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Meat, East Asian

Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage and rice

Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet breaded in panko, fried and sliced, served with raw shredded cabbage, a tangy brown sauce and rice. This recipe serves 4, takes 40 minutes, is easy to make and costs €3.10 per serving. The key is pressing the panko on firmly and frying at the right temperature.

Tonight it's tonkatsu, the Japanese breaded pork cutlet, super crispy, served with raw shredded cabbage and its brown sauce.

Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage and rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tonkatsu is all about contrast, a crust that shatters under your fork while the pork inside stays tender and juicy. Panko, much lighter than regular breadcrumbs, puffs up in the hot oil and forms an airy shell that stays crisp even sitting next to the rice. The finely shredded raw cabbage adds a cool, crunchy counterpoint to the fried meat, and the brown sauce, somewhere between sweet and tangy, ties the whole plate together.

It's a great weeknight dinner when you want something comforting without spending hours in the kitchen, and kids tend to love it for the crunchy coating and mild sauce. Mon Chou also likes serving it on a lazy Sunday, with bowls of rice and cabbage set out separately so everyone can build their own plate.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Boneless pork chops 4

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Panko breadcrumbs 120 g
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Ketchup 3 tbsp
  • Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • White cabbage 300 g

Allergens Eggs, Gluten, Soy, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Score the fat on the chops in several places, flatten them slightly, season with salt and pepper.

    The scoring keeps the meat from curling up while frying.

  2. Coat each chop in flour, then in beaten egg, then press it firmly into the panko. 5 min

    Press the panko on firmly so the crust doesn't come loose during cooking.

  3. Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and sugar for the sauce, shred the cabbage very finely and cook the rice in salted water. 11 min

    Dunk the shredded cabbage in ice water, it turns extra crisp.

  4. Fry the chops in oil at 170°C, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden. 8 min

    Set them on a wire rack afterward, not on paper towels, so the crust stays dry.

  5. Let rest for 3 minutes, slice into strips and serve with the cabbage, sauce and rice. 3 min

    Resting keeps the juices inside, so the meat stays juicy when sliced.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick pork chops on the thicker side and flatten them gently with a rolling pin so they cook evenly without drying out.
  • Keep one hand dry for the flour and panko, one hand wet for the egg, so your fingers don't end up caked in sticky crust.
  • Test the oil temperature with a small piece of panko, if it sizzles and rises right away, the oil is ready.

The variations

  • Swap the pork for pounded chicken breast to make a chicken katsu, it just needs a slightly shorter frying time.
  • For a vegetarian version, bread and fry thick slices of eggplant or a well pressed block of firm tofu.
  • For kids in a hurry, cut the chops into strips before breading them, they cook faster and are easy to eat by hand.

What to serve it with

  • A hot bowl of miso soup
  • Plain green tea
  • Japanese pickled cucumbers

Storage

Breaded pork keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though it loses some crunch. Reheat it in the oven or a skillet rather than the microwave to bring back the crispness. You can freeze it uncooked, breaded, as long as the raw meat is well wrapped.

Questions about this dish

Can you use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko?

Yes, but the crust will be thinner and less airy. Panko is better because its large flakes puff up in the oil and stay crunchier.

Can you bread the chops ahead of time?

You can bread the chops a few hours ahead and keep them flat on a rack in the fridge. Fry them right before serving so the crust stays at its crispest.

How do you check the oil temperature without a thermometer?

Drop a small piece of panko into the oil, if it sizzles and floats up immediately, the oil is ready. If it sinks or stays quiet, give it more time.

Can tonkatsu be baked instead of fried?

Yes, bake at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, with a drizzle of oil over the crust. The crust will be a bit less golden than deep frying.

How long does it take to make a tonkatsu with shredded cabbage and rice?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a tonkatsu with shredded cabbage and rice?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a tonkatsu with shredded cabbage and rice cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, gluten, soy, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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