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
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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 is chicken katsu 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 sauce made of? ›

This sauce is the traditional Japanese accompaniment for tonkatsu — Japanese-style breaded pork cutlets. It's made from a specially balanced blend of applesauce, onion, tomato paste, carrots and traditionally brewed Kikkoman® Soy Sauce that adds flavor to meat and poultry.

What does katsu mean in English? ›

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.

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

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 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 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.

What is the flavor of katsu? ›

Despite its simplicity, katsu sauce has a complex flavor profile that includes the following elements: Sweet: The sweet flavors come from the sugar. Savory: Savory elements come from the Worcestershire sauce. Tangy: The tomato sauce or ketchup gives katsu a tangy flavor.

Why is chicken katsu so good? ›

Chicken Katsu is a Japanese-style chicken cutlet that is breaded and then fried. It comes out super crispy on the outside and perfectly juicy and tender on the inside. The chicken typically gets served with Tonkatsu Sauce. It's a Japanese sauce that's tangy, rich, and slightly sweet.

What is katsu Mayo made of? ›

Wagamama Katsu Mayo240g

A Vegan Mayo with Soy Sauce, Ginger and Spices suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

What is the difference between chicken katsu and cutlet? ›

The major differences between chikin katsu and the Western-style chicken cutlet (chicken schnitzel) are that, in the case of chikin katsu, you don't tenderise the chicken piece by pounding and flattening, you use panko breadcrumbs and you deep-fry instead of shallow-fry.

What is chicken katsu called? ›

In Japanese language and culture, "katsu" (カツ) typically refers to a breaded and deep-fried cutlet of meat, such as chicken or pork, known as "tonkatsu" (豚カツ) or "chicken katsu" (チキンカツ).

Does katsu mean breaded? ›

Katsu is a crispy fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with flaky Japanese panko breadcrumbs.

Why is katsu chicken pink? ›

Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.

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.

What is the difference between tonkatsu and katsu? ›

Tonkatsu Explained

Tonkatsu comes from the same pig character ton (豚) and katsu is short for katsuretsu, which is how “cutlets” is pronounced in Japanese. Tonkatsu, or pork cutlets, is made by seasoning and breading pork chops and then deep frying them. They are usually placed on a bed of shredded green cabbage.

What katsu contains? ›

Chicken katsu curry is a very popular curry dish – traditionally hailing from Japan, this dish comprises of panko breadcrumb coated chicken in a thick curry sauce and rice. Due to the ease of preparation and minimal ingredients list, it is a firm favourite with the British.

What does chicken katsu taste like? ›

Chicken katsu is a Japanese delicacy. It tastes very similar to schnitzel, but the bread crumbs for chicken katsu, called panko, are much coarser than the ones for schnitzel.

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