Norecipes - Elevating Everyday Meals

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • About
×
Home ► Recipes ► Japanese (Traditional)

Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

Updated: 05.11.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 47 Comments

4.88 from 8 votes
Katsudon, made with leftover tonkatsu (pork cutlet), eggs, sauteed onions and a sweet and savory sauce over a bowl of rice is a perenial favorite in Japan.
Recipe
A bowl of comforting pork katsudon

When I'm at home, I'm all about simple, nourishing meals that titillate the taste buds without much effort in the kitchen. This explains why I’m such a sucker for donburi or Japanese Rice bowls. The term literally refers to the large ceramic bowls used to serve rice topped with other ingredients. If you imagine a meat dish, a vegetable stir-fry, and an omelette colliding over a bowl of rice into a delicious mess, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what most donburis are all about, including this Pork Katsudon.

Although they can be made with any meat, seafood or vegetable, one of my favorites is katsudon. The “katsu” is short for tonkatsu (a pork cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried) and “don” (pronounced like "don't" without the "t") is an abbreviation for donburi. It’s a popular lunchtime meal in Japan and the best part is that this katsudon recipe can be made with leftover tonkatsu from the night before.

The panko breadcrumb coating on the pork cutlets absorbs the sweet and savory sauce, while sautéed onions add big flavor to the dish. The beaten egg not only binds everything together, it also absorbs the flavors in the sauce before percolating them into the rice below. Eaten together, pork katsudon is luscious, meaty, savory and sweet, and has the remarkable ability to satisfy a handful of cravings in one bite.

Like any comfort food, I don't stray too far from the standard preparation and ingredients, but I do employ a few small tricks to make the standard pork katsudon even better. The first thing is to add a bit of potato starch to the sauce; it lends a barely-perceptible viscosity that helps the sauce cling to the tonkatsu and rice, rather than running straight to the bottom of the bowl. The second thing is to flip the tonkatsu after you add the sauce. This ensures the tonkatsu is well-seasoned on both top and bottom. Lastly, I usually cook the egg until it's just a bit less done than I want it to be as it will continue to cook as you assemble the rice bowl and carry it to the table.

📖 Recipe

Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)

4.88 from 8 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Yield 2 bowl

Units

Ingredients 

  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup dashi stock (or chicken stock)
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • ¼ teaspoon potato starch
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 90 grams onion (thinly sliced about ½ small )
  • 380 grams Tonkatsu (1 very thick cutlet or 2 thinner ones)
  • 1 scallion (chopped, for garnish)
  • 2 bowls cooked short-grain rice

Instructions

  • Break the eggs into a bowl and mix until the yolks are broken, but there are still separate areas of white and yolk.
  • Add the dashi, sugar, soy sauce sake and potato starch to a bowl and stir to combine.
  • Add the oil and onions to a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat and saute the onions until soft and just starting to brown.
  • Push the onions to the edge of the pan and add the tonkatsu in the center.
  • Pour the sauce around the cutlet and cover for 1 minute to let the sauce thicken and the katsu reheat.
  • Remove the lid and flip the katsu over using a spatula. This ensures the katsu is well seasoned on both the top and bottom.
  • Pour the egg all over and around the katsu and sprinkle on the green onions. Cover and steam until the egg is just a little less cooked than you want. Personally I like my egg creamy, so I let it steam until the egg is set on the bottom but still a little runny on top. By the time it gets to the table, the residual heat cooks it to a creamy custard texture.
  • Put the hot rice into bowls and cover with the tonkatsu and egg mixture, drizzling any remaining sauce on top.
Recipes in your inboxDon't miss out SIGN UP!

Comments

    4.88 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Claudia says

    January 10, 2024 at 1:54 am

    Again an excellent recipe, thanks so much. The flavours were perfect and I love your tonkatsu sauce too

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 10, 2024 at 9:14 am

      Thanks Claudia! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this so much😄

      Reply
  2. Thea Maceda says

    August 06, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe! I haven't made Katsudon in a long time. I cooked it for my husband tonight and he loved it

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 06, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      Hi Thea, I'm glad to hear he enjoyed it! I have lots of other donburi (rice bowl) recipes on here, so I hope you give them a try!

      Reply
  3. Yes says

    December 11, 2019 at 8:53 am

    How many does it serve?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      December 11, 2019 at 9:47 am

      This makes enough for 2 bowls.

      Reply
  4. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 26, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Hi Jojo, Katsudon is usually a 1 bowl meal as it has veggies, meat, eggs and starch all in the same bowl. The only thing it's usually served with is miso soup and pickles.

    Reply
  5. Jojo.Drl says

    December 26, 2016 at 6:08 am

    Hi Marc ^^ I was wondering if you perhaps have a reccomended recepie to go along with the cutlet bowl?

    Reply
  6. Jojo.Drl says

    December 26, 2016 at 6:04 am

    Hi Marc ^^ I was wondering if you perhaps have a reccomended recepie to go along with the cutlet bowl

    Reply
  7. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 12, 2016 at 11:35 pm

    Hi Anissa, there are literally thousands of brands of sake, and many of them will work just fine. My policy for alcohol used for cooking is that it doesn't have to be expensive since most of the finer nuances of expensive sake/wine/etc will evaporate during cooking, but you never want to use something you wouldn't drink (i.e. with off tastes, or "cooking" sake that has salt added to it).

    Reply
  8. Anissa says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    What brand of sake would you recommend I use for this recipe?

    Reply
  9. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 14, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    Sounds good, glad to hear you're found something that works for you!

    Reply
  10. Gary Rumain says

    November 13, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    I've been meaning to tell you, I found a very nice local smoked cheddar and am using it in my omelets with great success. Thank you for the advice, Marc.

    Reply
  11. Gary Rumain says

    August 30, 2015 at 1:56 am

    Thanks. I wasn't sure what kind of cheese would work. But I'll pick up some cheddar the next time I go shopping and try it. I was thinking of adding something like shallots to the omelet but I'd been meaning to look up Spanish omelet or Western omelet. Basically, something simple that a beginner like me couldn't mess up too badly.

    Reply
  12. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 29, 2015 at 9:14 pm

    Hi Gary, this is one of my favorite omelettes, and it's easy to do because it doesn't involve stuffing a thin layer of egg with something: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/masala-omelette/ As for cheeses, any melting cheese works good, personally I love gruyere or comte in an omelette, but if you prefer something milder, cheddar or fontina would work.

    Reply
  13. Gary Rumain says

    August 29, 2015 at 3:32 am

    I know. The best I can do is bacon and eggs. Been doing it for a while but also been meaning to look up what sort of cheese or veggies to add to the omelet to give it a bit of extra zing. I don't suppose you have any suggestions or recipes I can look at. It has to be at the beginner level, though. I figure if I can master that, I could progress to more complicated things.

    Reply
  14. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 29, 2015 at 3:24 am

    You can't get much practice if you don't try:-)

    Reply
  15. Gary Rumain says

    August 29, 2015 at 1:01 am

    I would love to but I'm a very mediocre cook. Maybe with lots of practice. 😉

    Reply
  16. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 28, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    Hi Gary, this is definitely one of those dishes that's simple to make, but there are small things that make a big difference in the outcome. Hope you get a chance to try it out:-)

    Reply
  17. Katrina says

    July 08, 2015 at 3:25 am

    Yay! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. My husband loved it, I just made it tonight. 🙂

    Reply
  18. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 08, 2015 at 3:19 am

    Hi Katrina, I typically use Kikkoman or Yamasa, but any Japanese soy sauce should work. It's not that there's anything wrong with other countries soy sauces but there are a lot of variations in concentration and sweetness. Japanese soy sauce tends to be lighter than a lot of other Asian soy sauce.

    Reply
  19. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 20, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    Sure, just add it in with the dash. If you use mirin you'll want to reduce the amount of sugar in the sauce.

    Reply
  20. Mel Charisse Zapanta Resurrecc says

    December 12, 2014 at 5:13 pm

    what is the measurement for water and ginger? i also ddnt have dashi.

    Reply
  21. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 29, 2014 at 10:12 am

    Hi Max, great idea!

    Reply
  22. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 05, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    Hi Nathan, I'm not sure what miso pork is, but maybe "miso pork rice bowl"? If you're looking for a Japanese name, that would translate to: "miso buta don".

    Reply
  23. Carl says

    January 17, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    I made this recipe last night. I had my wife helping and at one point was in a hurry and reached into the cabinet and grabbed the Soy sauce and the Mirin and handed them to her and told her to mix the Dashi, Soy, and Mirin while I fried the onions. I thought the Katsudon flavor was great and my wife thought the same. Imagine my surprise when we were cleaning up after and I found that what I had handed her, in my haste, instead of the bottle of Mirin was a bottle of Tarragon vinegar. Like I said though the flavor was very good anyway.

    Reply
  24. sokjae says

    October 16, 2013 at 12:23 am

    Diulted tsuyu can be used but always watch your sodium consumption.

    Reply
  25. sokjae says

    October 16, 2013 at 12:21 am

    Usually it is made from kelp, dried bonito (katsuo bushi), radish (daikon) and minor ingredients like hint of ginger. Enrich the flavor with soy sauce. FYI, don't boil katsuobushi long or it will ruin the stock/dashi

    Reply
  26. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 11, 2013 at 2:32 am

    Chicken stock or water would work, but it's the dashi that gives it the Japanese taste.

    Reply
  27. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 01, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    Hi Franklin, those sound like some great adaptations! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed:-)

    Reply
  28. prbailey says

    July 22, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Go on Amazon.com and you can find dashinomoto. I always get the bigger boxes there because I use it so much.

    Reply
  29. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 10, 2013 at 4:04 am

    Hi Bethany, good question. Mirin is usually added for two reasons the first is to add flavor, the second is to add sweetness. Real mirin is a delicious ingredient that's naturally sweet (no sugar added) and adds wonderful aged wine notes similar to Madiera or Sherry. Unfortunately most mirin found in the US is simply sake that's had corn syrup added. In this particular recipe there's already a ton of flavor from the dashi, and sweetness from the sugar, so I didn't include any mirin, but if you can get ahold of some good mirin, you can substitute 1 tablespoon into this recipe in place of the sugar.

    Reply
  30. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 14, 2013 at 8:42 am

    Dashi is Japanese stock. It would be like replacing the chicken stock in gravy with water. You'll still get salt from the soysauce, but you'll lose most of the flavor.

    Reply
  31. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 25, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Yes you need to dilute it according to the package directions. Dashi is soup stock. You have dashinomoto which means "base for dashi".

    Reply
  32. Stan says

    March 20, 2013 at 2:11 am

    Use chicken broth.

    Reply
  33. Guest says

    March 11, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    May I asked what you replaced dashi with?

    Reply
  34. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 10, 2012 at 9:24 pm

    It's hard to say without knowing where you live, but if you're based in the US, there are two online Japanese grocery stores. Marukai ( https://www.marukaiestore.com/p-7105-kaneshichi-mutenka-katsuo-jyun-dashi-085oz.aspx) and Mitsuwa (https://shop.mitsuwa.com/eng/egoods/edetail.php?pid=3020) both of which sell additive-free dashi packs, which is what I'd recommend as many of the dashi granules have MSG and other unnecessary additives.

    Reply
  35. Sodamoeba says

    September 24, 2012 at 4:18 am

    This is the best thing I've cooked yet. I finally found all the
    ingredients for dashi at a huge international store in my hometown, and
    when I came back to college I was so happy to be able to cook up this
    recipe. All of my roommates loved it, too, which is kind of the best
    part.

    Reply
  36. Agatha says

    September 11, 2012 at 7:44 am

    Thank you so much for the recipe! Im gonna cook this one later.

    Reply
  37. Moose says

    August 20, 2012 at 8:50 pm

    I just made this, thanks to your recipes (I used your tonkatsu recipe, too). I have to thank you. This is the greatest thing I have ever put in my mouth. Thank you.

    Reply
  38. Asian Dan says

    August 08, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Love love love this! Thank you for your background and commentary on the dish. It adds so much more than a traditional recipe. Great pictures, excellent writing, clean and easy to read. Someone to aspire to... Cant wait to make this.

    Reply
  39. Thomas Abraham says

    May 23, 2012 at 11:09 pm

     Thank you for the recipe I lived in Japan for three and a half years and Katsudon was my favorite dish.

    Reply
  40. BI says

    April 10, 2012 at 12:38 am

    Marc: my family loves your recipes. Thank you for helping me cook healthy and traditional food for my half Japanese sons! I feel it is important in many ways to keep them in tune with their heritage plus it is better for them than macaroni and cheese. I have made about all your Japanese recipes that are kid friendly. I can't wait to see more (hint hint)! Thank you again!!

    Reply
  41. Paolo @ DisgracesOnTheMenu says

    October 16, 2011 at 12:22 am

    Lately this has become my favorite dish! I only recently discovered, with not many Japanese restaurants serving it in Vancouver. The combination of the ingredients is phenomenal - real comfort food to me. Thanks for the recipe and for sharing your amazing pictures. 

    Reply
  42. Andrea says

    October 11, 2011 at 6:48 pm

    Try a restaurant called Katsukura in the Takashimaya Times Square building near Shinjuku Station!  I commented in more detail on your tonkatsu recipe accompanying this one.  Continue to love your blog and your photos!  Enjoy your trip! 

    Reply
  43. Anonymous says

    October 10, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Welcome to Tokyo - I have been following your recipes since I recently found a recipe for a ippudo-style tonkotsu ramen, just wish I had some trotters now! Your pictures are great too, I've just taken up photography... Let us know if you need any company on your food-adventures here !!

    Reply
  44. spinachtiger says

    October 10, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    This is an Asian dish I think I can actually make with some confidence. It's approachable. Good luck finding clothes. Food shopping is much easier for me than clothing shopping. BTW, I am finally at wordpress using the thesis theme. It's so easy and life changing for me. Thanks for offering to help, but we had no glitches, thankfully.

    Reply
Marc Matsumoto

Welcome!

I’m Marc Matsumoto, a former chef raising a family in Tokyo, Japan. I believe anyone can become a great cook with the right ingredients and a few techniques, so I created No Recipes to help you unlock your culinary potential!

Start Here

Check out my member site for access to my secret stash of easy original recipes that I cook for my family!

Take a Peak →

Trending Recipes

  • A plate of homemade Japanese yakisoba (stir-fried ramen noodles) with pork cabbage, onions and benishoga (red pickled ginger).
    Yakisoba
  • Closeup of a plate of homemade California rolls filled with crab, avocado and cucumber wrapped in tangy sushi rice and nori.
    California Roll
  • Black Pepper Beef is a classic Chinese stir-fry made with beef, onions, and peppers.
    Black Pepper Beef
  • With spaghetti and spicy cod roe in a creamy sauce, this Mentaiko Pasta is a classic Japanese-Italian mashup that's as easy to make as it is delicous.
    Creamy Mentaiko Pasta
  • Salmon Onigiri split in half showing tender salted salmon flakes wrapped in a fluffy layer of Japanese short grain rice.
    Salmon Onigiri
  • Easy onigiri rice ball recipe stuffed with a delicious mix of canned tuna, mayonnaise and soy sauce.
    Tuna Mayo Onigiri

Trending Categories

  • Easy Japanese Recipes
  • Ramen
  • Summer
  • Japanese (Modern)
  • Japanese (Traditional)
  • Japanese (Chinese)

Footer

About

  • About
  • Help Me
  • Hire Me
  • Photography
  • FAQs

Connect

  • Email Updates
  • Contact

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2024 Marc Matsumoto. All rights reserved

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.