Who can resist the great pleasure of eating crispy, juicy, fried chicken? Not me! Not when I can easily fry them up at home in just about 30 minutes. I’m talking about Chicken Katsu (チキンカツ), the Japanese version of chicken schnitzel or chicken tenders. The crispy crust and flavorful, juicy meat deliver great satisfaction with every bite. Today, I’d like to show you how to make this beloved Japanese chicken cutlet right in your kitchen.
What is Chicken Katsu?
Chicken katsu (チキンカツ) is made of chicken breast fillets breaded with flour, egg, and Japanese panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden brown. It’s the chicken counterpart of Tonkatsu or pork cutlet. With just a few simple ingredients from your pantry, you can make chicken katsu even on a weeknight! If you’re curious, katsu is basically a shortened form of katsuretsu (カツレツ), meaning “cutlet” in Japanese. There are different versions of katsu depending on the type of meat you use. I’ve shared many katsu recipes on the blog, which I think you’ll enjoy.
Ingredients for Chicken Katsu
Most of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe should be easily accessible.
Chicken breast — You can also use chicken thighs or tenders, but the popular choice is boneless skinless chicken breast. My mom often made it with chicken tenders when I was small and I did the same when my kids were younger. Salt and pepper Flour Eggs Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) — Panko (パン粉) is lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. It is the secret to ultra-crunchy katsu and yields the kind of crust that you can actually hear when you take a bite into it. No regular breadcrumbs can beat that! Choose a Japanese brand of panko instead of an American brand, as they are slightly different. Oil for deep frying Tonkatsu sauce or katsu sauce — I love this brand of Tonkatsu sauce, but here’s my homemade recipe if you like to make it yourself.
How to Make the Best Chicken Katsu
Even with deep frying, it’s really an easy 3-step process!
Can I bake chicken katsu instead?
Yes! For those of you who still prefer to keep your kitchen oil-free, you can bake your chicken katsu in the oven. My method for the Baked Chicken Katsu recipe is to pre-toast the panko ahead of time. This way, the panko is nicely brown and crispy to start. Your baked chicken katsu will look like a deep-fried version, and the outer layer will be light and crispy. Many JOC readers have tried my Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, and Baked Croquette recipes, so do check them out if you prefer baking, instead of deep-frying. Both deep-fried and baked versions are equally delicious, and I use both methods often.
Cooking Tips
Tip #1: Butterfly the chicken
The thickest part of a chicken breast can be close to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and it is very hard to cook through. Therefore, we butterfly the chicken breast by splitting it horizontally, stopping before you cut it all the way through it, and opening it like a book. When you open the breast, it has two matching sides, resembling a butterfly. For Japanese cooking, we butterfly it to the left and right sides to make it even, similar to a French door. We call this cutting technique Kannon Biraki (観音開き). If you have young children, you can also cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Interestingly, we do not cut the pork into small pieces, but many Japanese home cooks cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. To cut into smaller pieces, we use another cutting technique called Sogigiri (そぎ切り). Hold the knife at an angle, nearly parallel to the cutting board, and then slice the chicken. This method flattens the piece and gives the chicken more surface area so that it cooks faster and evenly. Lastly, remember that we eat chicken katsu with chopsticks. Make sure you cut into smaller pieces either before or after frying so you don’t have to cut at the table.
Tip #2: Add oil to the egg
Adding a small amount of oil to the egg mixture helps the meat adhere to both the flour and panko. Some people add water or milk to loosen the thick egg mixture, but a bit of oil also loosens the egg mixture while doing the trick.
Tip #3: Remove excess flour and panko
Dust off excess flour when you coat the chicken breast. Excess flour can cause the breading to come off easily from the meat. You may like the light and crispy panko texture and want to add more to the chicken katsu (yes, I’ve done that, too!). However, you would end up scooping up all those additional panko crumbs from the hot oil, and trust me, it’s not worth it. Gently press the panko down with your hand, and if some panko falls off, let it go.
Deep Frying Tips
Here are the 3 tips you need to know about frying these crisp, juicy chicken cutlets at home. If you want to learn more about deep-frying, such as how to dispose of oil or what kind of tools are helpful, please read the How to Deep-Fry post where I explain more in detail. Deep-frying is not as intimidating as it seems once you master the technique. If you do it right, the food actually tastes light and not greasy at all. It takes practice to become comfortable with deep-frying, but it’s a good skill to have for broadening your cooking options.
How to Serve
Serve it with tonkatsu sauce — In Japan, so-su (ソース; “Sauce”) refers to tonkatsu sauce (とんかつソース), a thicker and sweeter version of Worcestershire sauce. It’s always served with chicken katsu and tonkatsu. Tonkatsu sauce’s tangy and complex taste, derived from vegetables and fruits, makes it the best condiment for Japanese deep-fried dishes. We usually buy tonkatsu sauce from the store, and the most popular brand is Bulldog. For those of you who have no access to tonkatsu sauce, I tried my best to make Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce using common condiments.
Serve with shredded cabbage salad — The majority of panko-breaded fried foods (tonkatsu, ebi fry, korokke, etc.) in Japan are served with a side of thinly shredded cabbage. You can use a sharp knife to cut into thin slices, but my mom introduced me to this awesome cabbage slicer, and it’s amazing how this mandoline slicer can create such fluffy shredded cabbage! You can drizzle tonkatsu sauce over the cabbage or use your favorite salad dressing. I almost always use Japanese sesame dressing as it’s mild and creamy, which counterbalances the tonkatsu sauce.
How to Meal Prep
Did you know that chicken katsu is perfect for making ahead and freezing? Yes, that’s what I love about it. You can enjoy the cutlet as it is, but it is also a versatile dish that you can transform into:
Chicken Katsu Curry Katsudon Chicken Katsu Sando Sandwich Chicken Katsu Onigirazu Chicken Katsu Fried Rice (swap the meat with chopped chicken katsu; this was my childhood favorite!) Put it in a bento box
How to Store
How long does chicken katsu keep?
Chicken katsu will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The only way to restore the breaded chicken’s crispiness is to reheat it in the oven or toaster oven. Avoid using the microwave for reheating.
Can you freeze chicken katsu?
I always double the recipe and freeze the extraa for kids’ lunches or another meal. After deep-frying the chicken, allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container for freezing. I use parchment paper to separate individual pieces to prevent them from sticking together. When you are ready to serve, reheat the frozen chicken katsu on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes, then serve with tonkatsu sauce. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on November 6, 2012. It was updated with new images, a new video, and a revised recipe on November 3, 2021, and republished with more helpful information on May 21, 2024.
