Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) (Video) とんかつ

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this homemade Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) is my family‘s favorite! I‘ll share my secret for a light, airy, and supercrisp crust. Serve it with my tangy and irresistible sesame dipping sauce for an extra savory touch.

We have a specialty in Japan known as tonkatsu (とんかつ, 豚かつ) or deep-fried pork cutlet. We’ve enjoyed this Western-inspired dish for more than 120 years and it’s now one of the most popular Japanese dishes around the world! What makes tonkatsu so special, and how can we make this popular dish at home?

It’s easier than you think. In this recipe, I’ll share my secrets for an airy and supercrisp crust that’s succulent and tender inside. This homemade Tonkatsu is my family‘s favorite!

What is Tonkatsu?

Tonkatsu is tender pork loin that’s breaded and deep-fried to crunchy perfection. The word ton (豚) comes from “pork” while katsu (カツ) is an abbreviation of katsuretsu (カツレツ), derived from the word “cutlet.”

When the recipe for fried cutlets first appeared in the 1870s, they were made mainly with beef. Inspired by the French veal cutlet côtelette de veau, one Tokyo restaurant called Rengatei (煉瓦亭, still open today!) made a few changes to this concept to suit the Japanese palate. In 1899, tonkatsu made its debut with pork replacing beef and exploded in popularity in the early 20^th century.

Like other popular foods in Japan (think ramen, tempura, and soba), there are specialty restaurants that exclusively serve tonkatsu. You’ll often find it presented as a set meal with rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage, and sometimes wedges of tomatoes.

What Makes Tonkatsu Special?

Tonkatsu may seem like other popular fried cutlet dishes such as German schnitzel, Polish kotlet schabowy, and Italian piccata. What makes the Japanese pork cutlet different?

• Breading – Tonkatsu uses panko (パン粉), a Japanese-style breadcrumb made from fluffy Japanese milk bread without the crust. Panko flakes are larger than standard breadcrumbs that are finely ground and rather stale. Panko absorbs less oil when fried and makes an airy, crisp coating (like tempura) that doesn’t feel heavy.

• Deep-frying – Instead of pan-frying which can result in tough and greasy meat, deep-frying gives the pork a crispy outside and juicy center that is now a key characteristic of the dish.

• Sauce – You can’t enjoy tonkatsu without sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce drizzled on top! You may know this brown sauce from the popular Bulldog brand that you can find in most Asian grocery stores. If you’d like to try a homemade version, check out my recipe.

• Cabbage – Tonkatsu is almost always served with a heaping pile of raw, finely shredded cabbage. My mom often says we need to eat twice as much vegetables as protein for a balanced meal. Fresh cabbage in between bites of crispy fried tonkatsu is refreshing while still providing that satisfying crunch! I like to enjoy it with my homemade sesame dressing.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Tonkatsu

• pork loin or fillet – typically pork loin (ロース, rōsu) or tenderloin/fillet (ヒレ, hire); use pork loin for its layer of fat that gives an extra tender bite; traditional tonkatsu does not use pork chops
• salt and black pepper
• flour 
• egg
• panko bread crumbs – use a Japanese brand of panko, as non-Japanese brands are not the same
• neutral-flavored oil – for deep-frying 
• tonkatsu sauce – tonkatsu sauce – store-bought or make my homemade tonkatsu sauce with Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and sugar (it does not include soy sauce)
• black and white sesame seeds – optional, for my sesame tonkatsu dipping sauce (see the recipe below)

How to Make Tonkatsu

With a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 15 minutes, you can have this dish any night of the week!

1. Shred the green cabbage (optional) and make the sesame dipping sauce.
2. Make the fresh panko and prepare the breading.
3. Cut slits in the connective tissue and pound the pork cutlets to tenderize.
4. Bread the pork.
5. Deep-fry once, remove from the oil for a few minutes, then deep-fry a second time.
6. Slice and serve.

Five Tips and Tricks for the Best Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is one of the quickest meals you can make at home. Let me share some of my tricks for making the perfect tonkatsu.

Tip #1: Moisten the panko

In Japan, you can purchase nama panko (生パン粉, fresh panko), a type of panko with a little more moisture than dried panko; think of it as the white, fluffy parts of the bread. To re-create nama panko, I spray a little water on dried panko breadcrumbs to moisten it before we dredge the cutlets.

Tip #2: Make slits on the pork’s connective tissue

To keep the pork katsu from curling up, make several slits on the connective tissue (white area) between the meat and fat. Red meat and fat have different elasticities, so they will shrink and expand at different rates when cooked. Cutting these slits will allow the tonkatsu to stay nice and flat when deep-frying.

Tip #3: Pound, pound, pound

You can also improve the texture of the meat and make it extra tender by pounding it first. If you don’t own a meat pounder, just use the back of your knife!

Tip #4: Double-fry it

The key to great tonkatsu is to twice-fry the pork so you don’t overcook the meat. Deep-fry the pork once, then let it sit on a wire rack to continue cooking on the inside with the residual heat. After a few minutes, deep-fry it a second time to get that perfectly crispy, golden exterior crust.

If you’re new to deep-frying, I have The Ultimate Guide: How to Deep Fry Foods at Home that walks you through all the steps and tools to use.

Tip #5: Clean the oil between batches

Scoop up the fried crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh strainer. It’s very important to keep the oil clean and free of excess crumbs so it does not turn dark and stick to your tonkatsu crust.

How to Slice Cabbage

Since tonkatsu is usually served with cabbage, you definitely won’t want to skip out on this refreshing side! You can always use a sharp knife and cutting board to thinly slice your cabbage, but I suggest using a mandoline instead. This one from KYOCERA is one of my favorites because of its super sharp ceramic blade, which can last longer and stay sharper than your average stainless steel one. There are four thickness settings (0.5 mm, 1.3 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm) along with a safety handguard and corner notches that keep it secure.

How to Dispose of the Cooking Oil

I often get questions about how to deal with used cooking oil after deep-frying, and I have a few solutions. First, never pour it down the drain. Not only is it destructive to the environment, but it can also cause blockages in the pipes.

The quick and easy solution is to buy this oil-solidifying powder at Japanese or Asian grocery stores or Amazon. The powder allows you to dispose of the used oil easily in the trash.

If you can’t find the powder, allow the oil to cool completely, pour it into an empty receptacle (bottle, milk carton, etc.), and toss it in the trash. Be sure to follow your local trash disposal and recycling procedures before disposing of the cooking oil, as this information varies from place to place. In my neighborhood, the local recycling facility accepts the used cooking oil so I bring the used oil in a bottle and pour it into the designated container.

Don’t Like Deep Frying? Make My Baked Tonkatsu!

For those of you who still prefer a lighter version of Tonkatsu and don’t want to deep fry in your kitchen, you can check out my Baked Tonkatsu recipe. It’s wildly popular and JOC fans simply love it!

More Delicious Katsu Recipes

• Baked Chicken Katsu
• Chicken Katsu
• Katsudon
• Katsu Curry
• Katsu Sando
• Miso Katsu
• Gluten-free Chicken Katsu

Also, check out my list of the 17 Best Katsu & Furai Recipes.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

4.68 from 299 votes

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this homemade Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) is my family‘s favorite! I‘ll share my secret for a light, airy, and supercrisp crust. Serve it with my tangy and irresistible sesame dipping sauce for an extra savory touch.

Print Pin

Video

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Shredded Cabbage Salad (optional)

• ▢ ¼ head green cabbage
• ▢ 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber
• ▢ 4 Tbsp Japanese sesame dressing (or make my homemade Japanese Sesame Dressing)

For the Sesame Dipping Sauce

• ▢ 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
• ▢ 1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
• ▢ 4 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (or make my homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)

For the Breading

• ▢ ½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (or more, depending on the brand; use nama panko (生パン粉) if available)
• ▢ 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
• ▢ ½ Tbsp neutral oil (for the egg)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)

For the Tonkatsu

• ▢ 2 boneless pork loin chops (½ inch thick) (100 g, 3.5 oz per piece; ½ inch, 1–1.3 cm thick)
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups neutral oil (for deep-frying)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients. I highly recommend getting fresh panko (called nama panko) from a Japanese grocery store, if available. If you can’t get it, follow my instructions to make fresh panko. Make sure to use a Japanese brand of panko from Japan. Western “panko breadcrumbs” are a bit different from authentic Japanese panko.
  

To Prepare the Shredded Cabbage (optional)

• Tonkatsu is usually served with fresh shredded cabbage (optional) on the side. To prepare it, shred ¼ head green cabbage super thinly with a sharp knife or use a slicer; I love to use a cabbage slicer because it saves time and energy! I also thinly slice 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber diagonally, then cut the slices into thin strips. Toss the cabbage and cucumber together and set aside. Prepare 4 Tbsp Japanese sesame dressing (store-bought or homemade) and keep refrigerated until ready to serve in individual dressing cups.
  

To Make the Sesame Tonkatsu Dipping Sauce

• Grind 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and 1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds with a Japanese pestle and mortar. Leave some seeds unground for texture.
  
• Divide the ground sesame seeds among individual dipping plates or bowls. Then divide 4 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (store bought or homemade) among the dipping plates. Set aside until ready to serve. Each person can mix it together when they are ready to eat. Note: In Japan, we often drizzle straight tonkatsu sauce on our cutlets without adding sesame seeds. Feel free to serve this dish with straight tonkatsu sauce instead, if you prefer.
  

To Prepare the Fresh Panko and Breading

• If you are using dry panko from the store, add ½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) to a deep dish and spray with water until the panko is moist (I use this mister). Set aside for 15 minutes, or until the panko becomes soft and tender. Optionally, you can make fresh panko by pulsing some shokupan (Japanese Pullman bread) in a food processor.
  
• Meanwhile, prepare the other breading ingredients. Crack 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a deep dish and add ½ Tbsp neutral oil. Whisk together until well combined. By adding oil, the meat and breading won’t detach from each other while deep-frying and the juice and flavor from the meat will not escape easily. Then, prepare another deep dish with 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour).
  

To Prepare the Pork

• Use a sharp knife to remove and discard the extra fat from 2 boneless pork loin chops (½ inch thick). Then, make several slits on the connective tissue (white area) between the meat and fat. Tip: Red meat and fat have different elasticities, and when they are cooked, they will shrink and expand at different rates. These slits will allow the tonkatsu to stay nice and flat when deep-frying and prevent it from curling up.
  
• Flip the meat and make several slits on the other side of the connective tissue.
  
• Pound both sides of the meat with the back of a knife or a meat tenderizer/mallet.
  
• Mold the meat back into its original shape with your hands.
  
• Season both sides of the meat with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
  

To Bread the Pork

• First, dredge the pork in the flour and dust off any excess. Excess flour will create a coating that prevents the egg mixture from adhering to the pork. Next, dip the pork into the egg mixture and coat well.
  
• Finally, dredge the pork in the fresh panko, gently pressing the panko onto the pork. Gently shake off any excess panko, then place the pork pieces onto a tray or plate. While deep-frying, the panko will “puff up,” so at this stage they don’t have to be fluffy. Set it aside for 5–10 minutes so the breading will set.
  

To Deep-Fry: First Frying

• Add 3 cups neutral oil to the pot and bring it to 340ºF (170ºC) over medium heat. Make sure your oil is 1¾–2 inches (5 cm) deep in the pot. Tip: If you don’t have a thermometer, stick a chopstick in the oil; you‘ll know the oil is hot enough when you see tiny bubbles start to appear around the tip. Alternatively, you can drop one piece of panko into the oil; if it sinks down to the middle of the oil and immediately pops back up to the surface, then the oil is ready.
  
• Gently put one piece of pork into the oil and cook for 1 minute (without flipping). Don‘t touch the pork for 30 seconds. Tip: Why one piece at a time? You don‘t want to reduce the oil temperature drastically. The size of the bubbles should be big when you add the pork. Keep watching the oil temperature and make sure it doesn’t go over 340ºF (170ºC) or else the breading will get dark too quickly before the pork is done cooking, resulting in undercooked meat.
  
• After a minute, flip the pork and cook the other side for 1 minute.
  
• Take out the pork and remove excess oil by holding it vertically over the pot for a few seconds while the oil drips off. Place it on a wire rack or paper towel and let it sit for 4 minutes. The hot oil on the exterior will slowly continue to cook the meat as it sits.
  
• Turn off the heat temporarily and scoop up and discard any fried crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh strainer. It’s very important to keep the oil clean and crumb free so the oil does not get darker and dirtier with burnt crumbs. Turn on the heat and bring the oil back to 340ºF (170ºC).
  
• While the first cutlet is resting on the wire rack, deep-fry the second piece of pork for 1 minute without flipping. Remember not to touch it for 30 seconds.
  
• Flip and cook the other side for 1 minute.
  
• Take out the pork and remove the excess oil as before. Place it on the wire rack and let the residual heat cook the pork for 4 minutes. Scoop up and discard the fried crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh strainer.
  

To Deep-Fry: Second Frying

• The first piece of pork should now be ready for its second frying. Bring the oil to 355ºF (180ºC) and fry the pork for 30 seconds on each side. Remove from the pot and drain the excess oil by holding the cutlet vertically over the wire rack or paper towels for 2 minutes. This prevents the breading from getting soggy on one side.
  
• Scoop up and discard the fried crumbs in the oil, then continue the second frying of the second cutlet. Remove from the pot and drain the excess oil as before.
  

To Serve

• Cut the tonkatsu into slices ¾ inch (2 cm) wide.
  
• Transfer to a plate and serve it with the shredded cabbage and cucumber, the sesame dressing in a small cup, and the sesame tonkatsu dipping sauce on the side.
  

To Store

• You can store leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. To reheat, put the defrosted or frozen tonkatsu on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes if defrosted or 30–40 minutes if frozen. Check if the inside is warm before serving.

To Dispose of the Used Cooking Oil

• Please follow your local guidelines for disposing of cooking oil. In my neighborhood, we can bring used cooking oil to the recycling center and dump it into the designated container, so it’s very easy.
• If you are using a Japanese oil solidifier, add the powder into the hot oil (right after deep frying) and mix well.
  
• Set it aside and the oil will solidify as it cools (it may take overnight to completely solidify).
  
• Cut into small pieces and discard them in the trash.
  

Equipment

• chef's knife
• chopsticks
• airtight container
• tongs
• fine mesh strainer
• cabbage slicer
• Japanese mortar and pestle
• Mister
• meat tenderizer
• digital meat thermometer
• cast iron pan
• wire rack
• food processor
• paper towels

Nutrition

Calories: 523 kcal · Carbohydrates: 15 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 37 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 19 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 131 mg · Sodium: 491 mg · Potassium: 458 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 96 IU · Calcium: 74 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: panko, pork

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 12, 2011. The post was updated with new images, content, and video in August 2021.