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Home » Recipes

How To Make Delicious Japanese Pork Katsudon and Rice Bowl!

Aug 28, 2019Last Modified: January 22, 2023

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Slices of breaded pork on top of rice and garnished with green onions there are some cooked onions on the left side of the pork and purple chopsticks resting on the bowl.

When I told my sister that I made Japanese Pork Katsudon and Rice Bowl she mentioned that was her favorite. That made me super happy to know that now I could cook her favorite dish!

Katsudon is one of the most famous Japanese rice bowls! You will love and enjoy the rich umami flavors of this delicious Japanese Pork Katsudon and Rice Bowl recipe!

Where Does The Name "Katsudon" Come From And What Is It?

Katsudon is a very popular Japanese dish. It gets its name from "donburi" which means rice bowl dish, and "tonkatsu" which means pork cutlet.

So tonkatsu is pork cutlets, breaded and fried. Later it will be added to a sweet and savory sauce which is comprised of mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and dashi or chicken stock. Onions are cooked in this broth, and then the tonkatsu is placed on top of the onions. To finish, beaten egg is added around the tonkatsu and onions and cooked until set.

The delicious tonkatsu and egg and onion mixture is then placed on top of a steaming bed of rice in a bowl, and voila! You have your incredible katsudon!

Breaded pork chop pieces on top of rice in a bowl and green onions garnishing the top of the pork chop pieces.

So let me tell you what ingredients you will need to make this delicious katsudon for yourself!

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make katsudon:

  • ½ lb thin cut pork loin chops approximately 4 each
  • 4 large eggs 1 for breading the pork, 3 reserved
  • 3 tablespoon flour for dusting the pork cutlets
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs I used Kikkoman
  • ¼ - ½ cup olive oil plus extra if needed
  • 1 sliced onion (sliced thinly)
  • 3 ts mirin I used Aji-Mirin from Kikkoman
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce I used Kikkoman
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • 1 ts sugar
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • Cooked hot steamed rice
Seasoned pork chops on a white plate, 3 white bowls each filled with flour, panko, and 4 eggs.
Eggs, pork cutlets, panko, and flour
Bottle of olive oil, bottle of soy sauce, glass dish with sugar, box of chicken broth, an onion, bottle of aji-mirin, and 2 green onions.
Sauce ingredients

You may be familiar with and have most of these ingredients in your pantry and should be able to buy most ingredients at your grocery store. One ingredient that you may not have is mirin. Mirin is similar to sake. It's an essential ingredient in Japanese cooking with a lower alcohol content than sake but with a higher sugar content. You can buy mirin at your Asian market or here on Amazon.

Instructions To Make Japanese Pork Katsudon and Rice Bowl

Making katsudon takes a little time but it's totally worth it!

Start by adding salt and pepper to both sides of your pork cutlets, and then dust lightly with flour.

Pair of tongs holding a pork chop that is being dipped into flour that is in a white bowl.

Next, lightly beat one egg. Place the beaten egg in one container, and place the cup of panko in a separate container. Dip each cutlet into the egg, allowing the excess to run off.

A pork chop coated in flour being dipped into whisked egg that was placed in a white bowl with tongs holding the pork chop.

Then dip both sides into the panko, covering both sides with the bread crumbs. Prepare your onion by thinly slicing it and set aside.

A pork chop covered in egg and panko in a white bowl filled with panko.

Heat up your oil in a skillet or frying pan (cast iron preferred) over medium high heat. You can start with ¼ cup of oil, and add additional if necessary. Once the oil is hot, place your cutlets into the skillet, and fry both sides for approximately 4-5 minutes each or until both sides are golden brown. Keep an eye on them and turn as necessary to prevent from burning. Once cooked drain on paper towels.

Four brown breaded pork chops frying in oil in a cast iron pan.

Turn down to medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat source, and then scrape and remove the bits from your skillet (there is likely to be panko etc in the pan).

Oil and browned bits of food both on a spatula and in a cast iron pan.

Make your broth: mix the chicken broth, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add to the skillet (after bits removed) and then add your onions, and allow to simmer for around 2-4 minutes until slightly softened.

Slices of onion simmering in a soy based broth.

In the meantime, take your drained pork cutlets, and slice them into pieces as in the image. Lightly beat the 3 remaining eggs.

Breaded pork chops cut into pieces and a whole breaded pork chop on the left hand side with more pork chops in the background.

Add the sliced pork cutlets to the top of the onions that are simmering in the broth. Then add the lightly beaten eggs to the skillet, pouring around the cutlets. Keep the heat around medium or medium low, and continue to cook until the egg is set. Cover the skillet to help it along.

Breaded pieces of pork chops sitting atop onions and surrounded by an egg and broth mixture in a cast iron pan.

Your Katsudon is finished once the egg is set! Now serve it over hot steaming rice in a bowl and garnish with green onions!

Breaded pork chop pieces on top of rice in a bowl and green onions garnishing the top of the pork chop pieces with a set of chopsticks resting on the left side of the bowl.

Katsudon in Japanese Culture

So I discovered that this donburi was actually created by a Japanese high school student in the 1920's. It is considered a kind of comfort food in Japan, and it has become tradition for students to eat it the night before major exams, as the word "katsu" also means "to win." 😊

Apparently there is also a connection between katsudon and Japanese police films. It seems that people believe that suspects will confess once they've eaten katsudon, so there are scenes in films discussing serving katsudon so that suspects will speak the truth. Check out this article called "Katsudon Confessions." 😊

Katuson is Delicious Comfort Food!

Katsudon is delicious, whether eating before an exam, during interrogation, or when you desire some serious comfort food! You might find it a little fiddly to make when it comes to breading the pork cutlet, but overall it's super easy to create in your kitchen!

The broth is a mixture of salty and sweet flavors, and the fried pork cutlet just simply satisfies. And egg? Who doesn't love egg as part of a meal!?

Slices of breaded pork on top of rice and garnished with green onions there are some cooked onions on the left side of the pork and purple chopsticks resting on the bowl.

To conclude, I hope you will try this recipe for Japanese Pork Katsudon and Rice Bowl! Your whole family will love it!!

You may also be interested in how to prepare a Japanese pickle, which are a mainstay of Japanese meals! Please see this recipe for an easy Japanese Pickled Cucumber, which is super light and refreshing.

Japanese Pickled Cucumber and chopsticks holding one up

Shokuji o o tanoshimi kudasai!!

食事をお楽しみ下さい!("Enjoy your food" in Japanese) 😊

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Easy and Delicious Gyudon Japanese Beef Bowl

beef and onions simmering in a sauce

Okinawan Carrots

Okinawan Carrots

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 😊

Cheers!

Grace

Slices of breaded pork on top of rice and garnished with green onions there are some cooked onions on the left side of the pork and purple chopsticks resting on the bowl.

Japanese Katsudon and Rice Bowl

Grace
This delicious Japanese dish is serious comfort food! Breaded pork cutlets are fried and then served with egg over rice in a bowl with a sweet and savory broth! Your whole family will love it!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 people
Calories 927 kcal

Equipment

  • skillet or cast iron pan with a cover

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb thin cut pork loin chops approximately 4 each
  • 4 ea large eggs 1 for breading the pork, 3 reserved
  • 3 tablespoon flour for dusting the cutlets
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 cup panko I used Kikkoman
  • ¼ - ½ cup olive oil plus extra if needed
  • 1 onion sliced thinly
  • 3 ts mirin I used Aji-Mirin from Kikkoman
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce I used Kikkoman
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 ts sugar
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 6 cups steamed rice cooked

Instructions
 

  • Add salt and pepper to both sides of your pork cutlets, and then dust lightly with flour.
    Pair of tongs holding a pork chop that is being dipped into flour that is in a white bowl.
  • Lightly beat one egg. Place in one container, and place the cup of panko in a separate container. Dip each cutlet into the egg, allowing the excess to run off. Then dip both sides into the panko, covering both sides with the bread crumbs. Thinly slice your onion and set aside.
    A pork chop covered in egg and panko in a white bowl filled with panko.
  • Heat up your oil in a skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium high heat. You can start with ¼ cup of oil, and add additional if necessary. Once the oil is hot, place your cutlets into the skillet, and fry both sides for approximately 4-5 minutes each or until both sides are golden brown. Keep an eye on them and turn as necessary to prevent from burning. Once cooked drain on paper towels.
    Four brown breaded pork chops frying in oil in a cast iron pan.
  • Turn the heat down to medium. Remove the pan from the heat source, and then scrape and remove the bits from your skillet (there is likely to be panko etc in the pan).
    Oil and browned bits of food both on a spatula and in a cast iron pan.
  • Make your broth: mix the chicken broth, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce together. Add to the skillet (after bits removed) and then add your onions, and allow to simmer for around 2-4 minutes until slightly softened.
    Slices of onion simmering in a soy based broth.
  • In the meantime, take your drained pork cutlets, and slice them into pieces as in the image. Lightly beat the remaining 3 eggs.
    Breaded pork chops cut into pieces and a whole breaded pork chop on the left hand side with more pork chops in the background.
  • Add the sliced pork cutlets to the top of the onions that are simmering in the broth. Then add the lightly beaten eggs to the skillet, pouring around the cutlets. Keep the heat around medium or medium low, and continue to cook until the egg is set. Cover the skillet to help it along.
    Breaded pieces of pork chops sitting atop onions and surrounded by an egg and broth mixture in a cast iron pan.
  • That's it! Serve over hot steaming rice in a bowl and garnish with green onions!
    Breaded pork chop pieces on top of rice in a bowl and green onions garnishing the top of the pork chop pieces.

Notes

Enjoy this delicious Japanese Pork Katsudon Rice Bowl anytime you desire some comfort food or a taste of Japan!  Your whole family will love this yummy dish!  Garnish with green onions, and perhaps serve with some sake.  🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 927kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 29gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 202mgSodium: 727mgPotassium: 505mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 3mg
Keyword katsudon, pork, ricebowl
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Nakase

    September 18, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    “My sister is Japanese...” raises lots of questions

    Reply
    • Grace

      September 18, 2019 at 7:41 pm

      Hi David, we have a multi-national family. I am Korean-American, and my sister (or you could say step-sister but I call her sister) is Japanese. Hope that explains things! I hope you like this recipe for Japanese Pork Katsudon. Thanks for commenting!

      Reply

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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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