How to Make Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlets) | Kenji's Cooking Show

Tonkatsu is the Japanese version of European-style breaded cutlets (such as schnitzel). It's so popular in Japan that it has become a part of the national cuisine known as yoshoku (Western cuisine that has been adopted into the Japanese repertoire). I make it a very classic way: pound marinated or brined pork cutlets, bread them with flour, egg, and Japanese bread crumbs, then deep fry them in a hot wok and serve with sauce, lemon, and some very turgid cabbage.
Here’s my NYT schnitzel recipe and article (paywall): www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/di...
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Here's an article I wrote about katsu, which explains some more of the science of brining and breading: www.seriouseats.com/tonkatsu-...

[@DougArcidino]

Kenji always has a chicken stock going on the back burner. 😂

[@00trustno1]

Mooooom, Kenji's talking about his turgid cabbage again!

[@petercarparelli]

Refershingly turgid might be my new favorite descriptor. Thank you Kenji!

[@billc7211]

One of my favorite things about Kenji‘s videos is that he plays the role of teacher so well. I love all the background, the word meanings the origins, and the related topics that he just flows through while cooking. Not only is it entertaining but so instructive.

[@bayoucity1]

Kenji, my Christmas present to myself was the hardcover version your book The Food Lab. I'm a pretty experienced cook but after only a few minutes reading I learned something new. I'm really impressed with the quality of the printing, binding, and above all the writing. I have a niece getting married soon and will be gifting her a copy.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Happy holidays!

[@user-dd6xg3ox2i]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt I cook for a big family and when frying it takes a couple batches and the food gets darker and darker as the little bits of breading sink to the bottom of the pan. Is there a good way to avoid this?

[@bgleadbetter]

I’m going to say the same thing. I worked professionally for so long that I helped with the recipe for dirt. I STILL love to learn the science of cooking, even if I was doing it right, I love to know the “why” behind it.

[@Kahoko]

I have been trying for years to make Tonkatsu well. Every time it comes out super dry or under cooked or etc. Followed your instructions and tips and I was blown away I didn’t think I could make Tonkatsu this good. My family declared it “restaurant quality” 😊 and devoured it.

[@MaddyGatzka]

"Oh hello, I didn't see you there!" is my favorite joke of all time. I say this to my family at least once a day. Kenji has ascended. Okay, onto the video 🙏

[@nicosf100]

wtf

[@hajhammereaux]

I believe you've got some problems dude...

[@SPIKESPIEGEL1969]

@@hajhammereauxyour comment confuses me

[@mariamiller1208]

I am full blood German and make Schnitzel a lot. I was amazed how much yours was like mine minis the cabbage. Although I also make cole slaw but with vinegar and oil. My son has turned me on to your cooking. Love watching your cooking shows and have made several of your recipes.

[@Kenzamaka]

Another awesome video. I really love your style of cooking videos, they make me feel like I can actually try this at home even without a bunch of fancy equipment. I also always feel like I have learned something new, usually a little detail (like the fridge dry-brine method here). Cant wait to try this out, thank you for all you do!

[@Tomc3218]

Just made this today and was my best attempt ever. I appreciate how you broke down the science behind making a crust that actually stays adhered to the pork.

[@John__-ie3od]

Your sauce is literally the sauce my father used to make me and my siblings when we ate fried chicken. What a nostalgic reminder.

[@theguywhosright9110]

Kenji is feeling spicy with that intro

[@petergwlau]

oh HELLO

[@BobJoeman]

just straight rizzing up his audience

[@laurawilliams1991]

Wow, that breading looked perfect. I’m going to use your method from now on. Thank you so very much for sharing

[@Zhevros]

I was looking for a video of you making tonkatsu yesterday! And the stars have aligned 🙏

[@Exiled_Rouge]

I am enjoying the various different content on the channel and the new approach to the cooking videos. Very engaging.

[@christopherkarr1872]

Beautiful santoku! And the pork turned out lovely, as well! Thanks for sharing, Kenji. I'm always keeping my eyes out for new insights from you, such as your sous vide egg experiments.

[@dolafberge]

Hello Kenji. Just finished supper with this recipe. Unbelievable !! Thanks so much for your videos. Nice , clear explanation and good pointers are what this home cook loves.❤❤❤ Thanks again!🎉

[@sk8erboi68]

The cleaver is a shi ba zi zuo f208 if anyone was curious!

[@joshmore7175]

I've loved watching your channel slowly become more and more professional and involved. Its been really fun to watch and learn with you

[@pierre6625]

Hello Chef, this must be one of my favorite ways to eat pork cutlets. Love your style and will certainly give this a try. Thank you for sharing. Love to follow your channel.

[@huckthatdish]

The not letting it rest thing really is very important. Tried doing it in cast iron basically shallow pan frying instead of deep frying and got very dark hot spots. When I finally got a wok it turned out so much better. I do all my deep frying in the wok now

[@chashagin1]

I'd love for Kenji to do a meta video showing how he sets up his videography rig / approach to making these videos - have always wanted to make videos like these for my kiddos to remember Dad's cooking from.

[@hollysnowy9056]

I was thinking to make tonkatsu with a piece of loin that I have leftover. You’ve just taught me how to perfect it! Listening to your crunch was worth taking the time to do a dry rub and really adhering the panko. Thanks for the tips!

[@bstrac77]

Looks excellent Kenji! Definitely cooking some this week.

[@GrikWorldNomad]

Great tip about drying the meat thoroughly so that it will not separate from the breadcrumbs during frying. I also dry brine overnight, rinse, then sprinkle baking soda on each side, rest 30 mins, rinse and dry, but with such a thin cut the baking soda may not be needed. I also liked the emphasis on the pounding. Handy ketchup/Worcester/soy sauce tip too! Thanks, will try this soon.

[@Ryousake]

I love how you make these recipes so approachable! Also, I rarely find recipes that are for 1 serving, which I think is an issue for me. Now that I've seen you do it, I know I can do it! I've been wanting to make this for years, but next time I buy groceries, I'm going to buy the stuff to make this! :O This is great! Thank you!

[@Anonmxly]

I was thinking about this dish the other day. This has now convinced me to go grab some stuff and things and make myself a nice meal tonight. Virtual cheers Kenji!

[@goranpettersson8467]

Kenji, you are the reason youtube (and internet) is good.

[@OoCOLDasICEoO]

Kenji is the GOAT of chefs!

[@agg42]

Ooooohh yes! I've just started making the Kare-raisu. This is the next dish to make. Thank you Kenji, I really like the POV camera!

[@friendtime5301]

I love your channel sm!! I’ve learned a lot from your videos and it’s fun making a recipe with you (on my screen haha). Take care and have an amazing holiday!!

[@stantheman5163]

The Wok is an awesome book. So full of Japanese and Chinese techniques/recipes that even someone like me who has been cooking Asian meals for 50+ years could learn something new.

[@mehmup]

The sound of that crunch made my mouth water…

[@philliphatfield6695]

Liked the video, already have your book The Food Lab, ordered your Wok cook book tonight.

[@ohmalu]

Awesome recipe, chill video. Love to see it.

[@bdellovibrioo5242]

Wow, the sound from slicing the katsu is appetizing.

[@Lilygreen2]

Kenji your kitchen is so beautiful 😭😭😭

[@MrShroombot]

Hello, I didn't see you there either. I used to make this for employee dinner when I worked at a Japanese steakhouse. It was fun to learn.

[@user-tf1oo9rj6u]

I appreciate that you labelled your link as "paywall." I wish others would not bait and switch. Thumbs up earned for that.

[@magnussthered]

I made this in my cast iron and IT WAS AMAZING!! Taste very close to the restaurant that servers it. Very impressed with how easy especially my first time cooking it. Def going to put it in the rotation!!

[@galaxy_mosaic3587]

tonkatsu is actually never very far from my mind... appreciate this demo/recipe... my dad loves this dish too. I actually have a recipe request for a future video. I saw you had already published a recipe (text version) for okonomiyaki but I love watching people make it. I've been into that dish for maybe 1-2 years now and starting to brainstorm alternate ingredients like seafood. also turgid cabbage is going to be my next band name (j/k lol)

[@Apache_Cox]

I for one would buy Turgid Cabbage merch

[@JamesonNichols]

That sounds like a vegan hardcore band

[@galaxy_mosaic3587]

lol lol it does@@JamesonNichols

[@blondedd]

I say this as someone who has grown tired of youtube/instagram recipe accounts, most of them are pretty tiring with constant uploads and buzzwords like "best, incredible, 15 mins dinner !" and such, your channel is always a burst of fresh air the slower pace of the videos, the random tidbits of informations (like the fact that leaves are hydrophobic makes so much sense now i never knew/thought about it) are super welcome and make the whole experience super organic especially in an online environment that's catering mostly to smaller attention spans

[@DaddyEZ545]

Wow! Yummy 😋 ❤ Thank you for teaching us.

[@AntonLFG]

I was so ready for "Hello and welcome back to my Kitchen with Kenji."

[@Shwerpy]

Looks awesome

[@toastyboy]

Kenji talking along with the sound of meat pounding is kinda relaxing

[@maliciousregret]

Great video! I'd love to see a video of the Katsu-don version of this dish; served in a rice bowl with onions, dashi, and egg. That version has gotta be one of my all-time favorite Japanese dishes, but nailing the timing and textures can be tricky in a home kitchen.

[@combatwombatus]

Dear god that delicious crunch on the first bite 🤤

[@Sayhyuun]

i've been waiting for this one for years

[@x808drifter]

Just made this for the 1st time in like 15-20 years a few days ago. Pound it the exact same way. My grandma also had a meat tenderizer. Have the exact same bag of Panko too. Was thinking the same with the flour in high school but never tested it. Thanks for that confirmation. Also learned the hard way about the breading early. Made mine with rice and generic Kikkoman Tonkatsu sauce.

[@Kdenight]

As a native who makes fry bread mad respect for your frying skills the same tips you said applies to fry bread the slit move the bread is so important to making a good fry bread look and be crispy

[@chrisoleson9570]

I've been making what I called "tonkatsu" for years but after this video, I think I will have to find a different way to describe what I've been making. Can't wait to incorporate all of the secrets imparted in this video. ありがとう!

[@bradmerrion1798]

One of my favorite ways to serve this is with Japanese curry! I do like the idea of keeping it simple with cabbage.

[@kaemincha]

omg you have absolutely floored me with the skosh fact, i will now be telling everyone i know this tidbit

[@jmorihlatko]

Love the dog bowl for the egg!! Resourceful

[@patrickwaclaw]

I can't remember who I saw do this, but this little step has helped me get a thicker coating of panko on my cutlets. If you mist some water after the initial panko breading, you can add on another layer of panko. As far as I can tell, it's more similar to how Japanese shops do it with shredded milk bread. Adding some water kind of rehydrates the dried bread crumbs. The water content evaporates immediately when you drop the cutlet into the oil.

[@97thelp]

Ah yes i saw this trick in a video from Brian Lagerstrom :)

[@laurenmanninen1718]

I’ve been shredding cheap American white bread and it works about the same!

[@davidpaul6615]

Watching ur vids - Always learn valuable tips. Thx. Chef !! 👍🇨🇦

[@stormeegabriel4244]

I love your nod to Babish/Alvin. Andrew has referenced you so much in his videos over the years, it's come full circle! 😊

[@Gnomestress]

This was a perfect fridge meal for us this week! Thank you! Any other use what you have recipes?

[@nanchoparty]

Made this tonight. Holy cow was it tasty. Definitely going to do it again!

[@msdliw9616]

there's a new sort of calmness in this video

[@asidelnik]

Haven't watched a while. Happy to be here❤

[@123penguapus]

oh gosh kenji thank you for this :D

[@Stan_sprinkle]

I've been cooking this dish almost identically once a month for years (I sometimes season with garlic powder). But, I do use cast iron and flip it instead of deep frying. It definitely doesn't brown as evenly, but I find if I move it around regularly and lift it a bit, it's fairly even. I need to try making the sauce, though. We just always have a Korean brand katsu sauce in the pantry so I've never bothered before.

[@GrikWorldNomad]

I'm not into that much oil either. I only use extra virgin oo which is too expensive. Will try juuust enough to avoid patches

[@Mrsg730]

I love tonkatsu I can’t wait to try it

[@DonnaMSchmid]

Talk about perfect timing... I have 4 pork chops thawing out for dinner tonight! Guess how I'm going to prepare them!!!

[@johntbd]

I had this for the first time this weekend. Holy yum. Went to Vancouver BC.

[@spinni81]

I made this last night and it was fantastic. The combination of crunchy cabbage and succulent pork that is slightly sweet from the eggs and panko was set off perfectly by the sauce. I will makes this again. I had a store bought sauce (Ayoku brand) . It also works great on sandwhiches. I will try it on other foods as well. I did not use a wok for frying because I don't have a gas stove. My cast iron wok has only a small botton and therefore it takes a long time get it too heat up. And keeping that much oil on frying temp is not as esay as using my high walled stainless steel pan with just an inch of oil in it. Doing a kind of shallow fry is not a problem on a electric stove because hot spots don't happen (I can see that happen with a gas burner), especially with a high quality pan. I do the same with fried chicken or schnitzel (veal or pork). My tonkatsu came out perfectly and evenly browned. Thanks for the comprehensive explanation of this dish. It is an awesome addition to my rotation.

[@corythompson7912]

Kenji, I so appreciate your videos and how you inform and instruct in the how and why of cooking. I’m curious if you had ever considered putting research into egg-free cooking. I’ve been cooking for a family member who has a severe egg allergy for the last four years. I have not found any great creators who get into the how why of how egg is a unique ingredient, and I’ve gathered from your videos that you also have experience cooking for people with allergies. Always appreciate your content. ❤

[@katydidiy]

I agree with your assessment of Kikomann panko. I can't get any other in my local grocery stores so I'll give it a few wiz's in the food processor. I do the whole box and then store it.

[@daveb1870]

I loved this dish when I was stationed at Yokota. Id travel back just for that dish along with the most excellent gyoza.

[@davedziejowski9845]

Thanks for the excellent instructions. As a dog lover and serial "re-purposer", I also appreciate that you use a stainless steel dog bowl for the egg. Cheers!

[@abstructed5692]

Even though i've seen about 20 other videos on Tonkatsu, as soon as I seen Kenji made a video on it I had to make that 21 videos. Always enjoy Kenji's take on my favorite dishes

[@lmartinez0929]

I am loving the Babish homage with his style of thumbnails and intro where he walks into frame!

[@donwallace6360]

Thank you Keji. xoxo

[@laurenmanninen1718]

Lately I’ve been blending fresh bread crumbs from cheap white bread for panko coatings. The moisture in the crumbs seems to make them even lighter and crispier!

[@skgough4386]

I can't stop thinking about kenjis turgid cabbage

[@sueannesullivan3827]

Hearing that crunch at the end! Yum!😊

[@ilazernerd]

I tried misting my panko with some water based on a video I saw and it came out really well.

[@NarutoFreak47]

Despite loving frying, I do struggle regularly with dark/light patches. I'll bear some of this in mind with my next attempt. Thanks for the episode as always, Kenji!

[@user-tf1oo9rj6u]

It could also be too much heat. If the pan is too hot, the close spots will heat much faster than the oil can spread the heat. (Oil depth helps a lot with this)

[@NarutoFreak47]

@@user-tf1oo9rj6u thats possible. I do use a thermometer to wait to put in until 350 or so, but if the heat output on the stove is too much, it still ends up being excessive. I'll pay more attention to that in the future. Thanks!

[@johnmeskis]

This is a family favorite.

[@HomeCoffeeBrew]

amazing

[@bradleyhuebner4266]

I make this about once a month for my family, with Vegetable curry and rice. Very similar preparation. I'll try the soy sauce addition to the egg. Oishii, my friend.

[@riuphane]

Love the repurposed dog bowl!

[@amyrithe]

Tonkatsu is probably one of my favorite things to make because it goes well by itself, and uses up a lot of cabbage if you need it - but also goes well with curry. I am not sure if it's common to add some kind of dressing to the cabbage or if just putting it in the ice water is enough to get the sweetness of the cabbage, but one katsu place I went to did this light lemon-flavored dressing. I was wondering if you knew what it was because I have been unable to google-fu what the dressing could be and it made the cabbage exceptional.

[@piathulus]

@amyrithe my guess it may have been a ponzu mayo dressing (possibly subbed with lemon); or another mayo based dressing is common with cabbage. Tbh, I need dressing with my cabbage salads and that's my favorite! Sounds like it may be yours too.

[@amyrithe]

​ @piathulus ​It definitely is. I have a sesame mayo dressing (Common at Yoshinoya or Sukiya in Japan, at least it was my favorite) but the lemon introduced acid which I found was the perfect counter to the fried katsu.

[@ALaMode_Designer]

Katsu is delicious! I made some tonkatsudon over the weekend.

[@pyonyang]

skosh is the bane of my nyt xword existence

[@ethab57]

My mom would make this with crushed corn flakes. It comes out very crunchy!

[@Repulseer]

Okay, to be fair, I saw tonkatsu and click the video without knowing its a J.Kenji Lopez-Alt video. My face lit up the moment he bend down and said "Oh hello". Yes I'm a fan, yes I love your vids.

[@StrangeQuark79]

Great video as always! Looking for that link to the NYT article on schnitzel that you mentioned

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Added to the description!

[@Grrptt]

Sesame dressing on cabbage with toasted sesames on top is delicious on the shredded cabbage

[@Mattziboyy]

I love how Kenji never lets anything go to waste… even an old dog bowl as a cooking tool!

[@wantlistrecords]

This brought me joy too 👍🏻

[@horsewhips]

Is this referring to the bowl he beats the egg in? They do make stainless steel bowls for kitchen use. And stainless steel bowls and plates are commonly used as dining tableware in SE Asia at least. I apologize if I'm missing the point or if this comment is referring to something in the kenji-verse that I may be clueless about!

[@aster2308]

10:50 I love how you can feel the emotion when kenji forgot to heat the oil lmao. 😂

[@Triv1umxxx]

I legit felt a tingle in my special place from that intro

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

I love shredded cabbage on a mandolin!

[@mimic5653]

Make my kids katsu all the time. So simple, so good. Chicken katsu, tonkatsu, Ebi katsu… katsu all the things.

[@willistuttle966]

Doria is also an amazing yoshoku dish! There is a good place in Seattle that does it.

[@biobossx99]

Awesome

[@SvenBro98]

Using the back of the cleaver is sooo genius. That is a really good alternative to a meat hammer, i will definitly use!

[@ejfudd5176]

A while back I did my own bulldog sauce, but I only used ketchup and hoisin. It seemed to do the trick pretty well.