Air Fryer Tonkatsu Sauce Chicken. Crispy chicken bites smothered in a sweet tangy tonkatsu sauce. Totally delicious and hits the spot!
The chicken is made in the air fryer and is ready in 30 minutes. This dish is great for dinner or lunch as leftovers. You can of course make this dish with normal deep frying process and I will share side instructions on how to achieve that.
NEWS!
GUYS! Big news: we got an air fryer! I’m kidding, it’s not huge news but I am very happy about this appliance so far. It’s big news for someone who loves cooking as much as me. I made this air fried crispy chicken recipe in it and it turned out SO WELL on the first try!!! I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS RECIPE WITH YOU! Can you tell by my usage of exclamation points and all-caps?!
Secret Ingredient for ultra-Crispiness
This tonkatsu sauce chicken stir fry recipe is so good and I share a secret ingredient to make that chicken extra crispy! IT’S POTATO STARCH!
Corn starch and tapioca starch work fine too for this air fried tonkatsu sauce chicken stir fry recipe. But potato starch gives it a next level crispy texture. I usually use this when I deep fry chicken and I knew with the air fryer I needed all the crispiness I could get because an air fryer is just a simpler name for a convection oven – that’s all. And boy am I glad I used potato starch because this chicken was so crispy and addictive. I nearly couldn’t stop myself from eating the whole batch before I shot the dish.
Easy to make!
This air fried chicken with tonkatsu sauce is extremely easy to make! You are simply seasoning your chicken in salt and coating it in egg. Then covering it with potato starch ensuring each piece is dredged. TIP: DO NOT JUST POUR THE POTATO STARCH INTO THE BOWL WITH THE CHICKEN AND EGG. This will not produce crispy chicken. You must dredge some chicken at a time into your starch on a dry plate.
Then transfer your chicken into the air fryer. Spritz or brush some oil into the fryer over the chicken. Air fry for only 14 minutes.
Meanwhile whisk your 4-ingredient sauce into a bowl, pour it into a large wok or pan and bring it to boil. Simmer until thickened and reduced over high heat. Leave it on the stove top to keep warm as your chicken fries.
Once your chicken is done, bring the sauce to boil and pour the chicken into the sauce. Mix it into the sauce, remove off the heat and serve to enjoy! Sooo easy!
Tips for Tonkatsu Sauce Chicken
Below are tips on the best air fried tonkatsu sauce chicken stir fry:
- Use quality and fresh skinless boneless chicken thighs for ease. Chicken thighs are very forgiving even if you overcook it by accident. The fat really makes the meat juicy.
- To make this recipe very easy and simple but fool proof, buy Tonkatsu sauce that you would normally enjoy. Don’t opt for the cheap stuff unless you have tried and loved it.
- Coat your chicken in egg to ensure it’s moist enough so the starch will stick
- Do not just pour your potato starch into the bowl with chicken and egg. This will make the starch soggy and will not produce crispy chicken! Instead pour some of that starch onto a dry plate and dredge some chicken pieces at a time until they are generously coated.
- When adding the coated chicken into the air fryer, give each piece some room. If you need to divide the chicken into two batches, please do so for that crispy texture. The air fryer needs air flow to ensure a crispy texture. If you overwhelm your air frying basket, you will have less crispy chicken.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this air fried chicken with tonkatsu sauce:
Which air fryer do you own?
I own the Philips HD9741/96 Air Fryer.
What if I own a different Air Fryer?
I am using a Philips Air Fryer and I air fried mine at 400 degrees at 14 minutes for crispy texture. If you’re using a different machine, check your chicken at 12 minutes and if it needs more crispiness, air fry for another couple minutes until you reach your desired texture.
Similar to how every oven and stovetop is different, it’s important to check and monitor your food as it cooks. As not all machines or cooking environments are identical. But if you have a Phillips air fryer, we should typically have the same cooking environment so it’s safe for me to suggest you to cook the chicken at that temperature and time frame.
Where can I buy tonkatsu sauce?
Any Asian grocer will carry it pre-made and bottled in the sauce aisle.
Can I deep fry the chicken instead if I don’t have an air fryer?
Yes! Deep fry in enough vegetable or neutral oil (around 2 cups) in a large wok or pan over medium heat (350 degrees) and deep fry until golden crispy brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. About 4-5 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd your oil or it will not result in crispy chicken.
Can I use cornstarch or tapioca starch?
Yes but just expect less crispy chicken.
Can I add vegetables to this stir fry?
Yes! Just cook your veggies first until they are cooked, before you add the stir fry sauce and chicken to the pan.
Other Chicken recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this tonkatsu sauce chicken stir fry, you may enjoy these other recipes:
VIETNAMESE GARLIC BUTTER CHICKEN WINGS
SWEET SPICY GOCHUJANG CHICKEN
MONGOLIAN CHICKEN
OYSTER SAUCE BRAISED CHICKEN WINGS
HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
CHICKEN ADOBO
TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
For this recipe
You will need the following air fried tonkatsu sauce chicken ingredients:
- 400 grams chicken thighs, diced (skinless boneless)
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 cup potato starch, or as needed
Sauce:
- ½ cup Tonkatsu sauce, store bought
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Garlic
Optional: 2 tablespoon green onion for garnish
Required Equipment: Air Fryer. I use the Philips Air Fryer HD9741/96.
How to make Tonkatsu Sauce Chicken Stir Fry
- Add diced chicken into a large bowl. Season with salt and crack an egg into your chicken. Mix everything together until well coated.
- On a dry plate, add some of your potato starch (about ¼ cup first) and dredge ¼ portion of your chicken into it and coat each piece with the starch until well coated. Transfer coated chicken onto another clean plate. Repeat this process and add more potato starch if needed.
- Transfer coated chicken into air fryer and give each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in two batches if needed. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 14 minutes. Note: I am using a Philips Air Fryer and I air fried mine at 400 degrees at 14 minutes for crispy texture. If you’re using a different machine, check your chicken at 12 minutes and if it needs more crispiness, air fry for another couple minutes until you reach your desired texture. To fry without an air fryer: Deep fry in enough vegetable or neutral oil (around 2 cups) in a large wok or pan over medium heat (350 degrees F) and deep fry until golden crispy brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. About 4-5 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd your oil or it will not result in crispy chicken. Remove the chicken and transfer onto a plate with paper towel or a cooling rack to allow excess oil to drip off.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together your stir fry sauce ingredients until well combined. Then in a large wok or non-stick pan set over high heat, pour sauce in and let this boil and simmer to reduce and thicken. Keep sauce warm over low heat until you are ready to pour your cooked crispy chicken into it.
- Once chicken is fried, carefully pour cooked chicken into the sauce. Mix just until chicken is coated, then remove off heat immediately. Serve hot and enjoy! Optional: garnish with chopped green onions.
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Air Fryer Tonkatsu Sauce Chicken a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my air fried chicken recipe please share it with your family and friends or on social media!
Take a picture if you've made my air fryer chicken thighs with tonkatsu sauce and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Take care,
Christie
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Air Fryer Tonkatsu Sauce Chicken
Ingredients
- 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs diced (skinless boneless)
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup potato starch or as needed
Stir Fry Sauce:
- ½ cup Tonkatsu Sauce store bought
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Garlic
Optional
- 2 tablespoon green onion finely sliced
Instructions
- Add diced chicken into a large bowl. Season with salt and crack an egg into your chicken. Mix everything together until well coated.
- On a dry plate, add some of your potato starch (about ¼ cup first) and dredge ¼ portion of your chicken into it and coat each piece with the starch until well coated. Transfer coated chicken onto another clean plate. Repeat this process and add more potato starch if needed.
- Transfer coated chicken into air fryer and give each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in two batches if needed. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 14 minutes. Note: I am using a Philips Air Fryer and I air fried mine at 400 degrees at 14 minutes for crispy texture. If you’re using a different machine, check your chicken at 12 minutes and if it needs more crispiness, air fry for another couple minutes until you reach your desired texture.To fry without an air fryer: Deep fry in enough vegetable or neutral oil (around 2 cups) in a large wok or pan over medium heat (350 degrees F) and deep fry until golden crispy brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. About 4-5 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd your oil or it will not result in crispy chicken. Remove the chicken and transfer onto a plate with paper towel or a cooling rack to allow excess oil to drip off.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together your stir fry sauce ingredients until well combined. Then in a large wok or non-stick pan set over high heat, pour sauce in and let this boil and simmer to reduce and thicken. Keep sauce warm over low heat until you are ready to pour your cooked crispy chicken into it.
- Once chicken is fried, carefully pour cooked chicken into the sauce. Mix just until chicken is coated, then remove off heat immediately. Serve hot and enjoy! Garnish with chopped green onions, optional.
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
Such a great idea to use potato starch for crispiness! This chicken looks absolutely delicious, too!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I am definitely going to have to try the potato starch. Extra crispy chicken made in just 30 minutes... yes please!