Tonkatsu is a Japanese deep fried pork cutlet with panko breading. Use this recipe to get your tonkatsu crust extra crispy!
Recently in Seattle there has been a new restaurant that opened up that’s dedicated to Japanese tonkatsu. While we have always been able to order tonkatsu at other Japanese restaurants, this is the first time that we have had a specialized tonkatsu restaurant, and it’s very good! Even though it’s not Japanese owned, most of my Seattle Japanese friends have said they really liked it.
Now, I have an air fryer tonkatsu recipe that I quite like… but after eating such good tonkatsu at a restaurant, I started wanting to make the real thing at home. Although using all that oil does get annoying, it’s actually faster to deep fry than air fry. And you don’t have to pre-toast the panko. So… is deep frying actually the easier recipe? Thoughts? I’ll leave this open for discussion.
Anyway, this recipe is almost exactly the same as my air fryer one, just with deep frying instead.
What is Tonkatsu?
Tonkatsu is Japanese deep fried, panko-breaded pork cutlet. If you’re more familiar with European foods, it’s like a Japanese schnitzel. Although, when I first went to Germany and ate schnitzel, I said, “Oh, schnitzel is just a German tonkatsu?!”
Getting back on topic, tonkatsu is not to be confused with tonkotsu, which is a pork broth found at ramen shops.
Tonkatsu = “ah” = deep fried pork
Tonkotsu = “oh” = ramen broth
Got it?
What Cut of Meat to Use for Tonkatsu
Typically, tonkatsu in Japan uses pork tenderloin (hirekatsu) or boneless pork loin with a strip of fat (rosu katsu). I don’t think I’ve ever seen rosu katsu at my local Japanese market, but they almost always have slices of pork tenderloin that are perfectly sized for tonkatsu.
If you don’t have a Japanese market nearby, you can either buy pork tenderloin and slice it yourself, or you can get boneless pork loin chops.
How to Get Extra Crispy Tonkatsu Crust
I’ve seen various methods of getting a super thick and crispy tonkatsu crust, including double deep frying and double breading the pork. I’ve used both these methods, and they certainly work well.
But you guys know me by now. I don’t want to do any extra work if I don’t have to. So I’ve found a way to get an extra crispy crust without double anything! In fact, it even eliminates a step!
I’ve found that I get the best crust when I mix the eggs and flour together to form a batter. I dip the pork cutlet into the batter, then I dunk in the panko, and then deep fry. That’s it! The typical way is to dip the pork in flour, then egg, then the panko. So I even save you a whole step. I also have never had a problem with my katsu crust falling off when I bread my pork this way.
Of course, even after this you can still double deep fry if you want for a super duper extra crispy crust. But I’m usually too impatient and ready to eat right away.
Oh, you also might notice that I include an optional addition of garlic powder to my tonkatsu crust. I learned this trick from Alana Kysar’s Aloha Kitchen Cookbook, and it’s a little extra flavor bomb that I quite enjoy.
Deep Frying Tips
If you’re not used to deep frying, it can seem intimidating. But it’s actually not so bad as long as you get your system down.
First off, you’ll need to decide your deep fry vessel. My favorite is actually using a wok, which has nice deep sides to minimize oil splatter. But you could also use any pot – stainless steel, dutch oven… even a skillet with super deep sides would work.
Next, I highly recommend getting a digital food thermometer so you can check the exact temperature of the oil.
Last, a wire cooling rack works great for keeping your fried foods crispy as they cool down.
And what do you do with the oil after you deep fry? Well, I’ve seen Japanese people use an oil solidifier, that makes the oil turn solid so you can just dump it in the trash. But I think I read on Serious Eats somewhere that you can reuse oil 2-3 times! My grandma always reuses her oil from deep frying for stir fries and other fried savory dishes. My mom always says that’s why everything she makes tastes better. Her oil is infused with flavor from the foods she deep fried.
More Japanese Recipes
If you love Japanese food, check out my other recipes:
- Instant Pot Kabocha Soup
- Fish Katsu Recipe
- Nikumaki (Teriyaki Beef Rolls)
- Easy Sukiyaki Recipe
- Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
Extra Crispy Tonkatsu
Equipment
- Wok or large pot for deep frying
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork loin or tenderloin about four small cutlets
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 cups vegetable oil for deep frying, amount will vary
Instructions
- Wrap your pork in plastic wrap or put in a ziploc bag. Tenderize using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer. If your pork has a thick strip of fat along the edge, you can score it with a knife to prevent curling as it cooks.
- Mix eggs, salt, flour, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Place panko in a separate dish.
- Dip pork in the egg/flour batter, making sure both sides are well coated.
- Dip battered pork in the panko, firmly pressing panko into the sides.
- Heat oil in a wok, pot, or skillet with deep sides to 350 degrees F. I use roughly 3-4 cups of oil in a wok, which is enough to cook about four small pork cutlets at once. The amount of oil needed will depend on what vessel you use for deep frying.
- Place breaded pork cutlets into your prepared oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Using tongs or chopsticks, flip your cutlets over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Actual cook times may vary depending on how thick your cutlets are.
- Remove pork from the oil and let drain on a wire cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, slice pork into strips.
- Tonkatsu is commonly served over rice with katsu sauce (you can buy this at an Asian market) and cabbage salad. Leftover tonkatsu will save in the fridge for a few days, albeit with a less crispy crust.