This Air Fryer Crispy Pork Tonkatsu has one of those fun to say names that will have your kids chanting TON-KAT-SU all night long. It’s fun to say and even more delightful to eat. And what’s more, you can easily transform the leftovers into a brand-new dish the next day by adding eggs and creating Katsudon.
This is an easy recipe to make; however, as with most recipes that require panko, it does take some time to coat the pork tenderloin. I like to brown the panko before coating the tenderloin with it so that the resulting Air Fryer Crispy Pork Tonkatsu is a beautiful, enticing, golden brown color, rather than a whitish color that leaves you wondering if the thing is cooked.
We mostly use pork tenderloins since it cooks fast and is in smaller portions for the kids. However, you can also use pork loin; just remember to increase the cooking time!
Serve on a plate of rice or pasta. Serve in buns. My kids often question if they are eating fried chicken. Serve with tonkatsu sauce, ketchup, or ranch dressing. The world is your oyster!
Air Fryer Crispy Pork Tonkatsu
Equipment
- air fryer / oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 C panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into medallions
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
Instructions
- (Optional) Toast the panko and the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, until the panko is golden brown (less than 5 minutes). Transfer the panko to a shallow dish and allow to cool. If you skip this step, the air frying / baking will not cause the panko to turn to a nice golden brown color. It will remain a light color.
- Prepare a shallow dish with flour. Prepare another shallow dish with beaten egg. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack (air fryer rack or baking rack) or top of the baking sheet.
- Cut the pork tenderloin cross-wise into ½ inch medallions. Smash the medallions with the palm of your hands so that there is greater surface area. Sprinkle both sides of the medallions with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the pork medallions in the flour and pat off any excess. Dip into the beaten egg and shake off any excess. Press the medallion firmly into the panko to coat. Flip and coat the other side.
- Place the pork on the prepared rack and air fry for 15 minutes at 350F or bake in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes.
- Cut each medallion into 1 inch strips and serve with ketchup or tonkatsu sauce!
Adapted from Just One Cookbook Baked Tonkatsu
