Chicken Katsu is a Japanese dish featuring super crispy chicken paired with a tangy tonkatsu sauce. Simple and economical yet incredibly delicious!

Chicken Katsu is a spin on the classic Japanese Tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork cutlets) but made with chicken instead of pork. It is served with tonkatsu sauce and of course, steamed rice on the side.

Chicken Katsu is super crispy on the outside thanks to the Japanese panko breadcrumbs, while tender and juicy inside. I marinate my chicken in Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce for a couple of hours before frying the chicken as it adds incredible flavor. The chicken pairs beautifully with the tangy tonkatsu sauce.

This dish is simple yet delicious, economical, and easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight. I hope you give this recipe a try!

How to make Chicken Katsu

For this recipe, we’ll be using 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You may also use chicken breast if you prefer – just cut them into half horizontally or cut into several slices at a bias. Chicken tenders also work well in this recipe (perfect for kids!)

Place the chicken thighs on a large cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap, then pound the chicken with a meat tenderizer to approximately 1/2-inch thickness. When the chicken is thinner, it cooks faster and more evenly.

Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag, then add 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a dash of ground black pepper. Mix well, then allow the chicken to marinate for about 1 – 3 hours.

Heat up enough cooking oil in a frying pan to shallow-fry the chicken over medium-high heat (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil).

Prepare 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs in three separate shallow dishes.

Coat the chicken in a thin layer of flour (shaking off the excess), dip it into the egg, then coat with panko breadcrumbs.

Fry the chicken in small batches until golden brown (approximately 2 minutes on each side).

Place the fried chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, or on oil-absorbing paper.

Tonkatsu Sauce

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard. Mix well.

Serve the Chicken Katsu with steamed white rice and the tonkatsu sauce on the side.

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. You will need to re-heat the chicken in a toaster oven or in the oven so that the crust is crispy.

Enjoy!

Chicken Katsu

Char

Chicken Katsu is a Japanese dish featuring super crispy chicken paired with a tangy tonkatsu sauce. Simple and economical yet incredibly delicious!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Marinade Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken Katsu

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper
2 eggs beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Cooking oil

Tonkatsu Sauce

3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place the chicken on a large cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, then pound with a meat tenderizer till the chicken is at approximately 1/2-inch thickness.
Marinade chicken in a large Ziploc bag with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper for about 1 – 3 hours.
Place beaten eggs, flour, and panko breadcrumbs in three separate shallow dishes.
Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil; enough to shallow fry the chicken). Make sure that the oil is hot enough before frying the chicken.
Coat the chicken in a thin layer of flour (shake off the excess), dip into the egg, then coat in panko breadcrumbs.
Fry the chicken in small batches until golden brown (about 2 minutes on each side). Place the fried chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, or on oil-absorbing paper.
In a small bowl, prepare the tonkatsu sauce by combining tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and ground mustard. Mix well.
Serve the chicken katsu with steamed rice and tonkatsu sauce.

Notes

Traditionally, Chicken Katsu is not marinated in Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce so you can omit this step if you wish. I just think it adds so much flavor to the chicken!

Instead of chicken thighs, you can use chicken breast (cut into half horizontally) or chicken tenders.

Nutrition

Serving: 4gCalories: 681kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 50gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 311mgSodium: 1364mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6g

Keyword simple chicken katsu

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