Chicken Katsu
Panko-crumbed chicken cutlet shallow-fried golden, sliced and served with a sweet-savoury katsu sauce. The Japanese answer to schnitzel; ubiquitous in Tokyo lunch counters and now British high streets.
Overview
Chicken breasts are flattened, dredged in flour, egg and panko, then shallow-fried until the crust is deep golden and shatteringly crisp. Served sliced over rice with shredded cabbage and a katsu sauce built on Worcestershire and ketchup.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts (about 600 g)
- 4 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 150 g panko breadcrumbs
- salt
- pepper
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil for shallow-frying
Katsu sauce
- 4 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce, OR
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
To serve
- 300 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- ¼ small white cabbage (very finely shredded)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
Method
Stage 1 - Prep the chicken
- Place each chicken breast between sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until 1 ½ cm thick.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
Stage 2 - Bread
- Set up three plates: flour, beaten egg, panko.
- Coat each breast in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg, then press firmly into the panko on both sides.
- Set on a tray.
Stage 3 - Fry
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat (panko burns at high heat before the chicken cooks through).
- Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes a side until deep golden and cooked through (75°C in the centre).
- Drain on a wire rack (paper towels make the bottom soggy).
Stage 4 - Serve
- Slice each cutlet into 2 cm strips on the diagonal.
- Mound rice on each plate; pile shredded cabbage alongside.
- Place the sliced katsu over the rice, drizzle with sauce, and serve with a lemon wedge.
Notes
- Pound for even thickness: A breast that varies from 3 cm to 1 cm cooks unevenly; bash it flat first.
- Medium heat, not hot: Panko browns fast. Patience over 6-8 minutes gives crisp coating and cooked-through chicken.
- Wire rack to drain: Paper towels trap steam and soften the underside; a rack lets it stay crisp.
Storage
- Best eaten immediately. Keeps 1 day refrigerated; reheat in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes (don't microwave; the crust goes soggy).
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