Japanese recipe

Katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl)

Name: Katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese cuisine
Ingredients: 360 g boneless pork loin cutlets, 2 pieces; 2 g fine salt; 0.5 g white pepper; 30 g all-purpose flour; 50 g large egg for breading; 80 g panko breadcrumbs; 500 ml neutral frying oil; 150 g onion, thinly sliced; 180 ml dashi stock; 30 ml light soy sauce; 30 ml mirin; 15 ml sake; 12 g granulated sugar; 150 g pasteurized large eggs for the topping, lightly beaten; 360 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice; 10 g mitsuba trefoil, for serving

Crisp pork cutlets are sliced into a dashi-braised onion and softly set egg topping over hot rice.

Japan

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 2

Katsudon with sliced golden pork cutlet, softly set egg, onion, rice, and mitsuba — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by OcdpSource page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

360 g
boneless pork loin cutlets, 2 pieces
2 g
fine salt
0.5 g
white pepper
30 g
all-purpose flour
50 g
large egg for breading
80 g
panko breadcrumbs
500 ml
neutral frying oil
150 g
onion, thinly sliced
180 ml
dashi stock
30 ml
light soy sauce
30 ml
mirin
15 ml
sake
12 g
granulated sugar
150 g
pasteurized large eggs for the topping, lightly beaten
360 g
cooked Japanese short-grain rice
10 g
mitsuba trefoil, for serving

Method

01
Cook and hold the rice
Cook the short-grain rice first and keep 360 g covered and hot while the cutlets and topping are prepared.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Prepare the pork
Pat the pork dry, trim any loose edge fat, and pound each cutlet to an even 1.5 cm thickness. Season both sides with salt and white pepper.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Bread the cutlets
Coat each cutlet in flour, dip it in the beaten breading egg, and press on panko so the surface is completely covered.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Fry and verify the pork
Heat the frying oil to 175°C. Fry the cutlets 3–4 minutes per side until golden and the pork centre reaches 71°C. Drain and rest for 3 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Slice the tonkatsu
Cut each rested cutlet into 2 cm strips with a clean knife, keeping the crisp crust attached to the tender pork.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Simmer the onion broth
Bring the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to a gentle simmer in a small skillet. Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes until tender.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Set the egg topping
Place the sliced cutlet in the onion broth. Pour in two-thirds of the topping egg, cook on low for 45 seconds, add the rest and mitsuba, cover, and cook 60–90 seconds until the egg reaches 74°C while staying tender.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Assemble and serve
Divide the hot rice between two bowls. Slide one cutlet-and-egg portion over each bowl, place the remaining mitsuba on top, and serve immediately; the pork must remain at least 71°C and the egg at least 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Resting the fried cutlet for 3 minutes lets its heat settle before it meets the broth, so the crust does not collapse immediately.
Use a small skillet so the onion broth reaches the cutlet evenly without submerging the whole crust.

Common mistakes

Oil below 175°C makes the panko absorb fat; oil above it can brown the crust before pork reaches 71°C.
Adding all the eggs at once gives a firm sheet; the two additions keep the topping softly set.

Substitutions

Use chicken cutlets instead of pork and cook the thickest piece to 74°C before slicing.
For a fish-free broth, use 180 ml unsalted kombu-shiitake stock and keep the seasoning amounts unchanged.

Storage

Cool the cutlet topping within 2 hours, refrigerate it separately from rice for up to 2 days, and reheat until pork reaches 71°C and egg 74°C.

Cultural context

Katsudon is a Japanese donburi built from tonkatsu, egg, onion, and a sweet-savory dashi broth; regional and restaurant versions vary.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Katsudon 001 — Photograph by Ocdp; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Japanese recipes

Katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl)

Ingredients

Method

Cook and hold the rice

Prepare the pork

Bread the cutlets

Fry and verify the pork

Slice the tonkatsu

Simmer the onion broth

Set the egg topping

Assemble and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Chinese recipes

Chicken teriyaki

Gyudon (beef rice bowl)

Oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl)