Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this low carb Japanese tonkatsu pork cutlet recipe is a delicious bite of heaven! Unlike traditional tonkatsu breading, this low carb version will give you all the flavor without worrying about the carbs.
Japanese tonkatsu is a staple at our house because it’s always a crowd pleaser and very easy to make.
That’s why we make it often and in big quantities. There’s never enough to go around so I always make extra just in case!
Once you try this Japanese tonkatsu recipe, you will never go back to the original. It has so much more flavor and crunch, I promise you will be a fan!
What is Tonkatsu Japanese Pork Cutlet?
Thinly cut pork loin chops are breaded with a mixture of almond flour, eggs and crushed pork rinds. Then it is deep fried until crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It’s usually eaten with a side of shredded cabbage salad all dressed with tonkatsu sauce.
What kind of pork cut should I use to make tonkatsu?
Use pork top loin chops cut no more than an 1/2 inch thick.
How is this low carb tonkatsu pork cutlet different from the traditional Japanese tonkatsu?
Traditional Japanese tonkatsu is made with pork chops that have been dredged in wheat flour and eggs then coated with panko, aka bread crumbs. Our version of tonkatsu is breaded with low carb friendly ingredients that include almond flour and crushed pork rinds.
Feel free to use either depending on your diet needs.
Do you have any tips for making this Japanese pork cutlet tonkatsu recipe?
- Don’t forget to brine the pork chops. It makes a world of a difference by keeping the meat juicy and with more flavor.
- Use pork top loin chops cut no more than an 1/2 inch thick.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan while deep frying. This will lower the temperature of the oil too much and cause soggy pork cutlets.
- If you can’t find pork rinds, you can substitute with psyllium husk. Just make sure to cook on lower heat since psyllium husk burns easily.
- Serve with rice of choice or some cauliflower rice for a nice healthy low carb option.
Do you have any other Japanese style pork recipes I can try?
- Japanese Pork Ginger
- Japanese Style Pork Stir Fry
- Japanese Pork and Napa Cabbage Soup
- Pan Fried Ginger Pork Belly
- Asian Garlic Pork Chops
Now, let’s get making this Japanese Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet recipe!
- Prepping Time 15M
- Optional Brine Time 1H
- Cook Time 5M
- Total Time 20M
- Net Carb/Serv ~6g
- Servings 2
Ingredients
Pork Crust
- 3/4 lbs Boneless Pork Top Loin
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Cup Shredded Cabbage
- Wedge of Lemon (optional)
- 1 Cup Almond Flour (or flour of choice)
- 2 Eggs
- 3 oz Unflavored Pork Rinds (1/3 cup if using Pork Panko or bread panko)
Optional Brine
- 2 Cups of Water
- 1 tbsp Salt
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sugar Free Ketchup
- 5 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp Monkfruit Erythritol Blend (or sweetener of choice)
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) Add 2 cups of water and 1 tbsp salt into a large mixing bowl. Add pork to start brine process and brine for 1 hour. Note – you can skip this step if desired.
3) Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Once dried, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Note – if you did the brine, omit salt.
4) Shred cabbage with a shredder and cut the optional wedge of lemon. Transfer 1 cup of shredded cabbage and lemon wedge per serving.
5) In a small mixing bowl, combine Sugar Free Ketchup, worcestershire sauce, Oyster Sauce and Monkfruit Erythritol Blend. Mix well and set aside.
6) Pour Unflavored Pork Rinds into a food processor and pulse until ground into very fine crumbs. You can also use your hands to crush the pork rinds if you don’t have a food processor. Note – Skip this step if you are using Pork Panko or bread panko.
7) Fill 1 mixing bowl with Almond Flour, 1 mixing bowl with beaten eggs, 1 mixing bowl with crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds.
8) In this order, dip and coat each pork chop: Almond Flour > eggs > crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds. Once coated, place on holding a plate.
9) Add enough oil to cover about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the pan and heat up to 375F.
10) Once the oil is ready, place heat to medium and carefully place 2-4 pork pieces at a time. Cook time will depend on the thickness, but for the thin ones, it takes about 1 – 1.5 minutes where as the thicker ones will be around 2.5 – 3 minutes. Flip and repeat until internal temp reaches 145F.
11) Transfer to a drying rack. If you do not have a drying rack, use a plate with a paper towel to soak up oil.
12) Once dried, slice the pork cutlet into 1/2 inch slices and plate onto of bed of cabbage. Enjoy with drizzled sauce and optional squeeze of lemon!
Enjoy your cripsy Japanese tonkatsu pork cutlet!!
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Japanese Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet
Ingredients
Pork
- 3/4 lbs Pork Top Loin Thin Slices, Boneless
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Cups Cabbage Shredded
- 1 Wedge Lemon optional
- 1 Cup Almond Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 3 oz Pork Rinds Unflavored, 1/3 Cup if using Pork Panko, or bread panko
Optional Brine
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 tbsp Salt
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar Free Ketchup
- 2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Monkfruit Erythritol Blend or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Add 2 cups of water and 1 tbsp salt into a large mixing bowl. Add pork to start brine process and brine for 1 hour. Note - you can skip this step if desired.
- Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Once dried, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Note - if you did the brine, omit salt.
- Shred cabbage with a shredder and cut the optional wedge of lemon. Transfer 1 cup of shredded cabbage and lemon wedge per serving.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine Sugar Free Ketchup, worcestershire sauce, Oyster Sauce and Monkfruit Erythritol Blend. Mix well and set aside.
- Pour Unflavored Pork Rinds into a food processor and pulse until ground into very fine crumbs. You can also use your hands to crush the pork rinds if you don't have a food processor. Note - Skip this step if you are using Pork Panko or regular Panko.
- Fill 1 mixing bowl with Almond Flour, 1 mixing bowl with beaten eggs, 1 mixing bowl with crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds.
- In this order, dip and coat each pork chop: Almond Flour > eggs > crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds. Once coated, place on holding a plate.
- Add enough oil to cover about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the pan and heat up to 375F.
- Once the oil is ready, place heat to medium and carefully place 2-4 pork pieces at a time. Cook time will depend on the thickness, but for the thin ones, it takes about 1 - 1.5 minutes where as the thicker ones will be around 2.5 - 3 minutes. Flip and repeat until internal temp reaches 145F.
- Transfer to a drying rack. If you do not have a drying rack, use a plate with a paper towel to soak up oil.
- Once dried, slice the pork cutlet into 1/2 inch slices and plate onto of bed of cabbage. Enjoy with drizzled sauce and optional squeeze of lemon!
Video
Nutrition
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Great ketofied recipe. It even works with bone in pork chops. I think it is even better than the normal breadcrumb recipe. Thanks!
Hey Judy! You are very welcome and we think this version is better than the classic one as well! Check back soon as we do have a great chicken katsu version in the works as well!