Miso katsudon is a winner of a dish and sure to be your go-to for a satisfying and flavourful meal! It’s made from a combination of crispy breaded pork cutlets (katsu) with a savoury umami miso sauce all served over a bed of steaming rice. It’s a popular “fast food” choice like many other Donburi dishes and a staple of Japanese home cooking.
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What is Miso Katsudon?
Miso katsudon is a popular Japanese dish that combines two delicious components: crispy panko crumbed deep-fried pork cutlets (tonkatsu) and sweet umami packed delicious miso-based sauce. The cutlets are served over a bed of steamed rice with some cabbage to create a type of all-in-one rice bowl dish known as “donburi”. There are many other types of donburi dishes including tempura donburi and unagi (grilled bbq eel) donburi. Miso katsudon originated in the city of Nagoya in Japan but can now be found across the country. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Nagoya Miso Katsu
Nagoya is a bustling city in central Japan that is known for its unique food culture, including the popular dish : Miso Katsu. Miso katsu is a delicious deep-fried pork cutlet that is coated in a savory miso katsu sauce, giving it a rich umami flavour. It’s a local specialty of Nagoya but is now popular elsewhere. The crispy pork cutlet pairs perfectly with the tangy and slightly sweet miso katsu sauce, creating a mouthwatering combination loved by locals and tourists. In Nagoya and other parts of Japan, you can find many restaurants serving up this delectable dish. It can be served over rice as a donburi dish or on its own as part of a set meal with sides like pickles, soup, and rice.
Ingredients You Need to Make Miso Katsudon
Katsudon
Pork cutlets: Thinly sliced pork cutlets or pork chops coated in panko crumbs and fried until crispy.
Rice: Miso katsudon is typically served over steamed white rice, which helps balance out the savoury flavours of the dish and makes it filling.
Shredded cabbage : Cabbage is often served with katsu because it adds a refreshing element to the dish that helps balance the heaviness and rich flavours of the fried meat.
Miso Katsu Sauce Main Ingredients
The miso on top of the top katsu is not just plain miso paste coated on the pork. It’s actually made with dashi stock, mirin, sake, sugar, and miso all mixed together. That is how the unique sweet & savoury flavour is created.
Miso : Miso is a fermented soybean paste that adds a rich umami flavor to dishes. It comes in different varieties, such as white miso (which is milder and sweeter), red miso (which is deeper and earthier), and awase miso which is a mix of both white and red miso. Miso goes with any protein but the flavour matches particularly well with pork.
Miso katsu in Nagoya typically uses a special type of dark red miso paste called Hatcho Miso, or ‘haccho miso’, (八丁味噌). It is made from 100% soybeans, with no added grains, that have been fermented for an extended period of time. This results in a dark-coloured paste and gives it a very umami-rich and intense flavour with less sweetness than other miso varieties. But when the hatcho miso is combined with the mirin, sake, and sugar it becomes sweetened and very delicious. It can be difficult to find hatcho miso outside of Japan so you can use any type of miso. I use my homemade miso to make this special sauce.
The miso sauce can be used not just for miso katsudon but also as a marinade, glaze, or dipping sauce for other meats, vegetables, tofu, or noodles. Experiment with different ratios of these ingredients to find your perfect miso sauce recipe!
Step by step instructions of Miso Katsudon
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make this flavourful dish at home:
1. Cook Rice : set the rice cooker first if you don’t have rice ready. If you don’t have a rice cooker see this post for instructions.
2. Make Tonkatsu
- Mix the egg, flour, water, and mayonnaise in a small bowl to make a batter.
- Prepare the pork cutlets: Pound the pork loin chops until they are about half an inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Mix the egg, flour, water, and mayonnaise in a small bowl to make a batter. *note that I found this way is quicker and easier. I don’t set up breading station but instead, i mix them all together to make batter.
- Coat each pork fillet slice into the batter then place into the Panko crumbs.
- Coat the pork cutlets in panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs), pressing gently to adhere them to the meat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium heat until it reaches around 180 c.
- Deep fry the breaded pork cutlets until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove the tonkatsu from the deep frying pan and place them on a paper towel-lined wire rack to drain any excess oil.
3. Make Miso katsu sauce
- Usually tonkatsu is served with tonkatsu sauce (a tangy-sweet sauce made from Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and other seasonings). But miso katsudon uses miso sauce which is also easy to make.
- Simply place all the miso sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil over high heat and stir to combine.
4. Serve
- Place some rice in a bowl, and drizzle some of the miso sauce, then top with the salad leaves/cabbage and the sliced tonkatsu pork.
- Pour the miso sauce over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds
Variations and Substitutions of Miso Katsudon
For whatever reason you do not eat pork, you can replace it with chicken, fish, seafoods, and even vegetarian options such as tofu (use firm tofu).
You can also bake the cutlets instead of deep frying to make it healthier.
Tips to make perfect Miso Katsudon
One key ingredient in miso katsu is hatcho miso, a type of miso paste that is known for its deep umami flavour and robust taste. This unique variety of miso adds depth and complexity to the dish, complementing the crispy texture of the pork cutlet perfectly. As I said above, because it is a special type of miso it can be difficult to find outside of Japan. You can use any other type of miso but, if possible, use red miso which will have a more similar richness.
Miso katsudon is a filling and comforting traditional Japanese dish that is easy to make at home. It combines the crunchiness of fried pork cutlets with the umami-rich flavor of miso sauce that makes it so irresistibly delicious.
Here is my recipe for Miso Katsudon and If you liked it, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Miso Katsu Don
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice
- 1 piece Hirekatsu
- Salad leaves or shredded cabbage to serve
- Sesame seeds to sprinkle Optional
Miso Sauce
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbs miso
- 1.5 tbs mirin
- 1/2 tbs sake
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp dashi powder
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to your rice cooker instructions or if you don’t have one, follow the recipe here.
- Cook the Hirekatsu by following the instructions here.
- Place all the miso sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil over high heat.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce for about 8-10 min to reduce the sauce and make the consistency thicker.
- Slice the cooked Hirekatsu into 2cm strips and set aside.
- Place some of the rice in a bowl, and drizzle some of the miso sauce, then top with the salad leaves/cabbage and the sliced fried pork.
- Pour the miso sauce over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds then serve!
Chris says
If I was too use homemade dashi, rather than dashi powder, do I omit the 100ml of water and use 100ml of homemade dashi?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Chris, yes, that is correct 😀
Smyth says
I like your recipe for tonkatsu sauce
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Smyth 😀
Cat says
Thank you for this recipe! It was so so good!!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Cat Thank you for leaving lovely comment. If you liked the recipe, please rate the recipe as well 😀
Sandy says
The miso sauce is sooooo goooood! I can use it as salad dressing and dipping sauce for meat and fish. It is very versatile and super easy and quick to make. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
You are welcome Sandy 😀 this is my favourite miso sauce too as you mentioned can be used for many dishes!
Marian says
Hello Shihoko, I am excited to start cooking Japanese dishes and Have bought the main Japanese ingredients like Miso paste, Dashi packet, Bonito flakes etc.
I would like to try this recipe but don’t have Dashi Powder. What can I do to substitute for it?
Thanks so much!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Marian, did you buy dashi packet? that is dashi powder 😀 If not you can make it from scratch which will taste better. The recipe is https://www.chopstickchronicles.com/how-to-make-dashi-stock/
Noelle says
I made this dish tonight and it was amazing! It tasted just like the miso katsudon I ate in Nagoya.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Noelle, I am glad to hear that 😀 Happy cooking Japanese dishes 😀
Jacky says
Thank you for posting your delicious recipes Shikoko. Your blog is my most favourite of all the culinary blogs I follow. I am so glad I found yours. I look forward to you next instalment. Best wishes.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Jacky 😀 Thank you so much for your warm comment. It is my pleasure to share my love of Japanese food that I grow up with and food photography 😀
Alexa@ Doorstep Organics says
Looking so good and yummy. Perfectly cooked for rice.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Alexa 😀
Billy says
I cannot wait to make this at home. Looks so delicious. Miso is one of my favorite ingredients and flavors of all time. Thanks so much for sharing.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Billy. I am sure you will love this if you like miso 😀
pablo says
perfect combination !
Chopstick Chronicles says
It is, isn’t it! it’s one of my favourites!
Caitlyn P says
Do you have a preferred sake to use with this recipe?
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Caitlyn, I usually use sake for cooking because they are cheaper than for drinking. I just checked the brand I have in my pantry, is “Hinode cooking Sake”.
AiPing | Curious Nut says
I’ve never had any form of katsu with miso on it. This is a must try. Looks gorgeously delicious as always.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Ohh AiPing, you should try this! I think Miso is the best sauce for any Katsu:D Nagoya is very famous for it and there are a lots of restaurant specialise in Miso Katsu in Japan.
Lis @ The Fare Sage says
I’m so excited! Miso KatsuDon is my favourite way to eat this meal and I’ve always wanted to find a recipe for the addictive miso sauce. Thank you 🙂
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
It is addictive! I use it for even just plain rice:D
Lis @ The Fare Sage says
I’m so excited! I’ve just published an Katsu recipe on my blog and the one thing that has been missing from my Katsu is a miso sauce! Its my all time favourite way to eat this meal. Can’t wait to try this sauce, thank you 🙂
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Sweet Miso sauce is my favourite for Tonkatsu, Hirekatsu and Chicken Katsu <3 too.
Sarah - The Charming Detroiter says
This looks phenom! My fiance and I lovvvvve Asian food, and we are always looking for new delicious recipes! Can’t wait to try this one!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Sarah 😀 I am glad that you find new recipe here!
Peter @ Feed Your Soul Too says
Love the texture and flavors in this dish.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Peter 😀
jacqueline | i sugar coat it! says
I am recently addicted to miso! This looks soooo GOOD – will have to give it a try.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Jacqueline 😀 Miso is my favourite Japanese condiments!
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
Why does frying always taste better! Though I do agree that baked is just as good, sort of. What a great twist on tonkatsu.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Sara:D I agree, frying taste better always but also I have to watch my waist line at same time T.T