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Change up lunches with my easy, crispy, ultra-delicious Katu Sando Recipe! These pork katsu sandwiches are perfect for a lunch get-together or to pack for an extra special bento lunch for the kids.
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What is katsu sando?
Katsu sando is a sandwich made of pork katsu, or breaded pork cutlets, on white or milk bread with katsu sauce and any optional toppings like lettuce, cabbage or tomato! It can also be made with chicken katsu.
Pork Katsu
Anywhere you go in the world, you'll find pork katsu. Breaded and fried pork cutlets are a standard everywhere that has pork, under all sorts of different names- and everywhere that has a good breaded pork cutlet will have a breaded pork cutlet sandwich to go with!
In Japan, that sandwich is the Katsu Sando! Crispy pork chop katsu is sandwiched between two pieces of soft bread and slathered with sweet and savory pork katsu sauce, then sprinkled with crunchy nappa cabbage.
The best part about these sandwiches is that they're so easy! Make up a batch in under half an hour, and use them for sandwiches all week. Or use this recipe for all sorts of other great meals, like a steaming bowl of pork katsu ramen!
Katsu Sando Ingredients
- Boneless Pork Cutlet
- Flour
- Eggs
- Panko
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Napa cabbage
- White sandwich bread
Katsu Sauce Ingredients
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Sugar
- Soy sauce
- Garlic powder
How to Make Pork Katsu Sando
- Pound each pork cutlet thin, between ¼-¾ inches thick. Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Using separate bowls for each, prepare flour for dipping, beaten eggs, and panko for coating.
- Dip each cutlet in the flour to coat thoroughly, then dip in egg. Allow the excess egg to drip off before coating completely in panko and setting aside.
- Once all of the cutlets are coated, add about ¼ inch of oil to a large pan and set over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the coated cutlets and fry until golden and cooked through, 2-5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked cutlets to a towel-lined plate to drain.
- Brush each slice of bread on one side with the Katsu sauce. Layer with sliced cabbage. Top with fried pork cutlet, and then more cabbage slices, cabbage facing towards the pork. Cut each sandwich in half.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a day.
How to Make Katsu Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for later!
Breaded Pork Cutlet Recipe Tips
- The thinness of the pork cutlets is up to your tastes! I prefer mine quite thin, as it balances out the flavor of the pork with the sauce and cabbage.
- You can swap the pork out for chicken cutlets for a tasty chicken katsu sando, if needed.
- I like making my own katsu sauce, as it lets me adjust the ingredients to my exact tastes. But if you have a favorite store-bought version, feel free to use that instead!
- This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free flour and panko! Be careful to also swap the soy sauce in the katsu sauce out for tamari or coconut aminos to avoid the wheat in soy sauce.
Pork Cutlet Katsu FAQs
In terms of food, "Sando" basically means "sandwich" - so a katsu sando is a pork katsu sandwich. There are many kinds of sando in Japanese cuisine, ranging from savory and meaty ones like the katsu sando, to sandwiches filled with things like cream and strawberries!
Traditionally, Katsu sauce is an extremely complex sauce made with over 20 different ingredients, including fruit purees and many different spices. However, a very simple substitute is popular as a replacement, which is what is made with this recipe. It uses ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and mayonnaise with a bit of sugar, soy sauce and garlic to produce a wonderful sweet and salty flavor!
Pork katsu typically uses boneless pork cutlets, but feel free to use pork medallions or thin sliced pork tenderloin as well. The most important part is that the cutlets are for the most part lean and can be pounded flat!
Asian Pork Recipes
- Asian Pork Meatballs
- Pork Egg Rolls
- Or use my Air Fryer pork chops instructions to make this dish!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Try more of my best pork recipes, and leave a comment and rating below! We love to hear from you.
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Katsu Sando
Equipment
- 3 Shallow bowls
- Large pan
Ingredients
For Katsu Sando:
- 4 Boneless pork cutlets
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1½ cup Panko
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 4 slices White bread crust removed
- Vegetable oil for frying
For Katsu Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
- 1½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Oyster sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 2¼ teaspoons Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Soy sauce
- pinch Garlic powder
Instructions
For Katsu Sando:
- Pound each pork cutlet thin, between ¼-¾ inches thick. Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.4 Boneless pork cutlets, Salt and pepper
- Using separate bowls for each, prepare flour for dipping, beaten eggs, and panko for coating.¼ cup Flour, 2 Eggs, 1½ cup Panko
- Dip each cutlet in the flour to coat thoroughly, then dip in egg. Allow the excess egg to drip off before coating completely in panko and setting aside.
- Once all of the cutlets are coated, add about ¼ inch of oil to a large pan and set over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the coated cutlets and fry until golden and cooked through, 2-5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked cutlets to a towel-lined plate to drain.Vegetable oil
- Brush each slice of bread on one side with the Katsu sauce. Layer with sliced cabbage. Top with fried pork cutlet, and then more cabbage slices, cabbage facing towards the pork. Cut each sandwich in half.1 cup Napa cabbage, 4 slices White bread
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a day.
For Katsu Sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for later!2 Tablespoons Ketchup, 1½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tablespoon Oyster sauce, 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise, 2¼ teaspoons Sugar, 2 teaspoons Soy sauce, pinch Garlic powder
Notes
- The thinness of the pork cutlets is up to your tastes! I prefer mine quite thin, as it balances out the flavor of the pork with the sauce and cabbage.
- Not a fan of pork? No problem! Swap the pork out for chicken cutlets for a tasty chicken katsu sando- it'll be just as delicious!
- I like making my own katsu sauce, as it lets me adjust the ingredients to my exact tastes. But if you have a favorite store-bought version, feel free to use that instead!
- This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free flour and panko! Be careful to also swap the soy sauce in the katsu sauce out for tamari or coconut aminos to avoid the wheat in soy sauce.
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