Tonkatsu Bento
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
5 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
1 bento
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Calories
527 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Japanese
Tonkatsu Bento
Description
The bento begins with cooking Japanese short-grain rice, which yields sticky, tender grains that hold their shape when packed. The rice fills half the bento box and is allowed to cool slightly to prevent wilting of other components. Pre-cooked or leftover pork cutlet is reheated and placed atop the rice, drizzled with tonkatsu sauce, a sweet and savory condiment that enhances the fried meat's flavor.
Fresh vegetables including cherry tomatoes, lettuce, thinly sliced red radish, and blanched broccoli provide crispness and contrasting textures. Salad dressing can be added separately for convenience. The assembly results in a visually appealing and nutritionally varied meal, ideal for lunch on the go.
Practical tips emphasize food safety, cooling components before packing, and recommended rice quantity. The recipe notes suggest specific rice cooking methods and allow for use of pre-made tonkatsu sauce and pre-blanched vegetables to streamline preparation.
Ingredients
- Japanese short-grain rice enough to fill half of your bento box, cooked
- pork cutlet pre-made; leftovers work well; see how to make my Tonkatsu or Baked Tonkatsu recipes, tonkatsu style
- tonkatsu sauce (you can make my homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe)
- cherry tomato
- lettuce
- radish red
- broccoli (pre-blanched; see Notes; see how to freeze blanched vegetables for bento ahead of time)
- salad dressing (of your choice; you can make Japanese salad dressing or yuzu dressing at home)
Instructions
- Before You Start: For the steamed rice, please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ US cups (330 g) of cooked white rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- Fill up half of the bento box with cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Let it cool so that the hot/warm rice will not warm up the other cool food.
- Meanwhile, take out your leftover tonkatsu from the refrigerator and bake it for a few minutes in a toaster oven until it‘s warm.
- Place the tonkatsu on top of the cooling rice and drizzle tonkatsu sauce on top (or put it in a separate sauce container).
- Wash the cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and red radish and pat dry. Cut if necessary. Place nicely in the bento box along with some blanched broccoli.
- Pour salad dressing in a sauce container (I bought at a local Daiso, a Japanese dollar shop).
- Let the contents cool down completely before closing the bento box.
Notes
- Cook Japanese short-grain rice precisely; ¾ cup uncooked rice yields about 2¼ cups cooked.
- Cool cooked rice before adding other ingredients to avoid wilting fresh vegetables.
- Use pre-made or leftover tonkatsu, reheated gently to maintain texture.
- Pre-blanch broccoli ahead of time or freeze for convenient bento assembly.
- Include salad dressing separately to keep vegetables fresh before eating.
- Follow food safety tips to ensure packed bento stays safe and tasty.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1bento
Amount Per Serving
Calories 527 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 527kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 123mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 274mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 590mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 629IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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