Chicken Katsu
Crispy Crunchy Chicken Breast
Say that five times fast.
Chicken Katsu, a delicious classic. This is Ricky's favorite dish, it is the one he asks for the most! (that and chocolate chip cookies).
Katsu is traditionally a fried pork cutlet, though the dish originally uses beef. As western cooking and ingredients became more common, pork became more popular and known for katsu. This recipe uses chicken, but can be adapted for pork, beef, or tofu!
The difference between katsu and fried chicken is katsu uses panko bread crumbs. Which gives the crust a light fluffy and crispy exterior, a perfect contrast to crisp and fresh cabbage, and soft fluffy rice! The cooking method is also a shallow fry, though deep frying is totally acceptable too. To get that extra crispy exterior, fry twice! It is served alongside a savory sauce that comes together in less than a minute. It is a common meal that is had in our home and hopefully in yours, an easy weeknight meal that definitely does not lack in flavor.
Serves: 3-4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 head of green cabbage
½ C. Panko bread crumbs
½ C. All-purpose flour
1/3-1/2 C. neutral oil
Sesame seeds
Katsu Sauce:
1 ½ tsp Oyster sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1 tsp Sugar
Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Double if needed.
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:
Medium skillet or cast iron
Three shallow bowls or plates
1 Small bowl
Cutting board
Favorite knife
ASSEMBLY:
Pat and dry chicken breast, and butterfly the chicken breast. Cut down the middle of the breast horizontally creating two more thinner chicken breast cutlets.
In three shallow dishes, set up the breading station. In one dish, scramble one egg and 2 Tbsp of water, then one with panko bread crumbs, and one with the flour. Season the flour with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper.
Bread chicken breast. Dip each chicken breast in this order, flour, egg, bread crumbs. Shake off any excess and set aside.
Heat oil in a large pan to medium heat. Cook 2-3 breast cutlets in the pan at a time, cooking 4-5 minutes on each side until beautifully golden! Or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F.
Remove from oil and set on a draining rack.
Chef's Tip: Let cutlets rest for 2-3 minutes, then fry again for 2-3 minutes on each side to achieve ultimate crispiness!
Cut cutlets into strips, against the grain. Serve with thinly sliced green cabbage, katsu sauce, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a side of rice! Itadakimasu!
