Name: Tonkatsu – the best Japanese panko-crusted cutlet
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 pork cutlets (boneless or bone-in); a little salt & pepper; 50 ml cream; 1 egg; 50 g flour; 100 g panko; 1/2 tbsp sugar; plenty of oil (e.g. rapeseed oil); plenty of tonkatsu sauce; 2 portions of rice; 2 portions of Japanese coleslaw; 2 portions of Miso soup; 2 lemon wedges – optional

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Tonkatsu is much more than just a simple pork cutlet! Every bite is perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with the added flavour of sweet and spicy tonkatsu sauce. Tonkatsu is the ideal accompaniment to freshly cooked rice, a quick coleslaw and Miso soup. This Japanese culinary classic is one of the simplest meals in Japan. Today I’ll show you how you can cook this recipe yourself at home in no time!

Tonkatsu is a delicious pork cutlet coated in egg and panko breadcrumbs and then deep-fried until golden brown. The word “Ton” comes from the Japanese reading of the kanji character for pig. And the part “katsu” means cutlet.

It is probably one of the most popular dishes in Japan, and the cutlet itself can not only be served as a meal with rice and soup, but also used in many other dishes such as katsudon or katsu curry.

Tonkatsu is actually a Western-inspired dish that has been prepared in Japan since around 1899, with the recipe remaining largely unchanged since then. The history of the dish is still not entirely clear, but the inspiration probably came from French cuisine.

Originally, the recipe was even made with beef! Tonkatsu is said to be derived from the French dish Côtelette de Veau, in which a breaded veal cutlet is fried in butter. A Tokyo restaurant called Rengatei adopted this concept and in 1899 the first tonkatsu was served!

Believe it or not, making Japanese pork cutlets at home is much easier than you might think. All in all, it shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes!

But what exactly makes tonkatsu so special?

Instead of the breadcrumbs we’re used to, Tonkatsu uses Japanese panko, which is made from soft white bread without the crust. Panko flakes are larger than conventional breadcrumbs and absorb less oil when deep-fried. This results in a light, crispy coating (similar to Tempura):

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The next highlight of this dish is, of course, the popular tonkatsu sauce! Tonkatsu is usually drizzled with a delicious, rich sauce that is very similar to Worcestershire sauce. It is slightly sweet, slightly tangy and has a lovely savoury flavour.

What makes the sauce special is that its acidity gives heavy fried and pan-fried dishes a refreshing and light flavour. Tonkatsu cutlets and Tonkatsu sauce are simply inseparable:

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Once you have these two key ingredients to hand, the rest of the preparation is really child’s play! We’ll tenderise the pork cutlet, then coat it in flour and an egg-and-cream mixture, followed by panko. Then it’s straight into the pan.

Tip

Alternatively, you’re welcome to use a deep fryer! This will ensure the coating browns evenly and the meat is even juicier.

The result tastes fantastic and is quick and easy to make at home. It goes best with freshly cooked rice, a homemade Miso soup and, of course, the obligatory Japanese coleslaw!

I hope you have lots of success and fun cooking – if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to use the comments section below the recipe 😊. Let’s get started:

Tonkatsu

serves 2 | 20 minutes | 667 kcal

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Tonkatsu is much more than just a simple pork cutlet! Every bite is perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with the added flavour of sweet and spicy tonkatsu sauce. Tonkatsu is the ideal accompaniment to freshly cooked rice, a quick coleslaw and Miso soup. This Japanese culinary classic is one of the simplest meals in Japan. Today I’ll show you how you can whip up this recipe yourself at home in no time!

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 pork cutlets (boneless or bone-in)
a pinch of salt & pepper
50 ml cream
1 egg
50 g flour
100 g panko (im Shop ansehen)*
plenty of oil (e.g. rapeseed oil)
plenty of Tonkatsu sauce (im Shop ansehen)*

Side dishes:
2 portions Rice (to the recipe)
2 portions Japanese coleslaw (to the recipe)
2 portions Misoshiru (to the recipe)
2 lemon wedges – optional

* Add ingredients to basket 🪄

Useful tools:
Japanese Santoku knife (im Shop ansehen)

Preparation (20 minutes)

Step 1 Step

Get the ingredients for the tonkatsu ready and prepare the side dishes. This means cook the rice, prepare the Misoshiru and make the coleslaw!

Tonkatsu passaggio 2: Tenderising the pork cutlets

Step 2

First, we’ll take care of the meat: the pork cutlets should be cut from the bone if necessary (Tip: the bone can possibly be reused to make a stock for Ramen).
Then place some cling film (or baking paper) over the cutlets and flatten them slightly with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser to make the meat tender. The cutlets should be about 2 cm thick.

Step 3

Then season the pork cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper and massage briefly.

Passaggio 4

Next, we set up a breading station with 3 bowls: To do this, whisk the egg with the cream in a small bowl. We also need a bowl of flour and another shallow bowl of panko breadcrumbs.

Tonkatsu passaggio 5: Breading the pork cutlets

Step 5

Coat the pork in flour on both sides. Then dip both sides into the egg and cream mixture. Next, place in the panko breadcrumbs and coat all over.
Tip: It is best to press the cutlet down slightly into the panko with the flat of your hand so that the coating adheres well to the meat.

Passaggio 6

Pour plenty of oil into a frying pan so that the cutlets are submerged (Tip: Alternatively, you are welcome to use a deep fryer! This will ensure the breadcrumb coating browns evenly and the meat is even juicier).
Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the breaded pork cutlets for 4 minutes on each side.

Tonkatsu passaggio 7: Cutting and serving the pork cutlets

Step 7

Place the cooked tonkatsu cutlets on a kitchen towel to drain, then cut them into strips about 2 cm wide using a large, sharp knife.
Tip: When cutting, use a jerky motion to slice through the meat so that the breadcrumb coating doesn’t crumble.
Arrange the tonkatsu on a plate together with the coleslaw and, if desired, a squeeze of lemon.

Step 8

Serve with a small bowl of cooked rice and Miso soup. Just before serving, pour plenty of tonkatsu sauce over the tonkatsu. Ready – Itadakimasu!