Pork tonkatsu is a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet. The word Ton comes from “pork”, and Katsu is an abbreviation for the Japanese term for “cutlet”, Katsuretu.
This delicious Japanese pork tonkatsu is often served with rice, shredded cabbage, and a sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce.
For the Pork Tonkatsu Recipe
There are 3 main things to prepare when making the recipe pork tonkatsu:
- The pork loin chops
- The egg and flour batter to coat the pork loins
- The panko breading that gives the tonkatsu pork a nice crisp!
For the pork loin chops:
Pound the pork loins and both sides, then season with salt and pepper.
Making the egg and flour batter:
Mixing the Panko breading:
Pork Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops about 1/2 inch thick
- 4 cups neutral flavored oil (canola or vegetable oil) or about 2 inches of oil in the pot
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the egg and flour batter
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
For the panko breading
- 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
For serving
- 4 servings cooked rice
- 1/4 head of cabbage shredded
- Thousand Island dressing or dressing of choice
- Tonkatsu sauce (I recommend the Bull-dog brand)
Instructions
- Using a meat mallet or the back of your knife, pound the pork loins on both sides until the thickness is reduced by half. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- To a bowl, whisk together your ingredients for the egg and flour batter, then set aside.
- To a wide bowl or plate, add your panko bread crumbs and seasonings, then set aside.
- Use one hand to dunk a pork loin in the egg and flour batter until it is well coated. Next, place the pork loin into the panko breading and use your other dry hand to ensure it is fully coated. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- Lay your breaded pork loin slices on a plate or tray and let sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the breading to set.
- Add your oil to a pot or a pan with tall sides on medium heat until the oil has reached 350 degrees, then reduce heat to medium low. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can stick a wooden chopstick into the oil. You’ll know the oil is ready if tiny bubbles appear around the chopstick.
- Gently submerge the pork cutlets into the hot oil (do not cook more than 1 or 2 at a time, as overcrowding the pot will cause the oil temperature to drop). Allow to deep fry for about 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. The panko breading should be golden brown in color. Use tongs to take out each cooked cutlet. Allow to sit on a wire rack until ready to serve.
- I recommend skimming out any rogue pieces of breading or crumbs in between each fry.
- Once cooled, cut each cutlet into 1 inch strips and serve over rice. Enjoy the cutlets with tonkatsu sauce as well as shredded cabbage with thousand island dressing on the side.
