Crispy Chicken Katsu

Let’s learn how to make the crispiest CHICKEN KATSU coated in Panko breadcrumbs and fried to golden perfection! It’s absolutely delicious in a sandwich or in a bowl with rice, veggies, and some BBQ sauce. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand!

If you’re not familiar with chicken katsu, it is originally a Japanese-style fried chicken made with Panko breadcrumbs. It’s traditionally served with a cabbage salad and katsu sauce or with a curry and rice of course. Hawaiians also make katsu if you’ve ever been to a Hawaiian bbq spot and they usually serve it with macaroni salad too. Either way is absolutely delicious and now we’re going to make it at home!

The Ingredients

What will you need? The good news is the ingredients are super simple and pretty basic. This is one of my favorite meals to make when I don’t have it in me to go to the grocery store.

Ingredients:

• chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
• all purpose flour
• panko breadcrumbs
• eggs
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• vegetable oil, for frying

Typically, chicken thigh is used just because it is a lot more juicier and it’s already the perfect shape and size. However, if you do prefer chicken breast, just make sure to butterfly it or pound it out so the fillets are not as thick.

How to Make It

Now if you’ve ever made any sort of fried chicken before, this will be a walk in the park. And even if it’s your first time, this is the perfect recipe to start out with. There’s basically three parts:

Part 1: Dry Coating

After patting the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, we need a layer that will absorb any remaining moisture on the surface of the chicken. To do this, combine all purpose flour with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Coat each chicken thigh in, making sure to shake off any excess.

Part 2: Wet Batter

Whisk together the eggs also with a splash of milk, and some more salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Seasoning at every step is key to a flavorful chicken! Dip each floured chicken in the egg mixture and let any excess drip off. To make this process a lot less messy, reserve one hand for just the dry and the other hand just for the wet.

Part 3: The Breadcrumbs

For the best part and the key that adds so much crunch, Panko breadcrumbs! Season the breadcrumbs with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs after the egg and press them on tightly all around. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Let the breaded chicken sit for 10 minutes and in the meantime, start heating up the oil to fry. Allowing to chicken to rest first ensures the breading will stick on properly after frying.

Once the oil is hot enough (350°F), drop the chicken in, frying in batches so they’re not overcrowded. Once golden brown on one side, flip over and repeat with the other side. Take out and transfer to a wire rack once cooked through the center. And that’s it!

What to Serve it With

My favorite way to enjoy it is in a rice bowl with shredded cabbage or lettuce along with a boiled egg, BBQ sauce, and sriracha.

You can also enjoy it with macaroni salad, in a sandwich, or with curry sauce and rice.

Some not so traditional ways to enjoy it but still delicious would be over a bed of pasta or even on a salad!

If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.

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