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.
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.
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
- 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. 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!
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
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!
Did you enjoy my recipe?