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What Great Grandma Ate / Recipes / 30 Minutes or Less / Air Fryer Tonkatsu (Japanese Fried Pork Cutlet) – Paleo, Whole30, Keto

Air Fryer Tonkatsu (Japanese Fried Pork Cutlet) – Paleo, Whole30, Keto

Last Updated on March 8, 2021 by Jean Choi 10 Comments

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Grab a copy of my cookbook, Korean Paleo: 80 Bold-Flavored, Gluten- and Grain-Free Recipes!

These air fryer tonkatsu is a leaner version of traditionally deep fried Japanese fried pork cutlet, and it turns out so juicy and crispy! They are paleo, Whole30, and keto, and served with a delicious homemade tonkatsu sauce!

crunchy air fryer tonkatsu with homemade tonkatsu sauce on top

Tonkatsu was a meal on rotation in our house growing up. While it’s a Japanese dish, it’s wildly popular in Korea and you can find a variety of restaurants specializing in it with different versions and flavors there.

What is Tonkatsu?

Tonkatsu is a Japanese fried pork cutlet dish that’s breaded with Panko breadcrumbs then deep fried in oil. It’s served with a delicious sweet and tangy sauce, with a side of cabbage and rice. It’s such a comfort food for me!

Paleo Air Fryer Tonkatsu Recipe

These crunchy and juicy Whole30 and keto pork cutlets are made healthier and easier in the air fryer. There’s no mess or splatter involved, and I was shocked at how much it tasted like the deep fried version.

For this grain free and paleo pork cutlet recipe, pork panko is used instead of breadcrumbs. It’s such a tasty and low carb alternative to breading, and you can hardly notice the difference! The delicious and easy tonkatsu sauce really pulls the dish together so it tastes like the authentic traditional version.

Ingredients in Paleo Tonkatsu

The ingredients are fairly simple for this paleo and Whole30 tonkatsu. The homemade tonkatsu sauce actually requires more ingredients than the pork:

Air Fryer Tonkatsu Ingredients:

  • Thin boneless pork chops: These should be about 1/4 inch thick. If they are thicker, you can use a meat mallet to pound them down.
  • Coconut flour
  • Egg
  • Pork Panko: These are just crushed up pork rinds and you can find them already prepared HERE. You can also grind them up yourself, and I suggest you use a food processor.

Easy Tonkatsu Sauce Ingredients:

  • Ketchup: To keep it Whole30 and keto, make sure you use sugar free ketchup. I love this one.
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Coconut aminos
  • Molasses
  • Coconut sugar
  • Dijon mustard: This one is a Whole30-compliant brand.
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Ground ginger
japanese fried pork cutlet stacked in a bowl

How to Make Pork Tonkatsu in the Air Fryer

It just takes some simple steps to make this keto tonkatsu, and it really doesn’t take a long time in the air fryer. Here’s how to make pork tonkatsu in the air fryer:

  1. Make the homemade tonkatsu sauce first. Whisk together all ingredients together then chill while you make the keto pork cutlets.
  2. Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
  3. Set up an assembly line of 3 bowls for the breading station, each with coconut flour, whisked egg, and pork panko. Dredge each pork chop into coconut flour, then dip into egg, then dredge in pork panko.
  4. Cook in the air fryer for 5 minutes per side. Increase the heat to 400 degrees F, then cook for an additional 2 minutes per side.
  5. Serve paleo tonkatsu with the tonkatsu sauce.

You can serve with coleslaw or shredded cabbage, along with rice or cauliflower rice.

crunchy keto pork cutlets (air fryer tonkatsu) served with rice and coleslaw

Keto or Whole30 Version

The base recipe uses molasses and coconut sugar in the sauce, but to make keto or Whole30 tonkatsu, you just need to make a small substitution for the sweetener.

For keto tonkatsu sauce:

  • Omit molasses and coconut sugar, and add Swerve sweetener instead. I would start with 1 tsp, then taste to add more if desired.

For Whole30 tonkatsu sauce:

  • Omit molasses and coconut sugar, and add 1/2 of a medjool date. For this version, you’ll have to blend the sauce so the date can break down. Taste and add more, if desired.
drizzling easy tonkatsu sauce over paleo air fryer tonkatsu

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Air Fryer Tonkatsu (Japanese Fried Pork Cutlet) – Paleo, Whole30, Keto

These air fryer tonkatsu is a leaner version of traditionally deep fried Japanese fried pork cutlet, and it turns out so juicy and crispy! They are paleo, Whole30, and keto, with clean ingredients.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: 30 minute keto recipes, easy tonkatsu sauce, homemade tonkatsu sauce, how to make pork tonkatsu, japanese fried pork cutlet, keto air fryer recipes, keto pork cutlets, keto tonkatsu, paleo air fryer recipes, paleo asian dishes, paleo pork cutlet recipe, paleo tonkatsu, whole30 air fryer recipes, whole30 asian recipes, Whole30 tonkatsu
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 299kcal

Ingredients

Tonkatsu

  • 1 lb boneless pork chops thin cut (about 4)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 large egg whisked
  • 1½ cup pork panko or ground up pork rinds

Tonkatsu Sauce

  • 1/4 cup sugar-free ketchup
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp molasses omit for Whole30 and keto
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar Use 1 tsp Swerve for keto (see Notes for nutrition info), or ½ medjool date for Whole30
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Make the tonkatsu sauce first by whisking together all its ingredients. If you are making a Whole30 version, blend the ingredients together so the date can break down. Taste to add more sweetener if desired. Chill until ready to use.
  • Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees F.
  • Pat the pork dry, then generously season with salt and pepper.
  • Set up an assembly line of 3 bowls, each with coconut flour, whisked egg, and pork panko.
  • Working one at a time, dredge each pork chop into coconut flour, dip into egg, then dredge in pork panko. Press to coat.
  • Add the pork into the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip to cook for 5 more minutes. Increase the air fryer temperature to 400 degrees F, then cook for 2 additional minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
  • Serve immediately with tonkatsu sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Tonkatsu (Japanese Fried Pork Cutlet) – Paleo, Whole30, Keto
Amount Per Serving (1 serving – makes 4)
Calories 299 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 127mg42%
Sodium 721mg31%
Potassium 473mg14%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 70IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for the keto version using Swerve:
What Great Grandma Ate / Jean Choi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.


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By Jean Choi | March 4, 2021

Comments

  1. tina says

    March 10, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    I love tonkatsu! This would go prefect with ramen!

    Reply
  2. ChihYu says

    March 10, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    This tonkatsu is the best!! Delicious, tender pork and that yummy crispy coating! Comfort food!

    Reply
  3. Stacey Crawford says

    March 12, 2021 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    These are so crisp & delicious in the air fryer & we love that sauce!!

    Reply
  4. yang says

    March 12, 2021 at 9:23 pm

    5 stars
    This tonkatsu is so delicious! The sauce makes it all the better. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

    March 13, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I love how crunchy and flavorful this dish is! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Donny says

    March 15, 2021 at 7:25 am

    5 stars
    I love tonkatsu! I don’t have an air fryer but I’m definitely going to use your ingredients for a stovetop version. Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Erica Kobus says

    March 18, 2021 at 8:08 am

    5 stars
    Such a delicious recipe! The pork panko adds so much flavor and crisps up perfectly! Can’t wait to make again

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      March 18, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks so much!! <3

      Reply
  8. Tom says

    July 16, 2022 at 4:45 pm

    5 stars
    This was great! I had bought a pork tenderloin that I cut up and smashed into cutlets to make Tonkatsu with, but didn’t really want to fry them in oil too badly. I searched for air fryer Tonkatsu and found this. I don’t think I’ll ever fry my Tonkatsu in oil again unless I’m cooking for a larger group of people.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      July 25, 2022 at 7:41 am

      Thank you so much for the review! I’ll have to try with pork tenderloin.

      Reply

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Welcome!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate I’m Jean and I’m a Nutritional Therapist (NTP) living in Southern California with my husband and 2 dog babies. On WGGA, you’ll find simple and easy gluten-, dairy-, and processed sugar-free recipes that focus on quality nutrients, and of course, never sacrifice on taste. I believe that the food you love should love you back, making you feel amazing inside and out. I apologize in advance for my inappropriate jokes and misunderstood sarcasm! More About Jean

Recipe Key

  • 3030 Min or Less
  • AIPAIP
  • EFEgg Free
  • LCLow Carb
  • NFNut Free
  • PPaleo
  • VVegan
  • W3Whole 30

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