Air Fryer Tonkatsu

Up close, above view of pork tonkatsu on a plate that has been sliced and has a drizzle of katsu sauce across the top and served with some shredded cabbage.

Air Fryer Tonkatsu is a tender pork loin chop covered with a crispy panko breading. They bake to a golden brown quickly in the air fryer making it the perfect weeknight meal. Serve it with the homemade Tonkatsu sauce for a kid-approved dinner!

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Total Time21

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Tristin - Home Cooked Harvest

Ingredients

Pork Chops

4 3.2-ounce pork chops 1/2-inch thick, boneless
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Tonkatsu Sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Instructions

Add just breadcrumbs (not the oil) to a frying pan over medium heat. Stirring almost constantly so they don't burn, toast the breadcrumbs. Once most of the crumbs are lightly browned, remove from heat and pour them into a shallow bowl. Add the oil over the breadcrumbs and mix.
Add the flour to one shallow bowl and a beaten egg to another shallow bowl.
Sprinkle both sides of the pork cutlets with salt and pepper.
Dredge all sides of a pork chop in flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip into egg, drip off that excess and lay in the breadcrumbs. I like to firmly press all sides of the pork chop to get it coated then flip over and do the same thing to the other side.
Repeat with all of the pork steaks.
Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes.
Make tonkatsu sauce while air fryer is heating. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar.
Place all four pork chops into the air fryer and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until internal temperature is 145°F when checked with a digital thermometer.
Cut each pork cutlet into 3/4-inch slices and serve with sauce and shredded cabbage.

Notes

Use Panko breadcrumbs to make the best tonkatsu. They are a Japanese breadcrumb made from crustless white bread that has been processed into flakes and then dried. Panko adheres better to proteins and will give a crispier texture.

Flip the pork over halfway through cooking for even crispness on both sides.

The cooking time will vary based on the type of air fryer you have. The best way to know if your pork is done, is to use an instant read thermometer. You want the pork to be cooked to 145°F. If it is over that, you will end up with dried out pork.
Tonkatsu will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Nutrition