With a light and crispy crust and tender inside, Tonkatsu is a staple at Japanese restaurants. This panko pork gets a slight makeover where it’s pan-fried instead of deep fried and served with a fantastic wasabi-ginger soy dipping sauce.
Prefer it more traditional and deep-fried? Don’t miss our Chicken Katsu.
Pan-Fried Tonkatsu Recipe
Tonkatsu is Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet that has a crispy and crunchy outer shell from panko bread crumbs and a moist, tender inside. It’s served with an irresistible thick Tonkatsu sauce.
The recipe we’re sharing today is a simplified version where pork is coated in Panko breadcrumbs, but pan-fried instead of deep-fried, and served with a fantastic wasabi-ginger soy dipping sauce. Less oil, less mess, less calories, less time, and super tasty!
Another one to be filed under 20 minute meals, this pan-fried pork recipe is not only crazy delicious, but it’s also incredibly quick and easy.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Tonkatsu variation.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Pork – we’re using boneless, center-cut pork loin chops. They need to be 1/2-inch thick. Remove most of the excess fat, but not all of it! The fat will provide flavor.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – these are Japanese breadcrumbs. They are plain white, coarse, and crunchy. Most grocery stores today carry them next to all the other breadcrumbs or in the ethnic-food section. Do not use regular or Italian style breadcrumbs for this recipe.
- Saké – saké is the national beverage of Japan. It’s referred to as wine, but it’s actually a fermented rice beverage (and not even made with grapes or berries.)
- Wasabi – you all know wasabi, right? Most commonly known as that spicy green paste served with sushi. What’s funny is, over 95% of wasabi served in sushi restaurants does not contain any real wasabi. Real Wasabi (which is Japanese horseradish ) is actually quite rare and expensive, even in Japan, and has a more mild taste. So we’re using Wasabi paste. Real or not, it lends awesome heat and saltiness to this dish. Don’t skip it!
- Soy Sauce – one of the best ways to instantly add bold flavor. And because no respectable Asian dish is without it!
- Chicken Broth – chicken broth is an essential ingredient in Chinese cooking and serves as a base for many recipes; it balances out the strong flavors in this dish.
- Sugar – yes, sugar. Don’t freak out. It balances out the salty soy sauce and acidic saké. It’s a small amount, but necessary IMHO.
- Egg White – beaten egg whites provide a sticky surface, which allow ingredients to bond together (in this case the breadcrumbs adhere to the pork.)
- Other – you will also need vegetable oil, salt, fresh ginger, and diced scallions.
Variations and Tips
- Dry sherry is a really good substitute for the Saké. The alcohol in saké and dry sherry both cook off, but if you don’t want to use any alcohol, low-sodium chicken broth can be used instead. The flavors will not be as bold, though.
- Wasabi paste. If you cannot find wasabi paste, you can use wasabi powder (which is mixed with water to form a paste), but this is not my preference. I find wasabi powder to be hot, but bland.
- Keep the outer shell crispy. Panko breadcrumbs create this crunchy outer shell to the pork, so don’t ruin it by spooning the sauce on top, which will just make it soggy. Instead, use the sauce for dipping!
- The wasabi-ginger sauce is thin. If you want it to be thicker, you can add a touch of cornstarch while it’s simmering.
Video: Tonkatsu with Wasabi-Soy Sauce
What to Serve with Tonkatsu
This dish is typically enjoyed with katsu sauce (thus the name!), which is made up of ketchup, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and a few spices. As mentioned above, we also like to enjoy this pork with a wasabi/ginger/soy sauce dipping sauce.
I always serve this panko pork with these roasted snap peas – they pair perfectly! But you can serve this dish with any sautéed or roasted green vegetable or carrots, cooked white rice, or a cool cucumber salad. It also goes great with miso soup or wonton soup.
More Pork Recipes:
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Hawaiian Pork Sliders
- Moo Shu Pork
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Pan-Fried Tonkatsu
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons Saké (or dry sherry)
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg white , lightly beaten
- 4 (4 ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 scallions , diced
- Roasted snap peas, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, dry sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and wasabi. Set aside.
- Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip each pork chop in the egg white and then dredge in the Panko until coated.
- Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add pork and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side (adjusting heat if they’re browning too quickly.) Transfer pork to a plate and spinkle with the salt.
- Reduce heat to medium; add ginger to pan and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth mixture, scraping pan to loosen any browned bits.
- Stir in the scallions.
- Slice pork and serve on individual plates with snap peas, with the Wasabi-Ginger sauce for dipping.NOTE: if you'd prefer traditional katsu sauce, you can get that recipe from our chicken katsu.
Was so pleasantly surprised at how easy this was to make and the results were great. Real treat for my family.
LOVE this recipe so much!! I’ve made it so many times now. Even though it’s not deep fried, it still has that glorious crisp golden shell.