Air-Fryer Tonkatsu with Homemade Katsu Sauce

Name: Air-Fryer Tonkatsu with Homemade Katsu Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups panko; 2 teaspoons canola oil (or other neutral-flavored cooking oil); 1 ½ pounds thin-cut boneless pork loin chops ((4-6 pork chops)); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 large eggs; ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make your tonkatsu gluten-free); ¼ cup ketchup; 2 Tablespoons soy sauce; 1 Tablespoon mirin; 1 Tablespoon brown sugar; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (check the label for gluten to make your tonkatsu gluten-free); ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder

This Air-Fryer Tonkatsu is evenly browned, and the pork is tender and perfectly cooked. You’ll want to eat the homemade katsu sauce on everything!

Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Add as a Trusted Google Source

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, there will be no extra cost to you, but I will get a small commission, which helps keep this blog running. All opinions remain my own.

I use my countertop air-fryer/toaster oven daily, usually multiple times a day. It does everything – toasts, air-frys, broils, bakes, etc. I only turn on my main oven when something is too big to fit into the countertop one.

And while air-frying is great for a lot of things, I find that it can struggle with homemade breaded foods. Air-fryers just don’t brown breading quite as evenly as deep-frying does, and your food can end up with too dark and/or too pale spots. Not to mention that the meat (or whatever is breaded) can end up being overcooked before the breading is browned.

But there is a way for breaded foods to come out perfectly at home without having to resort to the deep-fryer: browning the breading (in this case, panko) before breading your food. I used this method to make Air-Fryer Tonkatsu, and it was a major hit with my family.

A whole piece of Air-Fryer Tonkatsu on a bed of white rice.

What is Tonkatsu?

Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish consisting of a pork cutlet that’s been breaded with panko and deep-fried, similar to pork schnitzel. It’s often served with rice, crisp shredded cabbage, and katsu sauce, which is kind of like a Japanese BBQ sauce.

How to Make Air-Fryer Tonkatsu

Making your own restaurant-quality tonkatsu starts with browning the panko. Skipping this step will result in tonkatsu that is not evenly browned and crunchy, and may look too pale or have pale spots. Stir the panko and oil together in a medium skillet. Turn the heat on to medium, and cook the panko, stirring often, until it smells toasted and is evenly golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and set the panko aside to cool.

Place your pork chops between two layers of plastic wrap (or in a zipper bag) and flatten the chops to approximately ½-inch (1.25cm) thick using the flat side of a meat tenderizing mallet. Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour. It will be thick and batter-like. Dip each side of a piece of pork in the mixture, carefully scraping off any excess so that both sides are thinly coated, but don’t have any thick blobs of batter. Dip both sides of the pork into the browned panko so that the whole piece is evenly coated with panko. Place the breaded pork chop in your air-fryer basket and repeat with the remaining chops. Note that depending on the size of your air-fryer, you may need to cook the tonkatsu in 2 batches. Air-fry the tonkatsu for 15 minutes.

Sliced Air-Fryer Tonkatsu on a bed of white rice.

Meanwhile, make the katsu sauce. Stir together the ketchup, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave the sauce on high in 30-second intervals until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes total. Alternatively, bring the sauce to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

Remove the pork from the air-fryer and cut it into slices. Serve the tonkatsu with rice and shredded cabbage (or another green salad of your choosing). Be sure to include a portion of the katsu sauce with each serving.

Store any leftover tonkatsu in an airtight container in the fridge, and for maximum crispiness, reheat in the air-fryer (about 5-8 minutes at 350°F should do the job). Store the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can I make Air-Fryer Tonkatsu without an air-fryer?

While an air-fryer is an efficient way to cook many foods and get results that are similar to deep-frying, you can also use a regular oven instead.

To do this, I recommend using convection mode and set the temperature to the same as you would an air-fryer (350°F in this case). Don’t forget to pre-heat the oven before putting the pork in the oven. Cook the pork on a wire rack fitted over a baking sheet for the best results.

A hand grabbing a slice of Air-Fryer Tonkatsu with chopsticks.

Air-Fryer Tonkatsu Ingredients

Panko – Panko is commonly available at all well-stocked grocery stores. You can find it in cardboard canisters or boxes in the baking aisle near other bread crumb products, or in the International aisle. Use gluten-free panko to make your tonkatsu gluten-free.
Canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil. This is mixed with the panko to aid in browning and to increase crunch. It helps to replicate that deep-fried texture.
Thin-cut boneless pork loin chops – I cut my own thin chops from a whole bulk pork loin, but you could use ready-cut pork loin chops from the butcher.
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Large eggs
All-purpose flour – I mixed the flour and eggs together to make a thick batter to help the panko adhere to the pork. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make your tonkatsu gluten-free.
Ketchup – Ketchup is a common ingredient in homemade katsu sauce.
Soy sauce – Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make your tonkatsu gluten-free.
Mirin – Mirin is a thick, sweet Japanese cooking wine, commonly used in Japanese sauces and broths. It should be available in the International aisle of well-stocked grocery stores or in Asian markets.
Brown sugar – Either dark brown or light brown sugar will work.
Worcestershire sauce – Make sure to check the label for gluten to make your tonkatsu gluten-free.
Garlic powder – I opted to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic for a more subtle flavor.
Onion powder

An overhead photo of sliced Air-Fryer Tonkatsu on a bed of white rice.

Want more Japanese-inspired recipes?

Spinach Gomae on a square, white plate. — Spinach Gomae (Cooked Spinach with Sesame Dressing)

Chopsticks holding a piece of Japanese pickled daikon. — Japanese Pickled Daikon

Picking up Instant Pot Sushi Rice with chopsticks. — Instant Pot Sushi Rice

Air-Fryer Tonkatsu Nutrition Notes

The nutrition information in the recipe below includes only the tonkatsu and the homemade katsu sauce. It does not include rice or anything else you might serve with your tonkatsu.

The nutrition information is for one pork chop if you started with six 4-ounce pork chops. If your pork chops are larger than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.

This recipe is dairy-free as written. To make your tonkatsu gluten-free, use gluten-free panko, replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, and use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Also, make sure to check the label of your Worcestershire sauce, as some contain gluten.