Deliciously juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, Crispy Baked Tonkatsu is a lightened up version of the Japanese deep-fried pork dish.
My husband lived in Japan for two years and has introduced me to some of the many delicious ethnic dishes. I’m not crazy about sushi, but I absolutely love tonkatsu. Have you ever had it?
It’s basically a pork cutlet that has been breaded and deep fried. Served with a bed of rice and katsu sauce to drizzle on top, it’s amazing. Whenever we go out for Japanese food, I order it. The only problem is that it’s not the healthiest dish. I mean, deep fried, people. So I decided to recreate my beloved Japanese favorite at home and lighten it up by baking it instead of frying it. The result was amazing. And even my tonkatsu guru husband loved my Crispy Baked Tonkatsu.
Rolled in a pre-browned panko crumb coating and baked to perfection, the pork is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. And it’s much healthier than the deep-fried version. Best part? You know I love sharing easy weeknight recipes and I’m not gonna stop now! These deliciously juicy and golden babies are ready in 30 minutes. Wanna make your life even easier (it’s the holiday season after all)? Just grab some PF Chang’s or Trader Joe’s frozen fried rice to nuke in the microwave to serve alongside the Crispy Baked Tonkatsu. If you want to up the healthy factor, try Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice. So delicious and so yummy! And don’t forget the katsu sauce. You can find it in the Asian food section of your grocery store. So take a break from your crazy holiday planning and whip up this yummy Asian-inspired meal in just 30 quick minutes!
- 1-1/4 cup panko crumbs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 4 boneless pork chops
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine panko and olive oil. Stir frequently until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl.
- Stir in ginger, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Pour flour into a medium shallow bowl. Beat eggs in another medium shallow bowl.
- Dip each pork chop into flour, shaking to remove excess. Then, dip each into the eggs. Finally, roll each chop in panko mixture until coated.
- Place each pork chop on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (mine took 22 minutes), flipping halfway through.
