Why this recipe works
Ingredients for Chicken Katsu
Chicken - Both breast meat and thigh meat will work for this. Because breast meat is leaner, it’s easy to overcook and dry out; this makes it tricker to fry. Thigh meat includes more fat, which makes it much harder to overcook, and it’s the more flavorful cut of chicken. I recommend using the highest quality chicken you can afford. Seasonings - I like to season my Chicken Katsu with salt, white pepper, and onion powder, but you can get a little creative here and use other spices such as curry powder, garlic powder, etc. Flour - The flour is like a primer in that it helps the egg and panko stick to the chicken. Any flour that contains starch will work. Egg - The egg, acts together with the flour to form an edible glue that helps the panko adhere to the chicken. Panko - Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs. It’s made by coarsely crumbling crustless sandwich bread, which makes the coating light and crispy once fried. You can make it by slicing the crusts off of stale sandwich bread and then pulsing it in a food processor. Although panko is not gluten-free, there are gluten-free brands of panko available. Oil - Any oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point will work for this. I used rice bran oil.
How to make Chicken Katsu
If you are using chicken breasts, you will want to butterfly them by slicing them in half horizontally. You may find they still aren’t an even thickness, in which case you can use something heavy such as a kitchen mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a pot to flatten the high spots, so the chicken is an even thickness throughout. The goal here is not to pound the chicken out thinly, so don’t overdo it. If you are using chicken thighs, you will want to trim off any excess skin, fat, or cartilage. Beat an egg in a shallow bowl or tray and then prepare another bowl or tray with the panko. Preheat 1 ½ inches of oil to 340 degrees F or 170 C. Line a wire rack with 2-3 sheets of paper towels. Mix the salt, white pepper, and onion powder together in a small bowl and then sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over every surface of the chicken and then pat the pieces of chicken together to distribute the flour evenly. Be careful not to miss any spots here, or you will end up with bald spots when you fry your katsu. Dip the flour-dusted chicken in the egg, turning it over a few times to coat it evenly. Be careful not the scrape off the flour from the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the tray with the panko and bury the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Gently pat the panko into the chicken to help it stick, and then flip the cutlet over and repeat until every surface is evenly coated. Lower the breaded chicken cutlets into the oil and fry them for 6-8 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees F for chicken breasts, or 165 degrees F for chicken thighs. Be sure to flip the Chicken Katsu over a few times to ensure they brown evenly. When the cutlets are done, transfer them to the prepared rack and let them rest for 2-3 minutes before you slice them. This prevents the chicken from leaking out all of its juices when you slice it. Serve the Chicken Katsu with shredded cabbage, homemade tonkatsu sauce, and hot Japanese mustard.
Other ways to serve Chicken Katsu
Katsu Curry - Instead of serving this with cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, the cutlet can be served alongside Japanese curry rice. Katsu Sandwich - Served in a bun, or between two pieces of sandwich bread, Chicken Katsu makes for a delicious cutlet sandwich. Katsu Donburi - Leftover chicken katsu can be used to make a rice bowl called Katsudon.
📖 Recipe
