Japanese Chicken Katsu

What is Japanese Chicken Katsu?

Chicken katsu is a crispy chicken dish simply made of tenderized chicken that is seasoned and coated in flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs. Then it's deep fried in hot oil until golden brown and it's absolutely divine!

Many Japanese restaurants will serve this popular chicken dish with a sweet tangy brown sauce, white rice and cabbage slaw for a complete meal. This main can also be served over curry, in a sandwich, in bento boxes, katsudon or over udon noodles.

Homemade chicken katsu is easy to make at home with simple ingredients. I’ve made this chicken dish so many times I’ve lost count so I knew I had to share my version of it!

You can also shallow fry the chicken in less oil if you wish, just make sure the chicken is cooked through.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: as a last resort, you may substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs but reduce the cooking time by a couple minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 F because the thighs will be smaller in size.
• Large Eggs
• Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs: these are light and flaky breadcrumbs made from Japanese milk bread (aka shokupan) that are different from regular breadcrumbs. You can find these Japanese breadcrumbs at many Asian markets sold dried or fresh. If you can't find them, you can also buy Japanese milk bread and process it into flakes in the food processor or substitute with regular breadcrumbs but the coating will be less flaky and crispy.
• Neutral oil: any flavorless oil like avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil due to its heavier scent. 
• All-purpose flour: or substitute with cornstarch or potato starch.
• Black Pepper
• Salt

Katsu Sauce

• Ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce
• Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce if you don't like oysters.
• White Granulated Sugar

Note: Most Asian or Western grocers will carry these ingredients.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make chicken katsu:

1. On a large cutting board, lay your chicken breasts flat and butterfly each breast by slicing it halfway but not all the way through. You should be able to open the breast into two adjoined "wings".
2. Lay a piece of plastic wrap to cover the butterflied chicken breast to prevent the juices from splashing everywhere (optional). Using the back and side of your knife or a meat mallet, evenly tenderize the chicken breasts into thin slices, about ½-inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap.
3. Evenly season each chicken breast on both sides with salt and black pepper.
4. Place flour into a large shallow bowl. In the second bowl, beat your eggs. In the last bowl, evenly spread-out panko breadcrumbs. Evenly dredge each seasoned breast in all-purpose flour, then beaten egg and lastly in the panko breadcrumbs ensuring no bald spots.
5. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat vegetable oil on medium heat, around 350 degrees F with a digital instant read thermometer or insert a wooden utensil into the oil and look for bubbles.
6. Fry each breast one at a time until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Avoid moving the chicken around in the oil to evenly cook it. Cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer or until juices run clear. 
7. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.  Allow this to cool a bit for a few minutes.
8. In a small bowl, combine katsu sauce ingredients as listed. Serve and enjoy with chicken katsu!

Storage

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container, however with time, the crunchy exterior will be less crispy. To reheat, pan fry on the stove top over medium heat until warm in some hot oil or air fry at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes.
• Freezer friendly? Chicken katsu can be stored in a freezer friendly bag after cooling and with parchment paper between each piece of chicken. It can be frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, deep fry again from frozen until hot through out or defrost and microwave for a few minutes until hot.

Pairing Suggestions

Chicken Katsu serves well with steamed rice, cabbage slaw, and fresh tomatoes, but it can also pair well with other Japanese dishes like:

• starters like miso soup, Japanese crab corn salad or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing or Korokke
• seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo
• protein dishes like ramen eggs, or tonkatsu, Karaage, Teriyaki Tofu, Teriyaki Chicken, or Ginger Miso Salmon.
• rice dishes like Oyakodon, Omurice, Shrimp Tempura Rice Ball, Onigiri, or Spicy Tuna Onigiri
• other noodle dishes like Yaki Udon, Creamy Mushroom Udon, or Udon Carbonara
• or Japanese egg salad sandwich

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