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.
This came out really well. I had some high quality berkshire pork loin and I followed the recipe as close as possible including the tonkatsu sauce. I did not have black sesame seeds so used 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds. It may be the best tonkatsu I ever ate. I was so impressed by the crispiness of the coating around moist pork. Great instructions easy to follow.
Hi Tom! So happy to hear you liked the recipe and tonkatsu sauce! Thank you for trying out this recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂
Made your baked Tonkatsu with my turkey cutlets and made your sauce by scratch. I like bulldog sauce but did not have any. Thank you so much for the recipe. You are my go to for when I miss my mom and want to make Japanese food.
Hi Mary! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami San,
Do we need to pound the pork loin 1 side only? or 2 sides?
Whats the difference to bake using baking paper & foil?
Thank you…
Hi Michelle! Thanks for asking! Both sides and I updated the recipe. You can use foil too, if you like, but you should brush it with oil before placing the meat because it will stick. Parchment paper usually doesn’t stick. I highly recommend placing it on the wire rack so the bottom of the tonkatsu will have air going through and crispy. 🙂
Thank you so much! I hated having to deal with the panko that dropped into the oil from a previous batch when frying the next batch of tonkatsu. So your baking method is a god send. The taste is like that from a restaurant! Thank you for the tips eg loin must not exceed 1.2cm thick. I’ve a question. How to ensure the tonkatsu won’t stick to the parchment paper? Even greasing it did not help
Hi J Tan! I’m glad to hear you enjoy this baking method and thank you for your kind comment! I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the wire rack (oven safe) that goes on top of the baking sheet. The air circulates so it will stay crispy on the bottom. 🙂
Hi there,
Fantastic recipe. I love Japanese culture and hope one day I can visit Japan. Alot of my favourite dishes are Japanese; I find them to have a certain uniqueness and style that I enjoy very much.
When I follow this receipe, I find that when the Tonkatsu is finished, some of the Panko is moist and it doesnt always adhere to the pork.
I dont have much experience with coated meats, so I am not sure why this happens. I always make sure to dust off excess flour and shake off excess egg as well as Panko, but it happens regularly.
Am I missing something?
Hi Bryan! I’m really happy to hear you enjoy Japanese food and I’d really love to help you cook them at home!
It would be nice to see what is exactly happening with pictures, but from reading your comment, I feel like your pork released moisture while being cooked (which is why wet?). Here’s my suggestion and questions.
1) Sometimes your oven doesn’t heat up to the temperature you set up. It’s good to keep an oven thermometer inside to see what’s the actual oven temperature is. This happens to everyone, which is why everyone’s outcome is different and we need to adjust when we bake. 🙂 Maybe your oven temperature was not high enough?
2) By any chance was your pork frozen or still half-frozen or still cold when you started? It’s possible that the pork is releasing more blood while you bake? Once moisture comes out to the pork, panko crust got separated as moisture start to build up on top of the meat.
3) When does this happen? When you pick up the Tonkatsu, the panko crust gets separated?
I just discovered your website today. Tonight I made your Baked Tonkatsu, for dinner, they were crunchy but still moist. Thank you for the awesome recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Sheila! Welcome to JOC! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for trying it and for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi how can I freeze the tonkatsu? Please advise thanks
Hi Connie! Yes, you can. After baking and cooling down completely, you can transfer to an airtight container and freeze. 🙂
Hi! I’m making this for the first time since my visit to Japan- incredible country with delicious food! Anyway, they served some kind of dressing for the cabbage, and I think it was different from the Katsu sauce? What is typically used to top the cabbage?
Thanks!
Hi Monica! Typically, Japanese people use tonkatsu sauce for the shredded cabbage OR sesame dressing or wafu dressing… or really, any dressing you like.
Sesame Dressing: https://www.justonecookbook.com/sesame-dressing/
Wafu Dressing: https://www.justonecookbook.com/wafu-dressing-japanese-salad-dressing/
4 kinds of typical Japanese dressings: https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-salad-dressings/
Wow, thanks for all the information! Excited to try this!
Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I marinated a pork tenderloin in a homemade stir-fry sauce for a few hours and then followed your recipe step-by-step. So easy and came out amazing! My wife is not really the adventurous type with food and my kids can be quite picky, this was a family hit. Thank you!
Hi Rob! Thank you! I’m really happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for your kind feedback and for trying this recipe! 🙂
I made this with cornflakes instead of Panko….fine…but in my dimly lit kitchen without my glasses I grabbed powdered sugar instead of flour and didn’t really notice until about the 3rd chop. So I said “oh well….experimentation time!” and finished the rest the same way. I will report the data from my taste buds later:)
Hi Shielah! OOPS!!!! That could be an interesting result… Hope it wasn’t too bad. 🙂
Hi Nami! For your recipe , is the bake setting regular baking or convention baking? If I use convention baking how will the settings differ?
Thank you!
Wendy
Hi Wendy! I have a convection oven but not everyone has one, so I use a standard (conventional) oven for the oven temperature. If you are using a convection oven (with a fan on), please subtract 25 ºF from the recipe. So if it’s 375 ºF, you should set the temp for 350 ºF. Hope that helps!
Great recipe and technique. As advertised, the pork stays juicy and the panko provides a nice, crisp crust, all without the mess and fat of deep-frying. It may not be *quite* as tasty/crunchy/greasy as real deep-fried tonkatsu, but it’s still satisfying. This will absolutely be a regular recipe for us.
If you’re going to make this, you might as well double it up and have yourself some tasty katsudon the next day.
Hi Todd! Thank you for your kind feedback! Yeah nothing beats deep-fried tonkatsu right out of the oil… So good. I still deep-fry just because of that taste and crunchy texture! 🙂
Oh, I love your baked vs fried version!! It’s so much healthier! 🙂
Are all stainless steel wire racks/meshes oven safe?
I’m not sure if mine is “oven safe”, but it’s stainless steel…
Hi Sue! Thank you! Yes, mine is and I bought on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2mvemMq
If it’s stainless-steel, without any coating, then it should be oven safe?? But you probably should double-check the brand’s user’s instruction.
Hi, can I make this ahead? How long will it keep in the fridge and how should I reheat? Thanks!
Hi Alison! Sure, this is a great recipe to make ahead and freezer friendly! I would not keep in the fridge, because the freezer keeps the food quality better. When you reheat, use the oven or oven toaster (not microwave) to make the outer layer crispy again. 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe. Been using it for years with great success. Thanks a ton, Nami!
Hi Alex! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Nami! This looks amazing! I was wondering, would it be ok to make extra tonkatsu for leftovers or lunches? Will it still be good? Also have you ever tried this with tofu or any vegetarian options? Thank you so much! Can’t wait to make it 😀
Hi Vina! Sure, leftover works great for this recipe. Make everything, let cool, wrap in a sheet of aluminum foil, freeze, and unwrap the aluminum foil and put it in the oven to reheat. Super easy! If you don’t freeze, you still should use an oven to reheat to make sure the panko is crunchy. And make sure to let cool before closing the lid so there will be no condensation to make your panko soggy. You can use tofu or vegetables too! 🙂