Oven Baked Tonkatsu is a healthy version of my Tonkatsu recipe. The amount of oil consumed in Oven Baked Tonkatsu is less than ⅓ (close to ¼), compared to the conventional method of deep-frying a piece of crumbed pork. See the video.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 2x 150-200g /5.3-7.1oz pork loin steaks (note 1)
- 2 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of pepper
- 1½ tbsp flour
- 1 egg beaten
- ⅔-1 cup breadcrumb (note 2)
- 1 tbsp oil
- shredded cabbage
- 2 sprigs watercress (or parsley)
- Tonkatsu sauce (note 3)
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Heat a frying pan over medium heat without oil. Put the breadcrumbs into the pan and toast them, mixing the crumbs regularly (note 4).
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When about ¾ of the breadcrumbs changed the colour to light brown (note 5), remove from the heat and transfer to a plate or a tray, which will be used to coat the pork pieces in the breadcrumbs.
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Pour oil over the crumbs and mix well so that breadcrumbs are lightly coated in oil. You should feel the breadcrumbs are slightly wet. Let them cool.
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Pre-heat oven to 230°C/446°F (note 6).
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Using a knife or a pair of scissors, cut the connecting tissues of the pork steaks along the band of fat and between the different kinds of meat (note 7). This will prevent the meat from curling and shrinking.
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Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork steaks.
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Thoroughly coat each pork steak in flour, dip it in egg, then coat it with breadcrumbs.
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Place a rack on a tray and put the crumbed pork pieces on the rack (note 8).
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Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes (note 9).
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Remove from the oven and cut each tonkatsu into 2cm/¾” wide strips.
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Serve with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce.
1. I used pork loin today, which weighed about 150g/5.3oz each. You can use other cuts of pork that are suitable for steak.
2. It will only require ⅔ cups of breadcrumbs to coat two pieces of pork. But I used 1 cup of breadcrumbs because having excess breadcrumbs makes it easier to coat the pork steak.
3. I used Bulldog brand tonkatsu sauce. It is thick and fruity. Thin and spicier sauces such as Worcestershire sauce can also work. Some people even eat tonkatsu with soy sauce instead of sauce.
4. The smaller bits of the breadcrumbs, which tend to be at the bottom of the pan, start browning faster than the large bits. So, you need to turn them over regularly to avoid the small bits from getting over-roasted.
5. Do not toast the breadcrumbs to become completely brown, as they continue to cook because of the residue of the heat from the pan.
6. If your oven does not go as high as 230°C/446°F, set the oven to maximum.
7. Please refer to the section PREPARING PORK FOR TONKATSU in my post, Tonkatsu.
8. Instead of using a rack, you can place baking paper on a tray to put the crumbed pork on. The only downside of this method is that the bottom of the Tonkatsu becomes a little bit soggy.
9. Baking duration varies depending on the thickness of your pork. My pork steak was 1.7cm/11⁄16” thick and 13 minutes was just right.
If your oven is set to max and lower than 230°C/446°F, you will need to bake the Tonkatsu for a bit longer.
10. Nutrition per serving. It is assumed that flour, egg, and oiled breadcrumbs are 100% consumed. In reality, there will be leftovers and the calories are less than quoted below.
serving: 242g calories: 582kcal fat: 25g (38%) saturated fat: 4.3g (22%) trans fat: 0.1g polyunsaturated fat: 3.8g monounsaturated fat: 9.3g cholesterol: 189mg (63%) sodium: 634mg (26%) potassium: 685mg (20%) carbohydrates: 44g (15%) dietary fibre: 2.6g (10%) sugar: 3.5g protein: 43g vitamin a: 2.9% vitamin c: 0% calcium: 9.6% iron: 23%