Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

This Katsudon also known as a Japanese Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl is made with crispy fried pork cutlets simmered in a deletable dashi sauce. The sautéed onions, soft eggs and rice combination makes this dish the ultimate comfort food!

This popular Japanese meal is served in many restaurants and it’s very simple to make at home. You can either air-fry or fry the cutlets in oil to make them crispy. I will show you both ways to cook the cutlets. The sauce takes 5 minutes to throw together and the umami flavor from the dashi will make you coming back for seconds.

Ingredients:

For the katsu:

• pork chop – use boneless pork chops with ½ inch thickness for the best result. Thinner pork chops result in crispier cutlets. While a thicker pork chop result in juicier pork chops, yet requires more time to cook.
• all-purpose flour – coats the pork chops for the egg batter
• eggs – we beat the eggs to create a batter for the panko
• panko bread crumbs – I like using Japanese panko bread crumbs for a light and crispy batter
• salt – to season the pork and panko bread crumbs
• black pepper – to season the pork and panko bread crumbs
• avocado oil or canola oil – any oil that can withstand high heat temperatures for frying and baking

For the sauce:

• soy sauce
• white onion
• mirin
• sake (optional)
• beaten eggs – this creates the soft and delicate texture of the sauce
• dashi broth or water (see note below)

PRO TIP: use dashi powder and mix with water if you don’t have dashi broth to achieve a nice umami flavor.

Assembly:

• hot white rice
• sliced green onions

Variations

You can substitute the dashi broth by using your broth of choice (chicken or vegetable). Or you can make dashi broth by using Hondashi powder and mixing with water. Remember the umami from the dashi will give you the most authentic flavor.

If you don’t eat pork, you can substitute the protein for chicken or tofu. The cooking times may vary depending on how thick the cuts are. However, I think 10+ minutes of cooking or frying until golden brown on both sides is a good indicator that the protein is done cooking.

How to make the katsudon:

Tenderize pork

Tenderize pork chops by hitting the pork chop with the back of your knife or a meat pounder.

Cut 2-3 slits on the edge of the pork chop to ensure it doesn’t shrink during frying.

Coat cutlets in flour, eggs, & then bread crumbs

Coat cutlets in all purpose flour, then dip in egg batter and panko bread crumbs.

Cook katsu

air-fry method: Drizzle or spray some oil on the pork chops. Place breaded panko pork chops in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenehit for 5-7 minutes. Then, flip over and cook for another 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Rest the pork chop until its cool, then slice the pork chop.

frying in oil method: Heat oil to 325 degrees Fahrenehit (low-medium heat). To test if oil is hot enough, put your chopstick in with some flour and see if it bubbles. Do not turn the heat too high because the pork chop will turn brown before the inside is cooked. Once oil is hot enough, place the katsu in the oil. Fry for 10 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Rest the pork chop until its cool, then slice the pork chop.

Make sauce

Add 1 ½ cup dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a shallow pan. Then immediately add your onions. Once the sauce is starting to boil, add your beaten eggs for 30 seconds. You should see your eggs slightly scrambled. We want soft texture!

Assemble & Serve

Add your white rice in a bowl. Then, add your sauce and crispy katsu on top. I like to add them separately so the katsu is still extra crispy when you take a bite. Alternatively, you can simmer the pork cutlet in the sauce for 30 seconds to soak it up! Garnish with green onions and more sauce. Enjoy while hot!

Recipe FAQs

Store

You can store the katsudon for up to 2 days in the fridge. To reheat, you can place in the microwave and heat it for 1-2 minutes. Make sure that you pack the rice, katsu & sauce seperatly so the rice doesn’t get soggy. Unfortunately, the katsu will not be crispy after reheating because the breading has been soaked in the sauce.

Expert Tips

• Cut 2-3 slits on the edge of the pork chop to ensure the pork doesn’t shrink during frying.
• Add some salt and pepper to the panko bread crumbs. Season as you go to ensure that your food has flavor throughout the dish.
• If you’re air-frying the katsu, you can fry the panko bread crumbs on a skillet with some oil until it becomes golden brown. Then, coat the katsu in the bread crumbs and air-fry. This method will make the katsu more crispy!

Try more of my home comforting meals:

• One pot oyakodon – chicken and onions cooked along with rice to make an easy and delicious one pot meal
• Easy tan tan udon soup – savory soy broth with chewy udon noodles
• Kimchi udon – chewy noodles mixed with a kimchi spicy sauce!