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Bento Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu Bento

This is how to make a bento with recipes for tonkatsu, chicken karaage, and tamagoyaki.
Cook Time:30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: bento lunch box, bento lunch ideas, easy japanese recipe, easy lunch ideas, how to make bento, lunchbox recipes, tonkatsu recipe
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Tonkatsu ingredients

  • 2 Pork loin
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 8 tbsp Panko bread crumbs

Chicken Karaage

  • 2 Chicken thigh
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sake
  • 1 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 clove Garlic grated
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger grated
  • 4 tbsp Potato starch for coating
  • Neutral flavor oil ie canola oil

Tamagoyaki ingredients

  • 5 Eggs
  • 3 tbsp Hontsuyu
  • 1 tsp Mirin
  • 1 tsp Sugar

Additional ingredients

  • Cooked rice
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Perilla leaves
  • Broccoli
  • Tomato
  • Tonkatsu sauce

Instructions

How to make Tonkatsu

  • Tenderize pork using a meat mallet (you can use a fork)
  • Season pork with salt and pepper
  • Prepare flour, egg, and panko station. Egg should be whisked until the egg yolk and egg white is combined.
  • Coat pork in flour, egg, then panko bread crumbs
  • Heat neutral-flavored oil in a pot
  • Deep fry pork on medium heat
  • Fry both sides for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown (depending on thickness and size of pork)
  • Remove from oil and slice into 3/4in pieces

How to make Chicken Karaage

  • Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
  • Place chicken in a bowl and combine with soy sauce, sake, mirin, garlic, and ginger
  • Marinate for at least 30 min
  • Remove from marinade and coat chicken in potato starch
  • Heat oil in a pot
  • Deep fry chicken on medium heat until golden brown (timing depends on size of chicken)
  • Remove from oil and place on wire rack to remove excess oil (you can place it on a paper towel to remove excess oil as well)

How to make Tamagoyaki

  • Whisk together egg, soy sauce, mirin, sugar in a mixing bowl (I am using a measuring cup because it is easier to pour)
  • On low heat, oil pan and remove excess oil with paper towel.
  • Pour a thin layer of the egg mixture into a rectangle shaped tamagoyaki pan. If you do not have a tamagoyaki pan, you can use a regular pan
  • Once it is half cooked, gather the egg onto one side of the pan
  • Pour a thin layer of the egg mixture, lift the cooked egg so the runny egg will steep under the cooked egg. This ensures a smooth transition and gives it the rolled effect
  • Once the egg mixture is half cooked, roll the omelet over to the other side
  • Continue this process until the egg mixture is gone
  • Make sure to shape and press into a rectangular shape as you continue to build the omelet
  • Remove from heat and chill for 10 minutes before slicing
  • Slice in ½ in pieces and it is ready to be packed in a bento

Plating

  • Place rice on one side of the bento box
  • Place shredded cabbage on another side
  • Drizzle tonkatsu on the cabbage
  • Add tonkatsu
  • Chicken karaage
  • Tamagoyaki
  • Add additional veggies
  • Use tonkatsu sauce on the tonkatsu
  • Place lid and bento is ready!