This savory and sweet Chicken Katsu Recipe is a perfect starter dish for people new to Japanese cuisine. It’s crunchy Japanese fried chicken and egg over rice! Everyone will love it!
Who doesn’t like fried chicken?! Chicken katsu is a very traditional and popular Japanese dish we all can enjoy. And it is a perfect starter dish for people who may be on the fence about trying Japanese food for the first time. Because the main ingredients are super recognizable to the Western palate, this chicken katsu recipe won’t trigger the same trepidation that a dish like tako-wasa or natto might to a Japanese food first-timer. However, the use of dashi, sake, soy sauce and mirin combine to create a flavor profile that will hit all the right flavor notes you’re looking for when devouring Japanese food.
When I was growing up in a small town in Quebec, my Japanese mother had a difficult time tracking down many of the ingredients she needed to make a ton of the great dishes from her heritage. But, what’s easier to find than chicken breast, eggs and rice in North America? My mother made this chicken katsu recipe on the regular and introduced my brother and me to the balance of savory, sweet and umami flavors that would grow to become my preferred flavor profile later in life.
The fried preparation of the chicken in this chicken katsu recipe is similar to the treatment a pork cutlet would get in the better known (yet similar) Japanese dish tonkatsu. Panko breadcrumbs are made from crustless bread and are coarsely ground. The large, airy flakes tend to give fried foods a light, crunchy coating – and have the tendency to stay crisp longer once cooked than traditional breadcrumbs. Panko is the perfect breading for this delicious chicken katsu recipe!
Tender sweet and savory onions and cooked eggs amp this chicken katsu recipe up to the next level – and impart an unreal depth of flavor. Whether you’re a first timer or a pro – this Japanese recipe will satisfy! You might say that this chicken katsu recipe is comfort-food-lite. I’ve been asked several times to post a katsudon recipe, so here it is! This chicken katsu recipe is very easy to make and has all the right flavors; far from being bland, it’s both sweet and savory and comes with plenty of tasty onions and eggs. Traditionally served over a bed of rice, this Japanese specialty is comforting and perfect as a family meal.
Did you like this chicken katsu recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Chicken katsu
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Poultry
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Fried chicken and egg over rice is the perfect starter meal for people new to Japanese cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- all purpose flour, for dusting
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Oil, for deep frying
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced into half moons
- 1 handful basil or flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup dashi stock
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 4 cups cooked Japanese rice
Instructions
- Add oil to a pot and turn the heat to medium heat.
- Dip the chicken pieces in the following order: flour, egg (use one egg) and panko.
- In another large pan, put the sliced onions, dashi, sugar, sake, soy sauce and mirin, and simmer until onions are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 eggs.
- When the oil reaches 350ºF, slowly add chicken pieces to it. Keep deep frying until they are golden brown. Take the chicken pieces out and rest them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Add the chicken to the onions, pour the eggs around the chicken, over the onions, and cook for a minute or two. Sprinkle basil or parsley on top, turn the heat off when eggs are cooked through.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
You can keep any leftovers for a day or two in the fridge – but it’s definitely best to eat this Chicken Katsu recipe immediately after cooking.
Looks great. Love katsu, now I’ll try it at home 🙂
This looks so delicious! Definitely a perfect weeknight meal =)
This is interesting. I’ve never heard of this dish before but I love the idea. Of course anything with fried chicken works though 😉
Agreed, fried chicken pairs well with pretty much anything 🙂