Chicken Katsu (Fried Chicken Cutlet)
Published Apr 06, 2019
Updated Sep 03, 2024
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Chicken Katsu is Japanese fried chicken cutlet with bread crumbs or panko. Chicken katsu is served with a tonkatsu or katsu sauce. This recipe is better than Japanese takeout!
What Is Katsu
In Japanese recipes, Katsu is basically a simple dish of breaded and fried meat cutlets. The most popular katsu is tonkatsu, or Japanese fried pork cutlet.
For people who prefer chicken, there is chicken katsu or Japanese fried chicken cutlet. Katsu is served with Tonkatsu sauce or katsu sauce, which pairs perfectly well with the fried meat.
How To Make Chicken Katsu
Here are my cooking tips.
- Dip the chicken cutlet with beaten eggs.
- Roll it generously with Japanese panko (bread crumbs).
- Repeat the steps above by dipping the chicken cutlet with the beaten eggs and then panko again. Double dipping and coating ensure crispy, light and crunchy exterior.
I skipped the flour coating step in traditional recipe. The flour tends to separate the chicken from the crispy crust, which I don’t like.
If you prefer to coat the chicken with flour, you can start off with the flour coating before the steps above.
Katsu Sauce
Katsu sauce or Tonkatsu sauce is basically Japanese-style BBQ sauce for fried meats. The main ingredients are Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar and other seasonings. The taste is very unique, with tartness from the Worcestershire sauce, slightly salty and sweet at the same time. It’s also thicker.
Katsu sauce can be purchased at Japanese or Asian stores, but you can also make homemade tonkatsu or katsu sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you can bake, but the end result is not the same as deep-fried. It will be drier and not as crispy. If you have an air fryer, you can certainly air fry the chicken cutlet coated with panko.
This recipe is only 383 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Chicken Katsu
This meal is best served with steamed rice. For a wholesome Japanese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Japanese Recipes You Might Like
Chicken Katsu (Fried Chicken Cutlet) Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280g) boneless and skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes black pepper
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup Japanese panko , or bread crumbs
- oil , for deep-frying
Katsu Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast horizontally into two pieces. Season with salt and black pepper, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Mix all the ingredients for the Katsu Sauce in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Heat a pot of cooking oil for deep-frying. The ideal temperature is about 350°F (180°C).
- Dip each piece of chicken into the beaten egg, then immediately coat it with panko. Shake off the excess. Dip the chicken into the egg again, then coat it with panko for a second time, ensuring it is evenly coated with a thick layer. Repeat the process for the other piece of chicken.
- Once the oil is fully heated, gently drop each piece of chicken into the pot and deep-fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Cut the chicken into strips and serve immediately with steamed rice and katsu sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am going to make these being I like the panko bread crumbs but was wondering if I could air fry them. I don’t fry anything. Thanks for all your great recipes.
Yes you can! :)
A perfect chicken katsu recipe! This has had the best results of any fried chicken recipe I’ve made. I like using thighs instead of breast for my own tastes. The sauce is perfect and this dish is well balanced by rice! My family keeps asking me to make this again… there’s never any left over even when I make extras, because everyone always wants seconds!
Hi Clover. Glad to hear that the recipe works well for you.
Great recipe! One hack I’ve used to coat the nuggets with Panko evenly is to pat them dry, dust with flour until coated , then dip them in the egg, throw them in a large ziplock with the Panko and about a 1/4 cup of flour, seal and shake! Having the hot oil spread evenly across the pan is key to avoid missing any batter being fried. They come out crispy and golden every time! Happy cooking!
We have made this probably a hundred times. It’s my husband’s most requested meal. Even my sister-in-law requested to have it again when she came back! People are always asking for the recipe. Delicious. I do season the chicken with seasoning over just salt/pepper.
Michele, that’s great. Thanks for trying my recipe.
Thank you for yet another recipe to try. I love your recipes and I use a goodly number of them, Thanks, Donna
Made tonight, very good! Normally do the flour, egg, panko trio.
Glad I followed Bee’s direction of just egg, panko and 2nd egg, panko dip. Totally crunchy and delicious. Used chicken tenders that I pounded a bit. Perfect on their own, on sandwich or caesar salad!
Awesome thanks Belle for trying my recipe.