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Chicken Katsu

A close-up of perfectly crispy, golden-brown chicken katsu sliced up on a cutting board
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★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

With just a few tips and tricks, you can easily make perfectly crispy, tender chicken katsu at home! Serve with Japanese curry or a drizzle of katsu sauce.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • Neutral frying oil, like canola, vegetable or peanut oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Pound the chicken: Using a meat mallet or other heavy object (a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet work well), pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the larger thighs into two pieces to make them more manageable if needed. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Flour-egg-breadcrumbs: Set up a workstation with three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with breadcrumbs, along with a plate to hold the dredged chicken. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, coat the chicken in flour, then shake off the excess flour and dip in the egg. Allow the excess egg to drip off before adding the chicken to the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and place it on the plate. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
  3. Fry: Heat 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or high-sided skillet until the oil reaches 350°F*. Carefully add a few pieces of chicken to the hot oil, working in batches to ensure you’re not overcrowding the pan. Cook each piece of chicken for about 2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden brown. Carefully remove and place on a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
  4. Serve with rice and a drizzle of katsu sauce or atop a bowl of Japanese curry.

Notes

  • If you don’t own a deep-fry thermometer or simply don’t feel like monitoring the temperature of your oil, you can test if the oil is ready by dropping a small amount of flour into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.

Keywords: katsu recipe, chicken katsu, fried chicken, Japanese fried chicken, chicken cutlet

Find it online: https://www.emilyeatsthings.com/chicken-katsu/