Featured Comment:
“It wasn’t my first katsu, but definitely THE BEST katsu. I absolutely loved sesame seeds in the sauce. Your hint with adding oil to the egg was game changing (no more falling panko, yass!!). It’s a pity I haven’t discovered your blog earlier!”
– Claudia
What is Tonkatsu?
Tonkatsu (とんかつ) is a Japanese succulent pork cutlet crafted from a generous slice of pork loin or fillet. This slice is meticulously coated in egg and panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until it achieves a golden, crispy exterior.
The first tonkatsu was made around 1899. It’s a bit of a mystery, but there are hints of French cuisine in its origins. It started with beef, but now it’s mostly pork in Japan. Today, it’s a staple in homes and restaurants, and it’s one of Japan’s most cherished dishes.
The term “ton” (豚) comes from the Japanese kanji character for “pig,” which is a common prefix in various pork-based dishes, like tonjiru (pork miso soup) and tonteki (pork chop steak). The suffix “katsu” sounds like the Japanese word for “cutlet.”
The cutlet itself can be used in many other dishes such as katsudon, katsu curry or katsu sando.
Traditionally, tonkatsu is complemented with a tangy tonkatsu sauce, served alongside fluffy rice, crisp shredded cabbage, and a bowl of miso soup. While “tonkatsu” is usually made with pork, the world of “katsu” has many variations, like:
- Chikinkatsu: A golden chicken cutlet.
- Gyuukatsu: A rich beef cutlet.
- Kushikatsu: Skewered deep-fried meat or vegetables.
- Miso katsu: A pork cutlet lavished with a unique red miso sauce.

How I Developed This Recipe
Tonkatsu is one of my favorite dishes of all time. This made me really determined to come up with a recipe that’s absolutely perfect, and that I wouldn’t change a thing about.
Tonkatsu is simple to make, which makes it easy for anyone to recreate. But, I’d say my journey to perfecting this dish was a bit of a wild ride. I didn’t just stop at the cutlet, though. I also came up with a signature sauce that takes the dish to the next level.
I’d love for you to try my take on tonkatsu, which I think is just as good as what you’d find in the finest teishoku restaurants.

Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Thick boneless pork chops: If you want to make a great tonkatsu, you’ve got to get the cut right. If you’re looking for something leaner, go for the loin or tenderloin. Or, if you want something richer and meatier, try boneless ribs. Thick slices will give you that satisfying crunch-to-juicy-meat ratio.
- Cooking oil: Go for a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola, sunflower, or peanut oil. I’ve personally been using rice bran oil lately.
- Batter & Coating: All-purpose flour, egg, and whole milk. Mixing the egg with the milk helps stretch the mixture and makes the meat softer and more tender.
- Panko breadcrumbs: The best part of Japanese katsu! For the best crispy experience, try making your own panko—it’s easier than you might think! If you’re interested in learning more about panko, I’ve got a blog post about making your own panko at home.
- Homemade sauce: Just blend Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, light brown sugar, and white sesame seeds for a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and umami flavors that complement the crispy pork perfectly.

Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make ultimate crispy and tender Japanese Tonkatsu at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and white sesame seeds to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside for later.

Preheat your oil to 170°C (340°F), while you wait, prepare the pork.

Start by piercing the fat and muscle. Muscles connect the pink meat and the white fatty parts. By using the tip of the knife and stabbing the connection line to cut through the muscle, the texture will be improved, and the meat is less likely to curl.
Next, sprinkle both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper and lightly pound to tenderize and flatten the meat. The end result should be about 2cm thick (¾ inch), so be careful not to pound too much.

Prepare a “coating station” with 3 wide containers. Add flour to one and panko breadcrumbs to another. Crack an egg into the last one and add a small amount of whole milk and cooking oil. Whisk together until smooth.
Place the pork in the flour and coat both sides.

Lift the pork out and pat off the excess flour before placing it in the egg mixture.

Once fully coated, place the pork in the panko and coat generously. Gently press the crumbs down to secure them to the surface.

Once the oil has finished preheating, add the pork and fry for 4 minutes on each side. When you first add it to the oil, it will crackle loudly. This is the reaction between the oil and the moisture in the meat. As it cooks, the crackling gets quieter, this is how you can tell if its cooked all the way through by sound.

Once golden and cooked all the way through, transfer to a wire rack to drain the excess oil and rest for a few minutes.

Cut the tonkatsu into slices and serve with your homemade sauce and choice of sides.

Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsTips & Tricks
Once you know these simple tips and tricks, you can make perfect, restaurant-worthy tonkatsu every time without fail!
- Use thick cuts of pork – Starting with a thick cut will give you a bigger and better tonkatsu that can be tenderized without becoming too thin.
- Make incisions – This is important enough that I added it as a step in my recipe. By piercing the muscle that connects the fat and meat, the texture of the overall cutlet is improved (less chewy) and it’s less likely to curl (better presentation).
- Tenderize – Again, so important that it’s a step! Pounding the meat helps make it softer. This also makes it a bit thinner, making it cook quicker and more evenly.
- Don’t pound too thin – If the meat is pounded too thin, your tonkatsu will cook too quickly and become dry. In addition to this, the structure will be weak, resulting in a floppy tonkatsu. Not cool.
- Add oil to the egg – A little bit of oil whisked into the egg will act as a binder, helping it stick more securely to the surface of the pork. This means the panko layer will be less likely to fall off. Additionally, the thin layer of oil protects the meat to some extent, helping it stay juicy and tender.
- Dust evenly – It might be tempting to add thick layers of flour, egg and panko to make it extra crispy, but balance is essential here. A thin, even layer of flour absorbs excess moisture, but too much will cause the egg to fall off, so be sure to pat off the excess.
- Be generous with panko – A generous coating of panko is necessary for the perfect crispy and even tonkatsu, so add as much as possible and lightly press it down with your palm (sprinkling doesn’t adhere well).
- Use plenty of oil – The amount of oil should be at least twice as deep as the thickness of the tonkatsu. If you don’t use enough oil, the katsu will touch the bottom of the pan and will burn your panko, ruining both the look and taste.
- Shallow-frying – If you want to use less oil, shallow-frying is possible. Just remember that it takes more care since the panko burns easily if it touches the bottom of the pan.
- Don’t interfere for the first few minutes – The minute the tonkatsu hits the oil, it’s in a delicate state. Mixing, poking or checking it in the first few minutes can damage the surface and cause the panko to fall off.
- Maintain 170°C (338°F) – If the oil temperature is too low then the pork will become dry and overcooked while the panko will be pale and soggy. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot then the panko might burn and the pork could be raw in the middle. The sweet spot is 170°C (338°F), so try and maintain this temperature the best you can.
- No thermometer? No problem! – You can check your oil’s temperature by dropping a crumb of panko in there. If it sinks, the heat is too low. If it browns too quickly, you might need to reduce the heat. Ideally, the panko should float and sizzle consistently, this means the oil is a good temperature for frying.
- Check by sound – You can mostly tell if your katsu is cooked by the sound. When it’s first added to the oil, it crackles loudly and bubbles aggressively. This is due to the reaction between the hot oil and the moisture in the raw meat. As it cooks, it will become quieter and the bubbles will become smaller.

Troubleshooting and FAQ
One of the biggest problems you might face when making homemade tonkatsu is the crumb layer not sticking to the surface of the pork. Uneven and messy tonkatsu with gaps is my worst nightmare!
Let’s look at the potential causes and how to prevent them!
Meat, including tonkatsu, tends to shrink when heated, leading to gaps between the batter and meat, causing the batter to peel off. To prevent this, it’s essential to pound the pork chops before cooking. However, it’s crucial to start with thick pork cuts; pounding too thin results in a less desirable, floppy tonkatsu. Thus, using thick, pounded pork chops is key to ensuring the batter stays intact.
The batter for traditional tonkatsu consists of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, each vital to the dish’s integrity. Any inconsistency in one layer affects the subsequent ones. Inadequate coating can cause the batter to peel off over time. It’s essential to apply each layer generously but without overdoing it, striking a careful balance. Ensuring a firm and even battering for each layer is undoubtedly crucial.
Achieving the ideal golden crust for tonkatsu hinges on using plenty of oil and maintaining the right frying temperature. Too hot, and you risk burning the batter with undercooked pork. Too cool, and the outcome is a pale batter with dry, tough pork. To sidestep these pitfalls, opt for oils with high smoke points and maintain a frying temperature of 170°C (340°F).

How to Store
To store tonkatsu, freezing is the ideal option; avoid prolonged room temperature or refrigeration.
After frying, drain the oil and let them cool for about 30 minutes. Wrap each cutlet in plastic, place in a freezer bag without overlapping, and store for up to a month.
When defrosting, use a microwave oven to defrost the cutlets to a certain extent, and then grill or bake to revive the crispy surface.
Storage summary
Room temperature – Not recommended.
Refrigerated – Not recommended.
Frozen – Up to a month.

I hope you enjoy this Japanese Tonkatsu recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Dinner Recipes
- Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)
- Beef Hayashi Rice (Without Roux Packet)
- Japanese Style Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu)
- Teriyaki Beef Rice Bowl with Wasabi Twist
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Dinner Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!

The Best Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)
Equipment
- Japanese-style fryer
- Stainless steel cooking tray with wire rack
Ingredients
Tonkatsu Sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 pinch light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
Tonkatsu
- 2 boneless pork chops or loin/tenderloin – thick ones work best
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- cooking oil for deep frying
- all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs
Serve with (optional)
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 200 g green cabbage shredded
- 2 slices lemon to garnish
Instructions
Tonkatsu Sauce
- Mix 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 pinch light brown sugar and 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside for later.
Tonkatsu
- Preheat the oil to 170 °C (338 °F). While you wait, prepare the pork.
- Take 2 boneless pork chops and make incisions in the fat and muscle (this improves texture and prevents curling). Rub 1 pinch salt and pepper onto both sides of the meat, then pound until about 2cm thick. (Approx 3/4 inch)
- Set up a coating station with 3 containers. One with all-purpose flour, one with whisked 1 egg and one with 100 g panko breadcrumbs.Add 1 tbsp whole milk and 1 tsp cooking oil to the egg and whisk until combined.
- Coat the pork with flour on both sides. Make sure to pat off the excess.
- Transfer to the egg mixture and coat on both sides.
- Next place it into the panko breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s fully covered and gently press the panko down to secure them.
- Carefully place the coated pork chops into the oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes total) or until golden brown. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
- Cut the tonkatsu into strips. Plate up next to the shredded cabbage, drizzle the sauce (or serve on the side) and garnish with lemon (optional).
- Serve with rice, miso soup and pickles for the perfect teishoku set meal.
Video
Notes
- You can drop a piece of panko into the oil before cooking, if it sizzles and floats then it means your oil is hot enough to cook with. (If it sinks it needs to be hotter.)
- Try not to touch or move the tonkatsu during the first minute of frying otherwise the breadcrumbs may start to fall off.
- Select pork cut based on preference – use loin/tenderloin for lean meat or boneless ribs for richer flavor.
- For shallow frying, monitor carefully to prevent panko from burning against pan bottom.
Hello and thank you for the recipe! I wonder what is the purpose to put milk and oil to the egg mixture? Thank you 🙂
Hi, thank you for the rating!
I add milk because it’s said to help make the meat softer and more tender. Adding oil is a trick that restaurants use to help make the egg smoother so it coats the katsu more evenly and stops the panko falling off. Apparently it also makes a thin layer around the meat which keeps the flavour inside too. Hope that helps, thanks for your question! 🙂
Thank you! Somehow I don’t receive email notification of your reply, sorry.
I love your recipe, they are simple and some even give a different approach compared to other recipe.
Hope you can continue to share.
Thank you and take care, ganbatte!
Thank you so much, it means a lot!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime 🙂
I’ll keep working hard to create good recipes, all the best!
Yuto
Sasuga!
Great recipe and wonderful instructions. I went with another sauce recipe that tasted closer and consistency I remember. The cutlets turned out perfect! You keep coming up as my favorite Japanese food recipe source. So delicious!
Hi Erin
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot!
It wasn’t my first katsu, but definitely THE BEST katsu. I used chicken as I’m not a big fan of pork (but definitely gonna try the recipe again with pork chops!).
I absolutely loved sesame seeds in the sauce. Your hint with adding oil to the egg was game changing (no more falling panko, yass!!).
It’s a pity I haven’t discovered your blog earlier!
Greatings from Poland!
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for your kind words and sharing your experience!
I’m so happy that you think this is the best katsu recipe! 🙂
Yuto