glad to hear you found this recipe – just in time for your Katsu Curry! Just in case you haven’t seen, I have Baked Tonkatsu version too.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/baked-tonkatsu/
Hope you enjoy your Katsu Curry! 🙂
Oops, how silly… you WERE on Baked Tonkatsu page. 😀 I thought you were on baked chicken katsu page. =P
I love Tonkatsu, but with high fat count (when frying in the traditional manner), I stayed away from making it.
With this recipe, I can eat it without feeling guilty.
When I get home-sick for Japanese food, Just One Cookbook is the website I go to.
Thank you.
Hi Hisayo! This baked version is much healthier AND it’s pretty close to deep fried version. I really enjoy this recipe too. Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m glad to hear you enjoy my recipes. Thank you so much for your support! 🙂
Wow, such a great and easy recipe! My mom told me how she enjoyed the tonkatsu my brother made for her and my dad using your website. I had to try the recipe and it turned out oishii! Thank you for this – it’s definitely going to be one of my go-to recipes for dinner (I’m not good at cooking so this is a life saver!). Thanks again!
Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for trying this recipe (and big thanks to your brother too! :D) and writing feedback here. I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this baked tonkatsu. Isn’t it easy and it’s almost close to deep fried version. 🙂 Try the chicken version – it’s great too! Thanks so much again!
Just a quick question about panko. Will it not burn after toasting it on the pan then baking it until the meat is cooked?
Hi Vg12th! No, as long as you keep the baking sheet in the middle, it won’t burn as you don’t spray oil etc. Each oven is different, so make sure you test to see if my suggested temp works for your oven. 🙂
I tried this last night! It was so delicious! I love this baking method to avoid the oily smell of deep fried. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! However, after I baked the pork chops, the bottom of the pork chops were wet that the panko flakes stuck to the parchment paper. It was hard to take them out too which was not as clean and neat as you showed in the video. Do you know why? Thanks!
Hi Agnes! Hmmm… I actually had never had this problem. Only thing that I could think of is that you didn’t have enough panko on the bottom side? Did you use Japanese panko (bigger flakes)? Assuming that you follow the recipe exactly, there are not many factors that I could think of… If there are not enough panko, the meat might stick to the parchment paper… I’m sorry I wish I could help you with your question, but I am not too sure…. I’m glad you enjoyed the baked tonkatsu! You can now eat tonkatsu at home without deep frying. 🙂
Hmm…I used the same panko brand as you but it said honey panko. Was it the reason? I did the same to bake fish last night and the same problem occurred. I will put more panko next time. Thanks for the recipe anyway!
I love this healthier version of tonkatsu! And we did get some sesame seeds and a mortar and pestle in Japan and now we have it like that at home!
Thank you Donna! Hope you enjoy the baked version! It’s pretty awesome considering it’s baked! 😀
I made this yesterday and my parents loooved it! Now we have some left overs, question is, can I baked it again in low temp maybe? So it will be crispy again? Or how should I do it? Hehe. I also followed your tonkatsu sauce recipe!
Hi Lori! I’m so happy to hear your parents enjoyed this dish! Yes, to reheat, bake it at 375 ºF (190 ºC) on a wire rack until the inside is warm. Thank you so much for your kind feedback. xo
Just made these and love them! I lived in Japan for almost two years and have missed Tonkatsu, but deep frying it is such a hassle. This is a GREAT way to serve a whole fam at the same time. We mixed the egg, flour, salt and pepper into one batter and then dipped in panko to simplify. Worked well with porkork tenderloin for 20 min at 390! Thanks again for the recipe!
Hi Nicole, We glad to hear you enjoyed this Baked version! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for sharing your cooking experience with us.🙂