There are comfort foods, and then there’s katsudon\u2014a dish so beloved in Japan that it’s said to bring good luck before exams (katsu means “to win”). This iconic donburi (rice bowl) combines a crispy, golden panko-crusted pork cutlet with a sweet-savory simmering broth, caramelized onions, and a softly set egg, all served over a steaming bed of rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The magic lies in the contrast: the cutlet’s shatteringly crisp exterior, the tender pork within, the silky egg, and the fragrant broth that seeps into the rice beneath. While it may look like a restaurant-only dish, katsudon is surprisingly approachable at home. With a few key techniques\u2014perfect panko breading, gentle simmering, and the art of the soft-set egg\u2014you can bring this Japanese comfort food classic to your own table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
For the Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
2 boneless pork chops (about \u00bd to \u00be inch thick), preferably center-cut loin<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Salt and black pepper, to taste<\/li>\n\n\n\n
\u00bc cup (30g) all-purpose flour<\/li>\n\n\n\n
1 large egg, beaten<\/li>\n\n\n\n
1 cup (100g) panko breadcrumbs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Neutral oil for frying (vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For the Katsudon Sauce (per serving):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u00bd cup (120ml) dashi (or water with \u00bc tsp dashi powder)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
2 tablespoons soy sauce<\/li>\n\n\n\n
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
1 tablespoon sake (or dry white wine)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
1 teaspoon granulated sugar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
\u00bd medium onion, thinly sliced<\/li>\n\n\n\n
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (do not overmix)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For Serving:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
3 to 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (or sushi rice)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Nori (dried seaweed), thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Mitsuba or parsley (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
1. Prepare the Pork Cutlets:<\/strong> Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, make small cuts along the edges of each chop to prevent curling during frying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Dredge each chop in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, coat thoroughly in panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on a plate and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes\u2014this helps the coating set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
2. Fry the Tonkatsu:<\/strong> In a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 340\u00b0F to 350\u00b0F (170\u00b0C to 175\u00b0C). Carefully add the breaded pork chops (work in batches if necessary). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 145\u00b0F \/ 63\u00b0C). Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice each cutlet into \u00bd-inch strips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
3. Prepare the Simmering Broth:<\/strong> While the pork rests, prepare the sauce. In a small skillet or donburi pan (or a small saucepan), combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Add the thinly sliced onions. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions have softened and the sauce has slightly reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
4. Add the Pork and Egg:<\/strong> Place the sliced tonkatsu over the simmering onions, arranging the pieces in a single layer. Slowly pour the lightly beaten eggs over and around the pork. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the eggs are just set but still soft and silky. The eggs should be opaque but not dry\u2014they should have a custard-like consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
5. Assemble the Bowl:<\/strong> Divide the cooked rice between two deep bowls. Carefully slide the contents of the skillet\u2014pork, onions, and egg\u2014over the rice, allowing the broth to seep into the grains. The sauce should pool slightly around the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
6. Garnish and Serve:<\/strong> Garnish with sliced green onions and nori (if using). Serve immediately while hot. The combination of crispy pork, silky egg, savory broth, and fluffy rice is best enjoyed fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
This Katsudon is the ultimate Japanese comfort food\u2014crispy, savory, silky, and deeply satisfying.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
This iconic Japanese comfort food\u2014known as katsudon\u2014is the ultimate combination of textures: crunchy, tender, silky, and satisfying. A hearty one-bowl meal that’s beloved for good reason.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1633,927,1631,1629,1632,1630],"class_list":["post-2414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quick_meals","tag-donburi-recipe","tag-japanese-comfort-food","tag-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl","tag-katsudon","tag-pork-cutlet-recipe","tag-tonkatsu-donburi"],"yoast_head":"\n
Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This iconic Japanese comfort food\u2014known as katsudon\u2014is the ultimate combination of textures: crunchy, tender, silky, and satisfying. A hearty one-bowl meal that's beloved for good reason.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Season Spoon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-29T18:42:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-29T18:42:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92-1024x1024.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"user\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"user\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/\",\"name\":\"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-29T18:42:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-29T18:42:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":2048},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/\",\"name\":\"Season Spoon\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014\",\"name\":\"user\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"user\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/author\/user\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon","og_description":"This iconic Japanese comfort food\u2014known as katsudon\u2014is the ultimate combination of textures: crunchy, tender, silky, and satisfying. A hearty one-bowl meal that's beloved for good reason.","og_url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/","og_site_name":"Season Spoon","article_published_time":"2026-03-29T18:42:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-29T18:42:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1024,"url":"http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92-1024x1024.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"user","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"user","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/","url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/","name":"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl) - Season Spoon","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png","datePublished":"2026-03-29T18:42:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-29T18:42:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065116_16577c21-f3f3-4edc-95a0-f87653734d92.png","width":2048,"height":2048},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/2026\/03\/29\/katsudon-japanese-pork-cutlet-bowl\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Katsudon (Japanese Pork Cutlet Bowl)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/","name":"Season Spoon","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014","name":"user","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"user"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com"],"url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/author\/user\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2414"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2451,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414\/revisions\/2451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065242_80922d19-5723-4af5-9528-abdabe777092-1024x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/seasonspoon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/hf_20260329_065224_0d2914e4-9d31-44a9-90bf-a611e2426e51-1024x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n