Chicken Katsu Recipe (2024)

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This savory and sweet Chicken Katsu Recipe is a perfect starter dish for people new to Japanese cuisine. It’s crunchy Japanese fried chicken and egg over rice! Everyone will love it!

Chicken Katsu Recipe (1)

Who doesn’t like fried chicken?!Chickenkatsu is a very traditional andpopular Japanese dishwe all can enjoy. And it is a perfect starter dish for people who may be on the fence about trying Japanese food for the first time. Because the main ingredients are super recognizable to the Western palate, this chicken katsu recipe won’t trigger the same trepidation that a dish like tako-wasa or natto might to a Japanese food first-timer. However, the use of dashi, sake, soy sauce and mirin combine to create a flavor profile that will hit all the right flavor notes you’re looking for when devouring Japanese food.

When I was growing up in a small town in Quebec, my Japanese mother had a difficult time tracking down many of the ingredients she needed to make a ton of the great dishes from her heritage. But, what’s easier to find than chicken breast, eggs and rice in North America? My mother made this chicken katsu recipe on the regular and introduced my brother and me to the balance of savory, sweet and umami flavors that would grow to become my preferred flavor profile later in life.

The fried preparation of the chicken in this chicken katsu recipe is similar to the treatment a pork cutlet would get in the better known (yet similar) Japanese dish tonkatsu. Panko breadcrumbs are made from crustless bread and are coarsely ground. The large, airy flakes tend to give fried foods a light, crunchy coating – and have the tendency to stay crisp longer once cooked than traditional breadcrumbs. Panko is the perfect breading for this delicious chicken katsu recipe!

Tender sweet and savory onions and cooked eggs amp this chicken katsu recipe up to the next level – and impart an unreal depth of flavor. Whether you’re a first timer or a pro – this Japanese recipe will satisfy! You might say that this chicken katsu recipe is comfort-food-lite.I’ve been asked several times to post a katsudon recipe, so here it is! This chicken katsu recipe is very easy to make and has all the right flavors; far from being bland, it’s both sweet and savory and comes with plenty of tasty onions and eggs. Traditionally served over a bed ofrice, this Japanese specialtyis comforting and perfect as a family meal.

Did you like this chicken katsu recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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Chicken Katsu Recipe (2)

Chicken katsu

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  • Author: Caroline Phelps
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Poultry
  • Method: Deep Frying
  • Cuisine: Japanese

Description

Fried chicken and egg over rice is the perfect starter meal for people new to Japanese cuisine.

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • all purpose flour, for dusting
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Oil, for deep frying
  • 1/2 medium onion, sliced into half moons
  • 1 handful basil or flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup dashi stock
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 4 cups cooked Japanese rice

Instructions

  1. Add oil to a pot and turn the heat to medium heat.
  2. Dip the chicken pieces in the following order: flour, egg (use one egg) and panko.
  3. In another large pan, put the sliced onions, dashi, sugar, sake, soy sauce and mirin, and simmer until onions are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes).
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 eggs.
  5. When the oil reaches 350ºF, slowly add chicken pieces to it. Keep deep frying until they are golden brown. Take the chicken pieces out and rest them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
  6. Add the chicken to the onions, pour the eggs around the chicken, over the onions, and cook for a minute or two. Sprinkle basil or parsley on top, turn the heat off when eggs are cooked through.
  7. Serve with rice.

Notes

You can keep any leftovers for a day or two in the fridge – but it’s definitely best to eat this Chicken Katsu recipe immediately after cooking.

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Chicken Katsu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes chicken katsu different from fried chicken? ›

This is why the best Chicken Katsu is breaded in panko breadcrumbs – the lighter panko breadcrumbs allow for a crispier, lighter crunch than traditional breading (like for fried chicken).

What is katsu coating made of? ›

Katsu, a popular Japanese comfort food of breaded cutlets, is commonly made with chicken or pork. For this chicken version, boneless chicken breasts are pounded thin, dredged in flour, egg and panko, then fried until golden brown for an irresistible crispy crust that yields to — and protects — juicy meat inside.

What is katsu batter made of? ›

Flour: All-purpose flour helps seal in the moisture, adds flavor, and promotes browning. Egg: An egg adds moisture and gives the Panko something to stick to. Panko: Panko bread crumbs are responsible for katsu's signature crunch. Oil: Opt for a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as canola or vegetable oil.

What is chicken katsu sauce made of? ›

Katsu sauce is made of surprisingly simple ingredients, most of which are probably already in your pantry: Ketchup or tomato sauce. Worcestershire sauce. Soy sauce or Tamari.

What's the difference between panko and katsu? ›

Only two things distinguish it. First, katsu must be made with panko crumbs (as opposed to European-style breaded cutlets, where panko may occasionally be called for but is not a requirement). And second, it must be served with katsu sauce.

Is chicken katsu just schnitzel? ›

Both are fried chicken preparations. Katsu is a Japanese recipe where the entire piece of chicken is breaded ( with other ingredients) and fried. Schnitzel is a boneless filet( I pound mine out) breaded ( again other ingredients ) and fried.

How do you get katsu breading to stick? ›

troubleshooting katsu(Japanese schnitzel) breading falling off
  1. pork loin/shoulder/steak pat dry.
  2. season & hammer.
  3. dredge into flour.
  4. dip into egg + cream/milk mixture.
  5. dredge into panko.
  6. let it rest in fridge to absorb the coating.
  7. fry.
  8. rest and cut into slices.
Dec 31, 2021

What is the trick to getting crispy chicken? ›

Fry it twice.

Try Fontana's method for “blanching” fried chicken: Heat oil to 250 degrees and cook chicken breasts for about five minutes, or bone-in chicken for about 12 minutes. Let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then fry again, two to three minutes for breasts or five minutes for bone-in.

What are the spices in katsu? ›

Katsu curry powder is a blend of spices commonly used in Japanese cuisine to make Katsu Curry sauce. It is a popular dish in Japan, typically used with breaded and fried meat or vegetables. This Katsu curry blend is made up of coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, fennel, garlic, chillies and more.

What oil is best for frying katsu? ›

Tonkatsu Sauce: You can get Tonkastu Sauce at an Asian grocery store or make your own version at home. Oil: You'll need oil to deep fry the chicken. Peanut oil is great for deep frying, but you can also use vegetable oil or a healthier oil like olive oil.

What is the red stuff on katsu chicken? ›

f*ckujinzuke is a mixture of Japanese radish (daikon), lotus root, cucumber and eggplant which are preserved in a soya sauce and sweet cooking wine (mirin) base. The sweet brown or red relish is served as a garnish to Japanese curry (kare raisu).

What is the red stuff on katsu? ›

Red Pickles for Curry

Along with rakkyo, f*ckujinzuke is one of the most popular of Japanese pickled accompaniments, particularly with curry. Made from various finely-chopped vegetables such as radish, aubergine, cucumber, lotus root and shiso buds, it is pickled in soy sauce, sugar or mirin and a range of other spices.

Is chicken katsu just fried chicken? ›

Chicken katsu (chicken cutlet (Japanese: チキンカツ, Hepburn: chikinkatsu)), also known as panko chicken or tori katsu (torikatsu (鶏カツ)) is a Japanese dish of fried chicken made with panko bread crumbs. It is related to tonkatsu, fried pork cutlets.

What is the difference between chicken katsu and tonkatsu? ›

Katsu refers to a Japanese dish featuring a breaded and deep-fried cutlet, typically made from pork (tonkatsu), chicken (chicken katsu), or other meats. It's often served with rice and cabbage or as part of a set meal with miso soup and pickles.

What do you eat with katsu? ›

Serve rice, cabbage salad and chicken cutlets with tonkatsu sauce drizzled on top or on the side. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions if you like. Enjoy right away while cutlets are hot or transfer to a wire rack to rest so the bottoms don't get soggy.

What's the difference between chicken katsu and chicken karaage? ›

What is the difference between karaage and katsu? Katsu refers to deep-fried cutlet and commonly uses chicken breast that's been breaded with panko before frying, while karaage uses bite-size chicken thighs that are coated potato or corn starch. We serve katsu with a sweet-savory brown sauce called tonkatsu sauce.

What is the difference between chicken fried chicken and fried chicken? ›

First, fried chicken is bone-in chicken pieces from all parts of the bird that are coated in flour. Chicken-fried chicken, however, is a flattened chicken breast that is dredged in flour, then dunked into an egg and buttermilk wash, and then back into the flour again.

Does katsu mean fried? ›

Meaning of katsu in English

a Japanese dish consisting of a piece of meat, usually chicken, or vegetable, covered in bread crumbs, fried, then usually cut into strips and eaten with a sauce: One of my favorite dishes growing up, chicken katsu is basically the Japanese version of fried chicken.

How is Japanese fried chicken different? ›

While American fried chicken uses flour batter or beer batter, karaage uses potato starch or potato powder(katakuriko 片栗粒), giving you the feeling of eating chicken and fries at the same time!

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