Easy Way to Make Authentic KATSUDON – Japanese Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl

Today, I’m sharing the recipe for the Perfect Ultimate Katsudon featured in our latest video! Katsudon is a comforting Japanese rice bowl topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) simmered in a savory-sweet sauce with egg and onions. It’s a classic for a reason!

Follow these steps to recreate this delicious dish at home.

(Yields: 2 servings)

Ingredients:

Here’s what you’ll need. Remember, the sauce ingredients listed below are for one serving, so you’ll use half the onions and one tonkatsu per individual katsudon preparation.

• For the Tonkatsu & Prep:

  • Pork Loin: 2 thick slices (100g / 3.5 oz each)

  • Salt: To taste

  • Black Pepper: To taste

  • Onion: 60g / 2 oz, thinly sliced into half-moons

  • Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or Green Onion: Small amount, chopped (for garnish and/or simmering)

  • All-purpose Flour: 1 Tbsp (for dusting)

  • Egg: 1 (for batter)

  • All-purpose Flour: 4 Tbsp (for batter)

  • Water: 2 Tbsp (for batter)

  • Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs): Approx. 1-2 cups / 70-140g / 2.5-5 oz (enough for coating)

  • Vegetable Oil: For shallow frying (enough for about 1/2 to 1 inch depth in your pan)

• For the Katsudon Sauce (Per Serving – Make this amount twice, once for each serving):

  • Water: 3 Tbsp

  • Sake: 1 Tbsp

  • Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine): 1 Tbsp

  • Soy Sauce: 1 Tbsp

  • Sugar: 1 Tbsp

  • Dashi Powder (Japanese soup stock powder): 1/2 tsp

• For the Egg Topping (Per Serving):

  • Eggs: 1 to 2, lightly beaten

• For Serving:

  • Cooked Japanese Rice: 2 servings (about 1-1.5 cups cooked rice per bowl)

Instructions:

Let’s make some delicious Katsudon!

1. Prep the Aromatics & Pork: Thinly slice the onion into half-moons. Finely chop the mitsuba or green onions. Prepare the pork loin by cutting a few slits into the connective tissue/fat edge to prevent curling. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

2. Set Up Breading Station: In one shallow bowl or tray, lightly beat 1 egg with 4 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp water to create the batter. In another shallow bowl or tray, place the panko breadcrumbs.

3. Bread the Pork: Pat the pork slices dry with a paper towel. Lightly dust each slice all over with about 1 Tbsp of flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the floured pork into the egg batter, ensuring it’s fully coated. Finally, press the pork firmly into the panko, coating both sides well.

4. Fry the Tonkatsu: Heat about ½ to 1 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat (around 170°C / 340°F). Carefully place the breaded pork cutlets into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 2.5 minutes per side, until beautifully golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the tonkatsu to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Let them rest for a few minutes, then slice into bite-sized strips (about 1-inch wide).

5. Prepare the Sauce (First Serving): In a separate, smaller frying pan (an Oyakodon pan is ideal if you have one, otherwise a small skillet works), combine the sauce ingredients: 3 Tbsp Water, 1 Tbsp Sake, 1 Tbsp Mirin, 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp Sugar, and 1/2 tsp Dashi Powder. Whisk together and add half of the sliced onions.

6. Simmer: Bring the sauce and onions to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, until the onions soften and the sauce has reduced slightly (about 1/3 reduction).

7. Cook the Katsudon (First Serving): Arrange the sliced pieces of one tonkatsu cutlet in the pan over the onions and sauce. Bring back to a gentle boil. Slowly drizzle 1-2 lightly beaten eggs over the tonkatsu and onions. You can add some chopped mitsuba/green onion now if you like.

8. Finish & Serve (First Serving): Cover the pan and cook for about 1 minute, or until the egg is cooked to your liking (some prefer it slightly runny, others fully set). Prepare a donburi bowl with a serving of hot cooked rice. Carefully slide the tonkatsu, egg, and onion mixture over the rice. Garnish with extra mitsuba or green onion if desired.

9. Repeat for Second Serving: Clean the small pan or use another one. Repeat steps 5 through 8 using the remaining half of the onions, the other sliced tonkatsu, the second batch of sauce ingredients, and another 1-2 beaten eggs to make the second serving of Katsudon.

Enjoy your Perfect Ultimate Katsudon! It’s best served immediately while hot and crispy. Let me know in the comments if you try it!

Note: Feel free to adjust the sweetness/saltiness of the sauce slightly to your preference. Enjoy this ultimate comfort food!