Description
Crispy, juicy cutlets served over warm rice and drizzled with savory tonkatsu sauce, Japanese Katsu Bowls offer a comforting, restaurant-style meal you can easily make at home. Each bite combines the crunch of golden panko, the tenderness of meat, and the rich umami of sauce — all balanced with fresh cabbage and rice.
Ingredients
2 boneless pork chops or chicken breasts (pounded to ½-inch thickness)
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying (about 1½ inches deep)
2 cups cooked short-grain rice
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Shredded cabbage or lettuce, for garnish
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Pickled ginger or cucumber slices (optional)
Instructions
Season the meat with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, dip into beaten eggs, and coat with panko breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large pan to 350°F. Fry each cutlet for about 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.
In a small saucepan, whisk ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and mustard over low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
Slice fried cutlets into strips.
To assemble, place warm rice in bowls, top with sliced cutlet, drizzle with tonkatsu sauce, and garnish with cabbage, green onions, sesame seeds, and pickles.
Notes
For extra crispiness, avoid overcrowding the pan when frying.
You can make the sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to a week.
Reheat leftover cutlets in an air fryer to restore crunch.
Substitute chicken with tofu, fish, or cauliflower for different dietary preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 680
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 940 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg