Menchi Katsu (Japanese Deep-Fried Breaded Minced Meat Patty)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Menchi katsu is a Japanese deep-fried minced meat cutlet that combines ground pork and beef with caramelized onion, shaped into thick patties, coated in flour, egg wash, and coarse panko breadcrumbs, then fried at 170 degrees Celsius until the crust turns a deep, shattering golden brown.

The onion must be cooked down properly in oil and cooled before mixing into the meat so that the patties hold their shape and do not leak moisture into the breading. Coarse panko, applied generously and pressed firmly, builds a layered, craggy shell with multiple breaks and ridges that shatter on the first bite. Cutting the finished katsu open releases a rush of steaming, savory juice, and the sweetness of the cooked onion rounds out the richness of the two meats. Worcestershire or tonkatsu sauce is the standard accompaniment, though Japanese hot mustard works equally well as a sharp contrast. In Tokyo, neighborhood butcher shops fry fresh batches daily, displaying them in glass cases for customers to buy and eat on the street while still hot. The menchi katsu sandwich, where a freshly fried cutlet is pressed between thick slices of milk bread with shredded cabbage, has grown into a regional specialty category of its own.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

ground pork250 gg

ground beef150 gg

onion120 gg

egg1 eaea

salt1 tsptsp

flour70 gg

panko140 gg

frying oil900 mlml

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Finely chop 120g onion.

Add a little oil to a pan and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until translucent and less wet, then spread it out and cool completely before mixing.
2

Season

Put 250g ground pork, 150g ground beef, 1 egg, 1 tsp salt, and the cooled onion in a large bowl.

Knead by hand for about 5 minutes until sticky and cohesive enough to hold juice.
3

Prep

Divide the meat mixture into 4 to 6 portions.

Lightly oil your hands, press out trapped air, and shape round patties 1.5 to 2cm thick so the centers are not too bulky.
4

Control

Dust the patties evenly with 70g flour, keeping the layer thin but covering any wet spots.

Press 140g panko firmly over the surface with your palms so the crust stays attached during frying.
5

Heat

Heat 900ml frying oil to 170C and add 2 to 3 patties at a time.

Leave them undisturbed for the first 3 minutes so the bottom sets, then flip once when pale golden.
6

Heat

After flipping, fry for about 3 more minutes, for 5 to 6 minutes total.

Cut open the thickest patty and check that the center is fully cooked with no pink, then drain the patties upright.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Menchi Katsu consists of ground meat and caramelized onion patties coated in coarse panko crumbs.
Finish cue: Leave them undisturbed for the first 3 minutes so the bottom sets, then flip once when pale golden.
Avoid this: The onion must be cooked down properly in oil and cooled before mixing into the meat so that the patties hold their shape and do not leak moisture into the breading.
Storage and reheating: Add a little oil to a pan and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until translucent and less wet, then spread it out and cool completely before mixing.