Tonkatsu (deep fried pork) Recipe

Tonkatsu (トンカツ) is one of the most beloved “western style” Japanese food in Japan.  It is a pork chop breaded with flour, egg, and Panko (bread crumbs), then deep fried.  It’s not the healthiest Japanese food, but it is rather a comfort food which everybody can’t get enough of.

There are a lot of Tonkatsu restaurants in Japan, from small local shops to national chain restaurants.  Depending on where you live in the US, it might be a little hard to find Tonkatsu restaurants here since it’s such a specialized store.  Good news is, though, making Tonkatsu at home is not hard at all.  If you are willing to deal with a large amount of hot oil and to clean up the mess afterward, you’ll be rewarded with a crispy delicious treat.  Most of the ingredients in the recipe are easily found at US supermarkets, so they can be picked up next time you go grocery shopping without much trouble.

The Panko (bread crumbs) we used here is Japanese, and most US supermarkets carry it today.  It is medium-size bread crumbs and that is perfect for Tonkatsu.  Italian bread crumbs are too fine and that doesn’t give the crunch we want.  On the other hand, coarser, bigger pieces of bread crumbs like fresh bread crumbs could absorb a bit too much oil and might make Tonkatsu greasy. In any case, Tonkatsu being a bit oily is ok (it is after all a fried food) because it is almost always accompanied by thinly shredded cabbage which is supposed to cut the greasiness of this fried dish.  You’ll see how it complements Tonkatsu when you actually eat them together!  It is quite refreshing.

Tonkatsu Sauce is an important flavoring for the dish.  Although the pork is seasoned well with salt and pepper and good by itself, the sweet and tangy Tonkatsu sauce completes this dish.  The sauce is similar in taste to Worcestershire sauce but much thicker and heavier.  It is available at Japanese markets or online stores, but if you can’t find it at all, you can make it by mixing 1 part Worcestershire sauce and 2 parts ketchup (at least something similar).  Tonkatsu Sauce is pretty much the best condiment for Tonkatsu, but there are other sauces you may want to try.  A mixture of freshly ground sesame seeds and Tonkatsu Sauce is a nutty and rich tasting sauce.  Another sauce is a more Japanese-style sauce of grated Daikon radish and Ponzu Sauce.  This sauce gives the dish a little lighter feel because of the spiciness of fresh Daikon and the sourness of citrus.  If you like to experiment with different flavors on Tonkatsu, make a couple of different sauces.

There are a lot of variations of dishes you can make with Tonkatsu, too, such as Katsudon (Tonkatsu and eggs cooked in seasoned dashi over rice, yummy!), Katsu Sandwich (sandwich with Tonkatsu as filling, it’s the best!), and Kastu Curry (curry and rice topped with Tonkatsu, so good!).  Now you have many reasons to make Tonkatsu at home.  So let’s start with this recipe!

This video and article is newly updated from December 2012.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Tonkatsu (deep fried pork)

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: deep-fried pork, katsu, panko, Tonkatsu sauce

Servings: 2 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 pork loin chops about 1/2" thick, no bones
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup panko or bread crumbs
• oil for deep frying
• Tonkatsu Sauce

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Make small cuts all over the pork chops with the tip of a knife. Pound the meat with a meat tenderizer. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the meat.
• Coat the meat with flour, dip in egg, and then cover with bread crumbs.
• Heat deep frying oil to 350 F, and deep fry the crumb-covered meat. You can check the temperature by dropping a bread crumb in the oil. If it comes up to the oil surface right after it's dropped, it's ready.
• Fry until the color turns golden brown and the meat floats in the oil, about 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice.
• Set the meat on a cooling rack for a minute. Cut into 5-6 pieces. Drizzle Tonkatsu Sauce over if you like.

Video

Notes

For an optional topping, grind 1 Tbsp sesame seeds and mix with 1/4 cup Tonkatsu Sauce. This instant sesame sauce is so fragrant and complements the hint of sweetness of pork very well.  If you think Tonkatsu is a little bit too greasy, try it with grated Daikon radish and Ponzu Sauce.  Refreshingly spicy Daikon and sour citrusy sauce can cut the unwanted oil.