Ham Katsu served with Japanese potato salad and shredded cabbage.

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Have you tasted an amazing dish that is made out of a super simple ingredient, like slices of ham found in the corner of your refrigerator? Enter Ham Katsu (ハムカツ).

What is Ham Katsu?

It’s a deep-fried cutlet made with slices of ham that are coated with flour, egg, and Japanese panko, and deep-fried till golden color. It’s such a humble dish, yet there’s something downright satisfactory about biting through the crisp layer of golden-brown breading and salty-savory ham.

If you are a fan of Tonkatsu and Chicken Katsu, you have to give this Ham Katsu a try. Whether you serve it as a main meal or as an appetizer with a glass of cold beer, I know that this will be your next favorite dish.

This Ham Katsu recipe is featured on the popular Japanese TV drama called “Shinya Shokudo (深夜食堂)” or “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” on Netflix.

When I saw the master made Ham Katsu with just slices of ham, I knew I had to head over to the kitchen and make it. My mother makes Ham Katsu, but her version, the one I grew up eating, is more complicated and time-consuming. Hers came with Japanese Potato Salad between slices of ham. It’s really delicious, but it requires more effort and time since you need to prepare the potato salad first (unless you have leftovers).

Midnight Diner’s Ham Katsu is much simpler and easier to make than my mother’s, yet my family LOOOOOVED it. Since then I’ve been buying hams for this dish, and then I use the leftovers to make ham and eggs or Japanese Potato Salad.

I love that I can whip up a dinner in less than 30 minutes. My children love this dish in their lunch box too, and they love Onigiriazu with Ham Katsu.

Ham Katsu served with Japanese potato salad and shredded cabbage.

3 Tips to Make Delicious Ham Katsu

1. Use thinly sliced hams

I have tried both thick and thin slices of ham. I thought Mr. JOC would like a thick slice cut of ham for this dish, but surprisingly, stacking up two thin slices (each slice is about 2 mm or 0.08 inch) of ham works much better to achieve the overall crispiness. And it’s more economical too.

2. Fluff up panko 

I’ve used this trick in my Tonkatsu recipe with excellent results. By spraying panko with water, it revives the panko and creates this fluffy texture. Yes, it’s an additional step with an additional tool, but if you’re particular about the crispiness of panko, I know you’d be happy with this extra step. 😉

3. Must deep fry (shallow fry is okay!)

I know some of you are wondering if you can make this dish like my Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, or Baked Korokke. Trust me, I did try. But the result is not as good as the deep-fried version.

The good news is you can “shallow” fry the kastu with one inch of oil in your frying pan instead of deep-frying. You also don’t need to worry if the ham is cooked through or not as it is ready to eat. The frying allows the panko to cook through until crunchy and golden.

Ham Katsu served with Japanese potato salad and shredded cabbage.

Serve these extra crispy ham katsu with Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad, Japanese Potato Salad, Japanese mustard, and a sweet fruity Tonkatsu sauce. Steam rice is optional. I hope this will be your next favorite weeknight dish!

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Ham Katsu

4.95 from 19 votes
by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
A plate with breaded, fried pork cutlets—reminiscent of Ham Katsu from Midnight Diner—shredded cabbage, potato salad, a dollop of mustard, and a small dish of dark sauce. Chopsticks and a drink are beside the plate.
You'll love this crispy Ham Katsu, a cozy Japanese panko-fried ham cutlet. Stack two thin slices for extra crunch, then fry until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve hot with tonkatsu sauce and cool shredded cabbage.
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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Servings: 4 cutlets
  • 8 slices ham (each 2 mm thick; I used Black Forest ham)
  • 1½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten)
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (4 Tbsp)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • neutral oil (for deep-frying)

To Serve

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Sliced ham, an egg, flour, panko breadcrumbs, a pepper grinder, karashi mustard, and a measuring cup of oil are arranged neatly on a wooden surface—perfect for recreating Ham Katsu (Midnight Diner) at home.
  • Spray water on 1½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), if desired, and fluff it up with your hands.
    Nami's Tip: Hydrating the dried panko achieves a fluffier and crispier breading.
    Two images: left shows a hand spraying water on panko breadcrumbs in a tray—an essential step when preparing Ham Katsu (Midnight Diner) style; right shows hands mixing the breadcrumbs with fingers, ensuring the moisture is spread evenly for that perfect, crispy coating.
  • Divide 8 slices ham into stacks of 2 slices each. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
    Two images: left shows hands arranging slices of ham in a white dish, reminiscent of preparing Ham Katsu (Midnight Diner); right shows a hand grinding black pepper over the ham slices in the same dish.
  • Dip the stacked ham into ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and shake off the excess. Dip it in 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten) and coat it on both sides.
    Two hands dip a flour-coated slice of ham into a bowl of beaten eggs, preparing it just like the iconic Ham Katsu from Midnight Diner. The left side shows the ham covered in flour, while the right side reveals it beautifully coated in egg, ready for frying.
  • Lay the ham in the panko. Turn it over and gently press it into the breading to adhere. Bread the rest of the ham stacks.
    Nami's Tip: The panko will become fluffy again when you deep-fry, so don’t worry about pressing it.
    Hands coating a round slice of food, possibly ham or eggplant, with breadcrumbs in a tray—just like preparing Ham Katsu from Midnight Diner. The process is shown in two steps: pressing the slice into crumbs and covering it completely.

To Deep-Fry

  • Add at least 1 inch of neutral oil to a heavy-bottom pot. Heat it to 340ºF (170ºC). Check the oil temperature with an instant-read thermometer. If you don't have one, dip wooden chopsticks in the oil—when small bubbles appear around the tips, it's ready.
    Do not crowd the pot, and fry in batches. I fry one at a time. Drop the breaded ham in the oil.
    Nami's Tip: Alternatively, add a piece of panko to check the oil temperature. If it immediately rises to the surface, it's ready. Read more helpful tips in my guide How To Deep-Fry Food at Home.
    Left: A pair of chopsticks testing oil temperature in a black pot. Right: A hand places a breaded food item—reminiscent of Ham Katsu from Midnight Diner—into hot oil in the same pot for frying.
  • Deep-fry the cutlet for 1 minute, until golden brown on the bottom. Maintain the oil temperature by adjusting the heat. Flip and cook for about 45 seconds on the other side. Remove the cutlet from the oil and let the excess drip off.
    Nami's Tip: If you’re new to deep-frying at home, a deep-fry thermometer is helpful.
    A round breaded item, reminiscent of Ham Katsu (Midnight Diner), is deep-fried in a pot of oil. First, it is placed in the hot oil, then shown turning golden, and finally removed crispy brown with chopsticks and a slotted spoon.
  • Transfer the cutlet to a wire rack or plate lined with a paper towel. Scoop up the crumbs in the oil between batches with a fine-mesh skimmer. Fry the rest of the cutlets.
    Nami's Tip: The fried crumbs will darken the oil if you leave them.
    A slotted spoon lifts breadcrumbs from a pot of oil on the left; on the right, four golden Ham Katsu (Midnight Diner) patties cool on a wire rack.

To Serve

  • Slice the cutlets in half once cool enough to handle. Serve immediately with Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad and tonkatsu sauce on the side. Garnish with a dab of Japanese karashi hot mustard on the plate.
    Close-up of a hand slicing breaded, fried meat—reminiscent of Ham Katsu from Midnight Diner—on a cutting board (left) and a plate with sliced fried meat, shredded cabbage, sauce, and garnish (right).

To Store

  • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days and in the freezer for up to a month. Reheat the katsu in the oven or oven toaster at 350ºF (177ºC) until heated through—avoid using a microwave. Check that the inside is warm before serving.

Notes

Variations
  • Add potato salad filling. Layer a scoop of Japanese Potato Salad between the ham slices, then bread it like my mom does.
  • Swap the protein. Try my Tonkatsu or Chicken Katsu recipes for a similar crunch made with pork or chicken.
  • Use any deli ham. Black Forest ham gives good flavor, but any thinly sliced deli ham works.
  • Make it an onigirazu filling. My children loved wrapping a cutlet inside these rice sandwiches for their lunch box. These sides turn this into one of my favorite ham dinner ideas for a weeknight.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 47IU, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

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