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    Home » Recipes » Asian

    Pork Katsu Onigirazu

    Last Modified: March 29, 2021 - Published by: christieathome

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pork Katsu Onigirazu

    Pork Katsu Onigirazu, also known as Tonkatsu Sushi Sandwich. A crispy piece of panko breaded pork wrapped in sushi rice, nori seasoned with tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo and salt. It is absolutely delicious!

    Great as a snack, for a picnic or as a meal! If you’re not a fan of tonkatsu, check out my other Onigirazu recipe featuring 3 other fillings: tuna mayo, spam, and eggs and veggies.

    I am big fan of Japanese onigirazu. I could eat sushi rice wrapped in nori with some salt and call it a day!  It is so simple, delicious and easy to make at home. In Canada, this is a sandwich that you won’t find in restaurants but it’s incredibly popular in Japan.

    So, whenever I have a craving for this dish, I will make my own until I find a restaurant that serves it! I also first learned about onigirazu by watching this video!

    Many filling ideas!

    There are many kinds of onigirazu fillings that you can choose from but to keep this one savoury and delicious, I want to stick with a tonkatsu cucumber filling. Of course, there are many other onigirazu ideas, such as raw salmon with veggies, onigirazu spam, onigirazu tuna, or onigirazu vegan style.

    Pork Katsu Onigirazu

    No mold required!

    Also the best part about my Pork Katsu Onigirazu is that it does not require a onigirazu mold! You will just need some cling film, if you want to make them look aesthetically pleasing.

    Easy to make!

    This easy onigirazu recipe is simple and so good. It doesn’t call for too many ingredients compared to other onigirazu recipes online.  All you need is some sushi rice, cucumbers, nori, salt, store bought tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo (normal mayo works well too), pork loins, panko breadcrumbs, egg, cornstarch, and oil. You may have most of the ingredients already if you have a Japanese ingredient pantry.

    Tips for making onigirazu katsu

    • Use thinly sliced pork loins. This will reduce the cooking time.
    • When coating your pork loins in cornstarch, egg and panko breadcrumbs, make sure the loins are evenly coated and not missing any spots or it’ll result in a patchy breaded tonkatsu.
    • Cook tonkatsu over medium heat and no higher. When you crank up the heat, this will result in undercooked pork with a burnt or overly browned breaded coating.
    • Allow the pork katsu to cool on a cooling rack to prevent the residual oil from making it soggy. If you don’t own a cooling rack, use a plate with paper towel to absorb the leftover oil.
    • Use sushi rice for onigirazu. This is important as this type of rice is stickier which is good for sushi like recipes. If you use a long grain white rice, the rice won’t stick together
    • Use warm same-day cooked rice to prevent the sushi sandwich from falling apart. When rice is refrigerated overnight, it loses moisture and you’ll need that moisture to make these sushi sandwiches.
    • Before you assemble your onigirazu, place your nori rough side up on cling film. This will make it easier when you wrap the cling film around your sandwich.
    • Do not over fill when making this onigirazu recipe. Only use the specified amounts or your sandwich will come apart.
    • The sauce is needed or the onigirazu will taste dry.
    • Wrap the cling film around the onigirazu tightly and slice in half with a very sharp knife.
    Pork Katsu Onigirazu

    FAQ

    How do you eat Onigirazu?

    It is eaten at room temperature by hand, like a sandwich.

    What is the difference between onigirazu vs onigiri?

    Onigiri is also made of sushi rice, nori, salt and a filling of your choice; however the main difference is the shape. It’s not a sushi sandwich like onigirazu. The filled rice is shaped into a triangle then wrapped in a nori.

    How do you pronounce Onigirazu?

    Onigirazu is pronounced as “Oni-gi-razu”.

    Is onigiri Korean or Japanese?

    Onigirazu originates from Japan!

    Other recipes you may like!

    JAPANESE TUNA ONIGIRI
    FOLDED KIMBAP
    CHRISTMAS TEMARI SUSHI BALLS
    PORK BELLY KIMBAP
    VEGGIE SUSHI
    KOREAN EGG ROLL KIMBAP
    SPICY TUNA KIMBAP
    DECONSTRUCTED TUNA KIMBAP BOWL
    KOREAN TUNA MAYO DEOPBAP

    For this recipe

    You will need the following ingredients:

    • 6 sheets nori
    • 2 cups warm cooked sushi rice
    • ½ cucumber, sliced thinly
    • Tonkatsu sauce, store bought
    • Japanese mayo, store bought
    • Salt

    Tonkatsu ingredients:

    • 675 grams pork loin slices, 6 thinly sliced pieces
    • 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 large egg, whisked
    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ⅓ cup oil

    How to make onigirazu tonkatsu

    1. Pat dry your pork loins. Then dip and evenly coat each piece of your pork loin into 1) cornstarch then 2) whisked egg and lastly 3) panko breadcrumbs.
    2. In a large pan set over medium heat, add oil. Check if oil it hot enough by dipping a wooden chopstick into it and look for bubbles. Then carefully lower the coated pork loins into the hot oil.
    3. Fry on both sides for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove pork and place onto a cooling rack to allow the excess oil to drip off.

    To assemble Onigirazu:

    Place a sheet of cling film (approx. 15 inches by 12 inches) onto a cutting board. Then place a sheet of nori, rough side up, onto the cling film.

    Add ⅓ cup of warm cooked sushi rice in the middle of the nori and shape it into a diamond.

    Season the rice with a sprinkle of salt. Squeeze about ½ tablespoon of tonkatsu sauce and ½ tablespoon of Japanese mayo over the rice.

    Then place 6 pieces of thinly sliced cucumbers over the sauce, followed by tonkatsu or pork katsu.

    Wrap the ends toward the middle like an envelope. Then wrap the cling film tightly around the sandwich.

    Using a sharp knife, cut the onigirazu in half. Repeat for the remaining ingredients. Serve and enjoy!

    pork katsu onigirazu

    Give it a try!

    Well, I hope you give my Pork Katsu Onigirazu a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my Pork Katsu Onigirazu, please share it with your family and friends or on social media!

    Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating for my Pork Katsu Onigirazu, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    pork katsu onigirazu

    Pork Katsu Onigirazu

    christieathome
    Pork Katsu Onigirazu, also known as Tonkatsu Sushi Sandwich. A crispy piece of panko breaded pork wrapped in sushi rice, nori seasoned with tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo and salt. Absolutely delicious. Great as a snack, for a picnic or as a meal!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 6 mins
    Assembly time: 20 mins
    Total Time 36 mins
    Course dinner, lunch, Snack
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 6
    Calories per serving 577 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 sheets nori
    • 2 cups cooked sushi rice
    • ½ cucumber sliced thinly
    • 3 tablespoon Tonkatsu sauce store bought
    • 3 tablespoon mayonnaise Japanese kind, store bought
    • Salt

    Tonkatsu ingredients:

    • 675 grams pork loin 6 thinly sliced pieces
    • 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 large egg whisked
    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    • Pat dry your pork loins. Then dip and evenly coat each piece of your pork loin into 1) cornstarch then 2) whisked egg and lastly 3) panko breadcrumbs.
    • In a large pan set over medium heat, add oil. Check if oil it hot enough by dipping a wooden chopstick into it and look for bubbles. Then carefully lower the coated pork loins into the hot oil.
    • Fry on both sides for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove pork and place onto a cooling rack to allow the excess oil to drip off.

    To assemble Onigirazu:

    • Place a sheet of cling film (approx. 15 inches by 12 inches) onto a cutting board. Then place a sheet of nori, rough side up onto the cling film.
    • Add ⅓ cup of warm cooked sushi rice in the middle of the nori and shape it into a diamond
    • Season the rice with a sprinkle of salt. Add ½ tablespoon of tonkatsu sauce and ½ tablespoon of Japanese mayo over the rice.
    • Then place 6 pieces of thinly sliced cucumbers over the sauce, followed by tonkatsu or pork katsu.
    • Wrap the ends toward the middle like an envelope. Then wrap the cling film tightly around the sandwich.
    • Using a sharp knife, cut the onigirazu in half. Repeat for the remaining ingredients. Serve and enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Rice Cooker
    Measuring Set
    Cutting Board
    Cling film
    Santoku Knife
    Nutrition
    Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course dinner, lunch, Snack
    Cuisine Japanese
    Keyword easy onigirazu recipe, how to make onigirazu, japanese onigirazu, onigirazu fillings, onigirazu katsu, onigirazu recipe, pork katsu onigirazu recipe

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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