Japanese Katsu Don Recipe: Amazing Layers and Flavors!
The name Katsu Don came from ‘tonkatsu’ and ‘donburi’. In Japanese, these two words indicate breaded cutlets and large bowl respectively. This name perfectly describes the dish, as it is a breaded fish cutlet on top of a rice bowl complemented with eggs and a rich sauce.
I make this Japanese Katsu Don recipe often, especially when I need a one-bowl meal that can be done quickly. The dashi broth can be bought from supermarkets if you want to save time, but I will show you how to make that as well. Let’s get into more details.
Table of Contents
Japanese Katsu Don Recipe Overview
As Katsu Don needs to be made in multiple steps, the preparation time is important here. You will get a quick overview of the recipe below.
| Course: Main | Cuisine: Japanese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 55 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 1 person | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 946 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
The ingredients required for this recipe are pretty simple. Here is a list of the ingredients.
- Pork: 1 pork loin fillet of about 200g
- Dashi Kombu: 20g
- Bonito Flakes: A handful of bonito flakes
- Mirin: 1 tbsp
- Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Onion: ¼ of a large onion, sliced
- Egg: 2 pcs
- Rice Flour: 100g
- Scallion: 1 tbsp, for garnish
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Pepper: ½ tsp
Japanese Katsu Don Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Japanese Katsu Don is made in three main steps. I showed the steps in detail below.
Step 1: Make the Dashi Broth
Take 600ml of warm water in a bowl and soak 20g of dashi kombu in it for 20 minutes. After that, boil dashi kombu and add a handful of bonito flakes. Then, simmer it for 10 minutes and strain the broth.
Step 2: Fry the Pork Loin
Prick the pork loin with a fork to tenderize it. Season it with salt and pepper. Then, coat the pork loin with rice flour. Heat oil to 320 degrees and fry the coated pork fillet for about 3 minutes on each side.
You Can Also Try: Japanese Green Curry Recipe
Step 3: Re-fry the Pork Fillet
After resting the fried pork fillet for 3 minutes, crank the heat to 355 degrees and fry the pork fillet again until it has a golden brown crust. Finally, slice the pork cutlet.
Step 4: Make the Sauce
Heat a pan and add the dashi broth to it. Also, add mirin, soy sauce, and sugar to the pan. Put sliced onions in the sauce and simmer it for a few minutes.
Step 5: Add the Sliced Cutlet and Eggs
Place the sliced cutlets in the sauce. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add two-thirds of the egg to the pan. Cook it with the lid on for about 30 seconds. Then, pour the rest of the egg on top and cook for 30 more seconds.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve
Take white rice in a bowl and put the sliced cutlets with eggs on top. Spread the sauce and sprinkle some chopped scallions.
Nutrition Facts of the Japanese Katsu Don Recipe
Katsu Don is a complete meal that provides a hefty 946 calories per serving. It is also enriched with essential nutrients listed below.
- Total Carbohydrates: 111g
- Protein: 53g
- Total Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 2.8g
- Total Sugar: 13g
- Cholesterol: 369mg
- Sodium: 1616mg
- Potassium: 880.4mg
- Calcium: 92mg
- Iron: 2.3mg
- Vitamin A: 325IU
- Vitamin C: 142mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
You should follow these tips to make Katsu Don without any hassle.
Do’s
- You can mix some cornstarch with the rice flour. It will make the crust of the cutlet super crispy.
- Instead of white sugar, you can use brown sugar in this recipe. It will give the sauce a richer color.
Don’ts
- Don’t marinate the pork fillet with salt and pepper for a long time. Salt will draw the moisture out of the fillet and make it dry.
- Don’t put any salt in the sauce. The pork fillet already has salt and the soy sauce balances the saltiness. This dish will naturally have a sweeter flavor.
Japanese Katsu Don Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take 600ml of warm water in a bowl and soak 20g of dashi kombu in it for 20 minutes. After that, boil dashi kombu and add a handful of bonito flakes. Then, simmer it for 10 minutes and strain the broth.
- Prick the pork loin with a fork to tenderize it. Season it with salt and pepper. Then, coat the pork loin with rice flour. Heat oil to 320 degrees and fry the coated pork fillet for about 3 minutes on each side.
- After resting the fried pork fillet for 3 minutes, crank the heat to 355 degrees and fry the pork fillet again until it has a golden brown crust. Finally, slice the pork cutlet.
- Heat a pan and add the dashi broth to it. Also, add mirin, soy sauce, and sugar to the pan. Put sliced onions in the sauce and simmer it for a few minutes.
- Place the sliced cutlets in the sauce. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add two-thirds of the egg to the pan. Cook it with the lid on for about 30 seconds. Then, pour the rest of the egg on top and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Take white rice in a bowl and put the sliced cutlets with eggs on top. Spread the sauce and sprinkle some chopped scallions.
FAQs
I must answer some common questions regarding this Katsu Don recipe to clarify your confusion.
How to prepare the pork cutlets for Katsu Don?
You should tenderize the pork cutlets a bit and then season them properly. Breaded pork cutlets should then be fried twice to give them a nice crust.
How can I achieve a crispy coating on the pork cutlets for Katsu Don?
The crispy coating comes from frying the cutlets over high heat. If you use a mix of rice flour and cornstarch, the crust of the pork cutlets will be super crispy.
Can I use chicken instead of pork for a Katsu Don variation?
Of course. You can use chicken fillets to make Katsu Don. You should tenderize, season, and fry the chicken cutlet the same way I showed for the pork fillet. The rest of the process will be the same.
Can I make a vegetarian version of Katsu Don?
Yes. You can use tofu instead of pork or chicken to make vegetarian Katsu Don. For this, you need to coat the tofu and then fry it in the oil. Using thin blocks of tofu will give you a similar shape to the pork or chicken fillets.
Conclusion
Katsu Don is highly popular in Japanese cuisine because of its simplicity in layers yet complexity in flavors. A rice bowl topped with a breaded cutlet, eggs, and a rich sauce is something to die for. You won’t even understand how delicious this Katsu Don is until you make it on your own.
Try this Japanese Katsu Don recipe and enjoy this balanced meal with a lot of carbs, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It may take some time to make Katsu Don, but you will never repent after trying it.
