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.
Absolutely love this! Smokey almost bbq type sauce with a little kick, juicy but crunchy chicken….
Highly recommend
Thanks Claire for trying my chicken katsu recipe.
This sounds like an amazing dish! Chicken is one of my favorite meats to eat! I want to make this some time soon!
Absolutely loving this recipe!!!!!!!
Thanks Jess.
I know that but I find tapioca flour too chewy and tough.
terimakasih sudah mempost resep chicken katsu ini, katsu yang cocok dengan lidah asia :)
Thanks Hellen.
If you dredge the chicken pieces in flour before dipping them in them egg, it creates a beautiful “glue” that grabs the panko. Perhaps a little salt and pepper at the very start, as well, would be a great addition. According to my Japanese MIL, who happens to be a tiny genius.
Tried chicken katsu with a potato & carrot curry made with Golden curry paste and a salad. It was so… yummy. Thank you for the lovely recipe.
Made this for my family tonight and really enjoyed it! Just needed a vege side to counter the deep frying. Only thing I noticed was that I needed 4 eggs instead of one for the coating, especially with the second coating of panko! Cooked really quickly too if you slice the breast thinly.
I didn’t have Tonkatsu sauce so used this recipe (since I had all the ingredients except for the dry sherry which I substituted apple vinegar with): http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lucys-quick-tonkatsu-sauce/?scale=4&ismetric=0
Thanks!
Great thanks TK!
Enjoyed cooking your chicken katsu (cutlet) recipe. I use to add flour, but seeing your recipe says not to add flour just use egg & panko. We’ll using these two ingredients alone is great it doesen’t fall apart as when your adding flour. Thanks for sharing recipe as my boyfriend loves this dish.
I hv a list of food allergy. So egg is one of them. Please advise if there is somthing else instead of egg because without the egg, how the chicken stick wiyh crumbs. Thank you.
Low Py, try using buttermilk. I use it with fried chicken
Try spreading the chicken with mayonnaise if you can use that. Then dip in the breadcrumbs. Keeps the chicken moist and is delicious.