Chicken Katsu Recipe (2024)

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Chicken katsu is a popular Hawaiian dish. Tender chicken cutlets coated in a crispy, golden brown crust and dipped in tonkatsu sauce. Sure to be a favorite in your house.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (1)

Oh the good old chicken katsu. Definitely one of my favorite plate lunch options. Easy recipe with simple flavors. Perfect for the picky eater in your home.

Chicken is a twist on the classic Japanese tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a breaded, deep-fried/tempura pork cutlet.

Cut through that crispy crust to find tender, juicy chicken. You can eat it plain or my favorite with tonkatsu sauce.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (2)

Here’s some other great plate lunch dishes to try: Some other great plate lunch options include: loco moco, chow fun, mochiko chicken, pastele stew, shoyu chicken, kalua pig, beef stew, laulau, or luau stew.

Chicken katsu ingredients

Chicken Katsu Recipe (3)

Katsu sauce recipe adapted from Aloha Kitchen. Check out this cookbook for yummy Hawaiian recipes.

How hot should the oil be to fry chicken thighs?

350F is a good temperature for frying and works well for this recipe.

What temperature should chicken be cooked to?

Safe minimum temperature of chicken should be 165F.

What sauce goes well with chicken katsu?

My favorite is tonkatsu sauce, which is a thick, Japanese style Worcestershire sauce. It’s often eaten with tonkatsu, but works well for chicken katsu as well. You could also use plain ketchup.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (4)

What do I serve with katsu?

A plate lunch of chicken katsu in Hawai’i generally comes with shredded cabbage, sticky white rice, and macaroni salad, but you can serve this with the common sides that go well with chicken as well. How about some roasted veggies, corn, or any starch.

Can you air fry chicken katsu?

Yes! Air fry at 350F for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Can you bake chicken katsu?

You can do this as well. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes.

How to store chicken katsu?

This dish tastes best when eaten fresh, however if you happen to have leftovers you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When you are ready to re-heat you can microwave, bake, or quickly fry again to bring back the crispiness.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (5)

How to make chicken katsu?

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. While oil is heating up start dredging the chicken.

Place the eggs, panko, and flour in three separate shallow dishes.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (6)

Add garlic salt and pepper to the flour and mix to combine.

Next coat the chicken in flour. Be sure to shake off any excess flour. Then dip in the eggs being sure to cover the entire surface of the chicken. And lastly dip in the panko. You can press the panko on to the chicken to ensure even coverage.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (7)

Once the oil has reached about 350F, place the chicken in the pan and fry until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes flipping halfway through.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (8)

Remove chicken and place on a paper towel or a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet to catch excess oil.

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For the katsu sauce: In a medium bowl add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, shoyu, sugar, and mirin. Whisk to combine.

Chicken Katsu Recipe (10)

Serve chicken with the katsu sauce as well as sticky white rice, macaroni salad, or tossed greens. Enjoy!

Chicken Katsu Recipe (11)

Chicken Katsu Recipe

Relle Lum

Chicken katsu is a popular Hawaiian dish. Tender chicken cutlets coated in a crispy, golden brown crust and dipped in tonkatsu sauce. Sure to be a favorite in your house.

4.59 from 24 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 595 kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken katsu

For the tonkatsu sauce

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. While oil is heating up start dredging the chicken.

  • Place the eggs, panko, and flour in three separate shallow dishes.

  • Add garlic salt and pepper to the flour and mix to combine.

  • Next coat the chicken in flour. Be sure to shake off any excess flour. Then dip in the eggs being sure to cover the entire surface of the chicken. And lastly dip in the panko. You can press the panko on to the chicken to ensure even coverage.

  • Once the oil has reached about 350F, place the chicken in the pan and fry until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes flipping halfway through.

  • Remove chicken and place on a paper towel or a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet to catch excess oil.

  • For the katsu sauce: In a medium bowl add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, shoyu, sugar, and mirin. Whisk to combine.

  • Serve chicken with the katsu sauce as well as sticky white rice, macaroni salad, or tossed greens. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can use chicken breasts if you prefer.

*Panko is Japanese bread crumbs.

*Shoyu is a Japanese style soy sauce.

*Mirin is Japanese rice wine.

*Katsu sauce recipe adapted from Aloha Kitchen. Check out this cookbook for yummy Hawaiian recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 595kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 41gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 259mgSodium: 1084mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11g

Keyword chicken, chicken katsu, chicken recipes, dinner recipes, Hawaii food, Hawaiian food, japanese food, katsu, keeping it relle, lunch recipes, plate lunch

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Chicken Katsu Recipe (12)

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Chicken Katsu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken katsu sauce made of? ›

ingredients. WATER, APPLES, SUGAR, VINEGAR, SOY SAUCE (WATER, WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), SALT, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, ONION, TOMATO PASTE, CARAMEL COLOR, SPICES, CARROT, GARLIC POWDER, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM BENZOATE: LESS THAN 1/10 OF 1% AS A PRESERVATIVE.

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 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).

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 katsu sauce and tonkatsu sauce? ›

Short for tonkatsu, katsu sauce is essentially the Japanese equivalent of Western barbecue sauce. It's sweet and tangy with an umami undertone that packs a flavorful punch. You'll usually find it served with pork tonkatsu, a popular dish of breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet with cabbage and rice.

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'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.

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 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).

Why is my katsu soggy? ›

Cooking this too hot will char your delicate breadcrumbs, and cooking it too cold will give you soggy, oily katsu.

What is a substitute for panko in chicken katsu? ›

Crushed cornflakes have made their way into the crunchy coating of everything from fried chicken to our baked veal parmesan recipe. Cornflakes make a great substitution for panko bread crumbs because, like panko, their flavor is relatively neutral while still providing maximum crunchy texture.

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 ethnicity is chicken katsu? ›

Get extra crispy crust with my Best Chicken Katsu recipe. Chicken katsu is a Japanese dish consisting of a breaded and deep fried chicken cutlet. Serve it on its own as an entrée with rice, with Japanese curry, as a sandwich filling, or even just an afternoon snack.

How unhealthy is chicken katsu curry? ›

The curry is a sauce that tends to be milder in flavor than other curries. Unfortunately, katsu curry can be high in calories and not very healthy for you. Curries, in general, tend to be more fattening than people expect. If you're looking for a way to make your favorite dish waistline-friendly, look no further.

What does katsu sauce taste like? ›

What Does Tonkatsu Sauce Taste Like? Often referred to as Japanese-style barbecue sauce or katsu sauce. tonkatsu sauce is savory and sweet, with a slight tang. In this recipe, ketchup adds the sugary tartness, while soy sauce and Worcestershire lend some umami power.

Is katsu sauce the same as curry sauce? ›

In short, the sauce is just Japanese curry. Katsu is not the name of the sauce. The sauce is of course inspired by Indian curries, but it was actually the British who introduced Japan to it, via their colonisation of India at the time.

What is a substitute for katsu sauce? ›

Can you substitute tonkatsu sauce? Yes. If you don't have all the ingredients to make your own, you can substitute with tomato, Worcestershire or barbecue sauce. Otherwise, you could also shake things up by using other Japanese sauces such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki or yakisoba sauce instead.

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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