Crispy, Crispy Chicken Katsu is a crispy, Japanese-style fried chicken cutlet that is simple to prepare and always eaten with enthusiasm by both children and grown-ups alike.
Serve with tonkatsu sauce (See the recipe for Tonkatsu Sauce below), over rice, in sandwiches or over ramen.
For some helpful tips before you begin, click here.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 chicken thighs (about 1 2/3 lbs or 3/4 kg), boneless and skinless
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1.8 g) dry chili flakes
- 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, thoroughly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) Japanese-style panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Marinate the chicken.
– Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.
– Pour in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, sugar and chili flakes.
– Squish the chicken around in the marinade until everything is mixed well and the chicken is coated.
– Squeeze as much air out of the Ziploc bag as possible and seal.
– Let the chicken marinade for at least an hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Drain and pound the chicken.
– Drain the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade.
– Place a chicken thigh in a gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag.
– Pound the chicken thigh with a mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan until about 1/4-inch in thickness.
– Remove the chicken thigh from the Ziploc bag to a plate.
– Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
3. Dredge the chicken in flour, egg and panko.
– Fill three wide, shallow bowls or pie pans with flour, beaten eggs, and panko, respectively.
– Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge both sides in flour, shaking off excess.
– Transfer to the egg dish and coat both sides with egg.
– Lift and allow excess egg to drain off, then transfer to the dish with the panko bread crumbs and press both sides with a good layer of crumbs on both sides.
– Transfer the breaded cutlet to a wire rack on a tray.
– Repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Fry the breaded chicken cutlets until crispy.
– Fill a deep skillet (cast-iron is best) with about an inch of oil.
– Heat the oil to about 350°F (177°C).
– Using your fingers or tongs, carefully place the cutlet in the oil away from you.
– Fry until browned and crispy on both sides, flipping occasionally to brown evenly.
– OR deep-fry in 350°F (177°C) oil until golden brown.
– Remove to a cooling rack or a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
– If not serving immediately, keep warm in a 200°F/93°C oven.
Slice the Crispy, Crispy Chicken Katsu into strips and serve while hot with Tonkatsu Sauce.
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About this recipe
Crispy, Crispy Chicken Katsu is a favorite go-to. It’s crispy, juicy, simple to prepare and versatile. It’s delicious over rice, over noodles, in sandwiches, tacos, salads and so on.
Serve it with Tonkatsu Sauce. (See the recipe below.) So delicious!
TIPS:
Here are 3 helpful tips:
1) Use chicken thighs.
– Chicken breasts are great. But when pounding the chicken thin and then frying, chicken thighs are much more forgiving and will remain more moist and flavorful.
2) Pound the chicken in a Ziploc bag to protect the chicken and your kitchen.
– Pounding chicken thin will take a bit of muscle. The Ziploc bag will help protect your chicken from tearing. It will also keep the mess contained.
– If you don’t have a Ziploc bag, plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper may also be used.
3) When dredging the chicken, use one hand for dry dipping and the other for wet.
– Keep one hand for dipping the chicken in dry ingredients and the other for dipping in the wet egg. This will help prevent your fingers from being covered in more breading than the chicken.
Scroll down for the Tonkatsu Sauce recipe!
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Tonkatsu Sauce
Tonkatsu Sauce is a sweet, savory and tangy sauce that is perfect with Crispy, Crispy Chicken Katsu. But we also like this sauce with Lumpiang Shanghai, Crispy Tofu and even french fries.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/3 cup (79 ml) ketchup
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mustard
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) MSG*
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (.75 g) ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 g) sugar
*MSG enhances flavor, but if you do not like to use MSG, it can be omitted.
DIRECTIONS:
– Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.
– Store any leftover Tonkatsu Sauce in the refrigerator in a jar or other sealed container.
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Related Recipes
Need to make rice?
Steamed White Rice
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Make some Milk Bread for sandos.
Japanese Milk Bread
Click HERE for some other SIDES to serve with your Crispy Chicken Katsu!
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