It‘s easy to make delicious burgers using leftover Japanese ground meat cutlets with my Menchi Katsu Sandwich recipe. I‘ll show you how to assemble crunchy and juicy cutlets in toasted brioche buns with shredded cabbage and creamy tartar sauce. So satisfying!
Do you agree that anything fried and crispy can easily be transformed into a good, hearty sandwich? Take examples, Korokke, ebi katsu, chicken katsu, tonkatsu and ham katsu. All these deep-fried goodness are hard to beat when they are tucked into bread. So does menchi katsu – the crunchy panko-breaded, juicy meat cutlet that I’ve just shared last week. You could have it with steamed rice and a side of soup, or in a sandwich form like today’s recipe for a fuss-free preparation.
In Japan, menchi katsu sandwich often uses pillowy soft white bread called the shokupan. Slightly buttery with a subtly sweet milk taste, these Japanese sandwich bread, when paired with the crunchy cutlet, they make some killer sandwich. But shokupan can be hard to find unless your local Asian bakery shop sells them. Since I am a huge fan of brioche buns, I’ve opted the soft and fluffy French-style buns for my menchi katsu sandwich.
Build your own Japanese menchi katsu sandwich
When I make menchi katsu, I usually double the batch and freeze the leftovers for later use. It is the quickest way to make a sandwich and feed your sudden hunger pangs. Whenever you need a quick meal or a substantial afternoon snack, just pop them into a toaster oven and adhere the heated patty into a toasted bun, top with shredded cabbage, your choice of sauce and you’ve got yourself a satisfying sandwich. Since menchi katsu and the buns are relatively smaller in size, they are also great to be packed into a picnic lunch or for a beer party.
I’ve used my homemade tartar sauce for today’s recipe, but you can definitely switch it up with tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce or the spicy karashi mustard. Maybe all you have in the pantry is some Japanese Kewpie mayo and ketchup. Maybe you want to leave out the shredded cabbage and use a few slices of tangy pickles, or maybe you want to add a slice of cheese. Maybe you happened to have some leftover Asian coleslaw to use up. Go ahead and make your own version of the sandwich.
Casual or fancy, there’s no judgment on how you’d like to build your menchi katsu sandwich. You’re in for some good sandwiches regardless.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Menchi Katsu Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 brioche buns or burger buns
- salted butter
- 2 menchi katsu (pre-made; leftovers work well; you can make my Menchi Katsu recipe)
- shredded green cabbage (I use a cabbage slicer)
- Homemade Tartar Sauce (try my Japanese Tartar Sauce recipe)
- tonkatsu sauce (or Worcestershire sauce; you can make homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)
- pickles (optional)
Instructions
- Toast 2 brioche buns or burger buns. Spread with salted butter. Reheat 2 menchi katsu in the oven or toaster oven until warm and the breading is crisp, especially if they‘re leftover from last night‘s dinner. Top the buns with shredded green cabbage (a cabbage slicer helps to make it superthin) and the reheated menchi katsu. Drizzle with tonkatsu sauce and top with Homemade Tartar Sauce. Serve with pickles (optional). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 16, 2011.
My husband and I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious!!!! Thank you for your recipes 🙂 We look forward to making many more in the future!
Hi Michelle! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you two enjoyed this dish! Yay! Thanks so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Do u hv recipe for ur brioche buns?
Hi Angela! I don’t have it here on the blog, but I will share more bread recipes in the future. 🙂