198 have already made this dish!
The preparation:
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Start with the rice. Authentically Japanese, this is achieved when you cook it according to this instruction
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Slice the onions and spring onions into thin rings and set them aside for now.
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Now prepare the sauce: Prepare soup from the vegetable stock powder and mix it with soy sauce, sugar and white wine. Also set the sauce aside.
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The schnitzel is next: Pound the pork schnitzel with a meat hammer until thin. If you don't have a meat hammer, you can also use the flat side of a knife. By pounding, the fibers in the meat are shortened and it becomes tender and juicy.
A close-up of hands slicing an onion on a wooden cutting board. One hand steadies a halved onion while the other guides a large santoku-style knife, marked with Japanese characters on the blade, through it in thin half-moon slices. A few cut slices lie next to the knife, and a pile of whole yellow onions sits blurred in the background along with out-of-focus bottles. It is a step in prepping ingredients for katsudon, the Japanese breaded pork cutlet and rice bowl.
A close-up of hands slicing an onion on a wooden cutting board. One hand steadies a halved onion while the other guides a large santoku-style knife, marked with Japanese characters on the blade, through it in thin half-moon slices. A few cut slices lie next to the knife, and a pile of whole yellow onions sits blurred in the background along with out-of-focus bottles. It is a step in prepping ingredients for katsudon, the Japanese breaded pork cutlet and rice bowl.
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Slice onion very thinly 
A raw pork cutlet lies flattened on a wooden cutting board, its pale pink surface covered in a fine crosshatch of shallow knife cuts. The scoring runs across the whole piece of meat, which fills nearly the entire frame, with a few small trimmed-off scraps at the lower left edge. This is the tenderizing step of prepping the cutlet for katsudon, where the cuts keep the meat flat and thin as it cooks.
A raw pork cutlet lies flattened on a wooden cutting board, its pale pink surface covered in a fine crosshatch of shallow knife cuts. The scoring runs across the whole piece of meat, which fills nearly the entire frame, with a few small trimmed-off scraps at the lower left edge. This is the tenderizing step of prepping the cutlet for katsudon, where the cuts keep the meat flat and thin as it cooks.
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Pound schnitzel until thin -
Now prepare everything for the breading. You need three bowls or deep plates: one with flour, one with beaten egg and one with panko or breadcrumbs.
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Roll the raw schnitzel first in flour, then in egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.
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Now heat a pan with oil. First fry the sliced onions and then remove them from the pan.
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Now it's time for the meat. This also goes into the hot pan.
Two raw pork cutlets sit on a wooden cutting board, freshly coated in breading for katsudon. Their surface is uneven and craggy, covered in coarse golden panko flakes with patches of white flour still showing through, and loose crumbs and flour are scattered across the board around them. The pale pink meat peeks through the coating in places, making clear the cutlets have just been breaded and are ready for the next step.
Two raw pork cutlets sit on a wooden cutting board, freshly coated in breading for katsudon. Their surface is uneven and craggy, covered in coarse golden panko flakes with patches of white flour still showing through, and loose crumbs and flour are scattered across the board around them. The pale pink meat peeks through the coating in places, making clear the cutlets have just been breaded and are ready for the next step.
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Bread the schnitzel evenly 
Close-up of sliced onions frying in a dark pan. The onions range from soft and translucent to deeply golden brown at the edges, spread in a loose pile across the center of the pan with oil pooling and glistening around them. Steam rises from the hot surface, blurring the upper right of the frame. It reads as a mid-cooking moment from a recipe, the stage where onions turn sweet and jammy before anything else goes in.
Close-up of sliced onions frying in a dark pan. The onions range from soft and translucent to deeply golden brown at the edges, spread in a loose pile across the center of the pan with oil pooling and glistening around them. Steam rises from the hot surface, blurring the upper right of the frame. It reads as a mid-cooking moment from a recipe, the stage where onions turn sweet and jammy before anything else goes in.
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Fry the onions with some oil -
Fry the meat golden brown on both sides.
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Once it's cooked through, cut the meat into strips in the pan - either with kitchen shears, or take the meat out, cut it with a knife and then put it back in the pan.
A golden brown, breaded cutlet sizzles in a dark pan, taking up most of the frame. The panko crust is crisp and uneven, deep amber at the edges with lighter, bubbling spots where the oil is still working. Hot oil pools and spatters around the meat, and steam rises softly against the dark background. This is the fried pork cutlet for katsudon, caught mid-cooking while the coating turns crunchy.
A golden brown, breaded cutlet sizzles in a dark pan, taking up most of the frame. The panko crust is crisp and uneven, deep amber at the edges with lighter, bubbling spots where the oil is still working. Hot oil pools and spatters around the meat, and steam rises softly against the dark background. This is the fried pork cutlet for katsudon, caught mid-cooking while the coating turns crunchy.
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Fry the schnitzel golden brown over medium heat... 
A hand steadies a breaded cutlet on a wooden cutting board while a large kitchen knife slices through it into thick pieces. The slices show a crisp golden panko crust around a juicy white interior, with a few crumbs and a small dark bit of seared coating scattered on the board. The blade, etched with Japanese characters, rests mid-cut against the meat. In the background, more fried cutlets sit stacked on the same board, still whole, waiting their turn. It's the slicing step of preparing katsudon, where the fried pork cutlet gets cut into strips before being simmered with egg and served over rice.
A hand steadies a breaded cutlet on a wooden cutting board while a large kitchen knife slices through it into thick pieces. The slices show a crisp golden panko crust around a juicy white interior, with a few crumbs and a small dark bit of seared coating scattered on the board. The blade, etched with Japanese characters, rests mid-cut against the meat. In the background, more fried cutlets sit stacked on the same board, still whole, waiting their turn. It's the slicing step of preparing katsudon, where the fried pork cutlet gets cut into strips before being simmered with egg and served over rice.
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関
COMPOSITE
VG10
MADE IN JAPAN...and cut into strips -
Now add the prepared sauce, spring onions and the beaten egg to the meat in the pan.
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Turn down the heat and let the egg set with the residual heat.
Steam rises from a black pan filled with katsudon in the middle of cooking. Chunks of breaded pork cutlet simmer in a soft, golden egg mixture with translucent onion slices, everything glistening with broth. A generous handful of chopped spring onions sits on top in bright green rings, some edges of the cutlet and onions browned from the heat. The close framing makes the dish fill the entire pan, capturing that just-cooked moment before it gets served over rice.
Steam rises from a black pan filled with katsudon in the middle of cooking. Chunks of breaded pork cutlet simmer in a soft, golden egg mixture with translucent onion slices, everything glistening with broth. A generous handful of chopped spring onions sits on top in bright green rings, some edges of the cutlet and onions browned from the heat. The close framing makes the dish fill the entire pan, capturing that just-cooked moment before it gets served over rice.
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RecipeTin Eats
Let the egg set over low heat -
After about 5 minutes, the dish is ready. Put a portion of rice in a bowl and let the meat, egg and sauce slide onto it. Enjoy your meal!
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Table of contents:
TL;DR
Katsudon, a delightful Japanese dish featured on this site, combines a crispy breaded schnitzel served on a bed of fluffy rice, topped with a flavorful umami-rich omelet. Known as a popular comfort food in Japan, Katsudon is part of the "donburi" category, which includes rice bowls with various toppings. This dish is easy to prepare at home, using ingredients widely available in Germany. Typically made with pork (Tonkatsu) but also adaptable to chicken, Katsudon can be cooked quickly, making it a favorite among busy families. The site also offers essential tips for preparation, including optimal cooking techniques and advice on choosing the right rice. Whether enjoyed at a restaurant or cooked at home, Katsudon promises to satisfy and delight.Katsudon: A crispy breaded cutlet on a bed of fluffy rice, topped with an omelette full of umami flavor. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Katsudon is one of the most popular Japanese dishes. It belongs to the donburis, dishes made from rice and toppings that are traditionally served in a single bowl. This makes them fundamentally different from other Japanese dishes, which are usually served on a variety of their own plates and bowls. By the way, we’ve got an article for you where we introduce you to other donburis as well.
Comfort food for young and old
In Japan, Katsudon is considered real "comfort food." This delicious dish is often served in restaurants—including fast food spots like udon noodle shops. But it’s also super easy to recreate at home. Katsudon is filling and, by default, doesn’t need any fancy ingredients. With this recipe, I’ve made sure it only uses ingredients you can easily find in Germany.
What’s up with the meat?
Katsudon uses a breaded cutlet. This is probably not a dish you’d expect from Japanese cuisine. It’s what’s known as a yoshoku, a Japanese dish that developed under Western influence. To make authentic katsu, you actually need panko—Japanese breadcrumbs. We’ve described this in the following article:
But if you don’t have panko, you can just use regular German breadcrumbs. Traditionally, katsudon is made with pork (tonkatsu). But you can also use a chicken cutlet.
Quick to make, delicious taste
Katsudon can be prepared extremely quickly—especially if you’re looking for a way to use up leftover cutlet and rice from the day before. For Japanese mothers, katsudon is one of those meals you can get onto the table in no time at all, guaranteed to get an enthusiastic reaction from the kids.
Tips for making katsudon
- Don’t let the egg get too firm! Take it off the heat when it’s half set. That way, it runs extra deliciously over the rice and cutlet.
- If you prefer low-fat cooking, you can also bake the katsu instead of frying it. To keep the flavor, you should toast the panko crumbs before breading.
- Make sure to use the right rice—and that means Japanese rice! Here’s a guide for you on how to prepare perfect Japanese rice.
- There are special oyakodon pans that are especially handy for making donburi dishes. These have a low rim and are just the right size to smoothly slide cutlet and egg onto the rice in the bowl! But if you only cook this recipe rarely, such a pan isn’t really necessary.
A close-up of katsudon, the Japanese rice bowl, served in a dark ceramic bowl. White rice sits at the bottom, mostly hidden under pieces of golden breaded pork cutlet that are coated in softly scrambled, slightly runny egg. Sliced green onions are scattered over the top. Wooden chopsticks lift one piece of the cutlet out of the bowl, dragging strands of egg and a few scallion rings with it, with steam still rising from the dish.
A close-up of katsudon, the Japanese rice bowl, served in a dark ceramic bowl. White rice sits at the bottom, mostly hidden under pieces of golden breaded pork cutlet that are coated in softly scrambled, slightly runny egg. Sliced green onions are scattered over the top. Wooden chopsticks lift one piece of the cutlet out of the bowl, dragging strands of egg and a few scallion rings with it, with steam still rising from the dish.
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Comments
Lecker, Katsudon is also very popular with me. However, I take advantage of the fact that here in Germany we can get ready-made schnitzels easily and cheaply at every butcher (or not quite as good, but even cheaper at the supermarket).
hehe yes, that's true, but breading things yourself is also a lot of fun :) Best regards Ryu
What exactly is a "Brotsemmel" supposed to be? – A dark bread in roll form? Judging by the photo, these are breadcrumbs. In Japan, however, PANKO is used for Katsudon – that's dried white bread crust, coarsely grated. Compliment: The recipes are mostly authentic, very good, and also very beautifully arranged and photographed.
Hello Johannes, thank you very much for your comment. We expressed ourselves a bit poorly there. I’ve now changed the ingredient to breadcrumbs. We’re aware that Panko is used in Japan and we use it often as well. For this “Katsudon recipe with German ingredients,” however, we focused on ingredients available in Germany, since some items aren’t easy to find. Thank you for your praise, it really motivates us to keep going. Criticism—especially constructive criticism—also helps us to improve the blog. So thank you very much, Johannes :) Best regards, Ryusei from RyuKoch
You immediately get hungry! And I would spend more money for good quality meat, but tastes differ and that's a good thing. I'd rather have it less often and choose Demeter quality whenever possible. Thanks for posting the photo! Best regards, Jesse-Gabriel
Hi Jesse, yes, that's true as well. Expensive meat usually tastes better, especially when it's directly from the butcher. You're welcome, it was also a lot of fun :) Best regards, Ryusei
Cooked the recipe yesterday and it was a big hit. It’s also really filling. The only thing that confused me a bit: the egg goes into the pan after the sauce, which means it doesn’t set as quickly—is that intentional? And the regular onions are not mentioned again in the recipe. I just scattered them in, then added the sauce, eggs, and green onions. With 4 servings, I still had at least half of the sauce left and drizzled a little over the rice before placing the schnitzel on top.
Hello Melanie, that's great that you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, the thing with the egg is intentional; depending on the season, for example in winter, you can also leave the egg a little raw. Oh, I must have forgotten that. Yes, that's also correct. You can also cook the sauce a bit longer, then there will be less of it. But drizzling it over the rice is also a very good idea. Best regards Ryusei from RyuKoch
Instead of vegetable or meat stock, I always use fish stock. I think it gives a similar flavor to a Dashi. And since I don't like pork, I always use turkey breast fillet. You can bread it well, or simply fry it gently.
Hallo Luisa, yes, variations are always good. Your tip sounds really good and delicious. If anyone wants to try it, I'm sure it tastes super yummy! Thank you very much for your tips :) Best regards, Ryusei
Hello dear RyuKoch team, Thank you for the recipe. I would like to try it out in the next few days. However, I don't drink wine and also prefer not to have it in my food. Is there a version without white wine? Or can it be replaced with something else? Thanks in advance for your response :-) Best regards Mehwish
Hi Mehlwish,
Instead of wine, you can also use the Japanese product Mirin. In Japan, this is used for dishes instead of wine. Otherwise, just try our recipe without wine and add the same amount of water instead :)
Best regards
Matthias :)
Demeter doesn't have to be, it can come from somewhere else, as long as it's organic. Some people here talking about cheap meat – oh dear. Pre-trimmed schnitzel? Oh my god. Surely you can manage to put a few breadcrumbs on yourself...
Hallo Gugi, First of all, thank you very much for the great review, I’m glad that you like the recipe! Demeter or organic meat of course has a different taste compared to conventional supermarket meat, but that’s up to everyone’s own preference :) Pre-breaded schnitzels are definitely a more affordable alternative, but breading them yourself is definitely fun too. Best regards Ryusei
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It tasted wonderful. My son (=gourmet) likes it best with small tonkatsu made from pork tenderloin (filet in Germany). We'll even have it as our Christmas meal :)
Hallo Teddy, we're glad you enjoyed it so much and thank you for your feedback! Best regards, Ryusei
Can you make the vegetable broth even more traditional? Like dashi broth or something. The Japanese don’t use instant powder from Knorr.
Hello Markus, Yes, that’s correct, ideally you should use fresh dashi broth. However, many Japanese people also use instant dashi, as it’s quicker. Best regards Ryusei