Have you tasted an amazing dish that is made out of a super simple ingredient, like slices of ham found in the corner of your refrigerator? Enter Ham Katsu (ハムカツ).
What is Ham Katsu?
It’s a deep-fried cutlet made with slices of ham that are coated with flour, egg, and Japanese panko, and deep-fried till golden color. It’s such a humble dish, yet there’s something downright satisfactory about biting through the crisp layer of golden-brown breading and salty-savory ham. If you are a fan of Tonkatsu and Chicken Katsu, you have to give this Ham Katsu a try. Whether you serve it as a main meal or as an appetizer with a glass of cold beer, I know that this will be your next favorite dish. This Ham Katsu recipe is featured on the popular Japanese TV drama called “Shinya Shokudo (深夜食堂)” or “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” on Netflix.
When I saw the master made Ham Katsu with just slices of ham, I knew I had to head over to the kitchen and make it. My mother makes Ham Katsu, but her version, the one I grew up eating, is more complicated and time-consuming. Hers came with Japanese Potato Salad between slices of ham. It’s really delicious, but it requires more effort and time since you need to prepare the potato salad first (unless you have leftovers). Midnight Diner’s Ham Katsu is much simpler and easier to make than my mother’s, yet my family LOOOOOVED it. Since then I’ve been buying hams for this dish, and then I use the leftovers to make ham and eggs or Japanese Potato Salad. I love that I can whip up a dinner in less than 30 minutes. My children love this dish in their lunch box too, and they love Onigiriazu with Ham Katsu.
3 Tips to Make Delicious Ham Katsu
1. Use thinly sliced hams
I have tried both thick and thin slices of ham. I thought Mr. JOC would like a thick slice cut of ham for this dish, but surprisingly, stacking up two thin slices (each slice is about 2 mm or 0.08 inch) of ham works much better to achieve the overall crispiness. And it’s more economical too.
2. Fluff up panko
I’ve used this trick in my Tonkatsu recipe with excellent results. By spraying panko with water, it revives the panko and creates this fluffy texture. Yes, it’s an additional step with an additional tool, but if you’re particular about the crispiness of panko, I know you’d be happy with this extra step. 😉
3. Must deep fry (shallow fry is okay!)
I know some of you are wondering if you can make this dish like my Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, or Baked Korokke. Trust me, I did try. But the result is not as good as the deep-fried version. The good news is you can “shallow” fry the kastu with one inch of oil in your frying pan instead of deep-frying. You also don’t need to worry if the ham is cooked through or not as it is ready to eat. The frying allows the panko to cook through until crunchy and golden. Serve these extra crispy ham katsu with a nest of shredded raw cabbage, a side of salad, Japanese mustard, and a sweet fruity Tonkatsu sauce. Steamed rice is optional. I hope this will be your next favorite weeknight dish! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
