Chicken Katsu is easy to make with simple ingredients, and this homemade version might just be better than your local sushi joint’s! Tenderized chicken is panko breaded and fried to crispy perfection in just a few simple steps.
Chicken katsu is one of those nostalgic dishes for me. Growing up, when we were on summer break or any sort of holiday where we were home and we were able to meet up with my dad for lunch, my parents always seemed to choose this Japanese restaurant in town. I even remember when I would come home from college and they’d take me out to lunch, it would be a Japanese restaurant. My dad loves the lunch bento boxes they offer – I mean, honestly, I can see why. You get the best of all the worlds. You get sushi, tempura, miso soup, salad, and your choice of meat. I remember I would always get the chicken katsu because I loved the light crispy breading and tender chicken.
Nowadays, I’m happy to see the amount of popularity Chicken Katsu has been receiving and it is so very well-deserved. When made just right, Chicken Katsu should be crispy, tender, and fried to perfection. The best part? It’s so easy to check all of those boxes in your very own kitchen.
All you need to have in order to make this recipe is chicken, flour, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, vegetable oil for frying, and just a few pinches of salt and pepper. It’s a fairly inexpensive entree to make, and it’s neutral enough to pair with a variety of side dishes and sauces. My favorite sauces to top this chicken off with are simply teriyaki or soy sauce, but you can switch that up however you’d like!
So, is Chicken Katsu the same as the fried chicken you’re probably used to? Nope! This chicken gets pounded down so it’s nice and thin, then it’s coated in crunchy Panko breadcrumbs and fried in a little bit of oil. I like that when made correctly, Chicken Katsu isn’t too oily, but you still get all of the other elements of fried chicken that you like.
What You’ll Need:
- Chicken – You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thin sliced chicken breasts.
- Flour – All purpose flour will get the job done.
- Eggs – I like to use organic free range eggs.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – Do NOT substitute this ingredient with any other type of breadcrumb, or you won’t be making Chicken Katsu!
- Salt – Just a few pinches. Don’t go too crazy with the salt!
- Pepper – Freshly cracked black pepper yields the best flavor.
- Vegetable Oil – This is used to fry the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Katsu
For more detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Prepare the chicken for frying. Pound the chicken, then dredge it using three stations. The first one should be your seasoned flour mixture, the next is the eggs, and the last one is Panko.
Fry the chicken. Place the chicken in the hot oil and fry it for about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd your pan!
Common Questions
Why do I need to work in batches? If you overcrowd you pan, a few unfortunate things are going to happen. The temperature of the oil will decrease, which immediately means your chicken won’t cook properly. It’ll get oily and the meat itself won’t cook properly. Avoid this by frying one piece of Chicken Katsu at a time!
How long will Chicken Katsu stay fresh? In an airtight container, any leftovers you have will stay fresh in the fridge for about 2-3 days. I would reheat in a toaster oven so the exterior stays crunchy.
Check out more of my favorite chicken recipes!
Chicken Katsu [チキンカツ]
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- Couple pinches of kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a plastic bag, pound your chicken breasts to a thin filet, one at a time, with the flat end of a meat tenderizer. If you're using thin sliced, you may not have to do this step as it's already thin enough. Make sure to have padding underneath your plastic bag so you don't break your countertops!
- In a shallow dish, add in flour, salt, and pepper. Mix around.
- In another shallow dish, beat 2 eggs.
- In yet another shallow dish, put your panko in.
- Assemble the shallow dishes in the following order: flour, eggs, panko.
- In a skillet, turn the heat on medium high and add a thin layer of vegetable oil to the pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Take one of your chicken filets, dredge it in flour on both sides, then egg, then cover it in panko and shake off any excess.
- Test the oil to see if it's hot by flicking some water in it. If it sizzles, you're good.
- With tongs, put your breaded chicken in and cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until it's brown (don't burn it).
- It shouldn't take long for the chicken to cook all the way through since they've been pounded out so thin.
- Before you start on another filet, I would clear out the skillet of straggling panko crumbs. Just take a spatula and scrape them out. They'll burn if you keep them in there for your other filets and your house will smell like disaster :)
- Repeat until all your chicken filets are cooked, slice into length-long pieces and serve with white rice. Don't forget to top with katsu sauce!
YOUR NOTES
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Photography by Eat Love Eats
Stephanie
Friday 8th of January 2021
Amazing, I just started to live alone, and need to modify recipes for one Cheers from Honduras
Stephanie
Monday 9th of July 2012
Have you made these again? I've always made regular pork tonkatsu with this tonkatsu sauce that I normally buy at the Asian supermarket.
http://www.amazon.com/Bull-Dog-Tonkatsu-Sauce/dp/B000W59KLI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341889175&sr=8-4&keywords=tonkatsu+sauce
^_^