My 25-minute chicken katsu recipe turns the classic Japanese comfort dish into an easy homemade dinner. I just coat chicken cutlets in Panko breadcrumbs, quickly fry them in a pan until crispy, then serve them with my shortcut Tonkatsu sauce for dipping.
Tonkatsu Chicken with Shortcut Sauce
Traditional Tonkatsu is made with pork cutlets, but katsu chicken is just as good! Tender chicken cutlets cook up fast, which makes them ideal for a quick pan-fried recipe like this. Coating the chicken in flakey Panko gives it a light, crunchy, shatteringly-crisp texture that makes every bite delicious. And my easy tonkatsu sauce nails that tangy-sweet flavor using simple pantry staples — no grocery run required!
🙈 Learn from my mistake!
I’m not the most patient with preheating. But when it comes to frying, lukewarm oil turns breadcrumbs soggy and leaves chicken unevenly-cooked.
💡Lesson Learned: Let the frying oil fully heat up to 350℉ before adding any chicken pieces to the pan. Use a thermometer to be sure it’s hot enough. And give the oil time to come back up to temp between batches.
Fried Chicken Katsu Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Instant-Read Thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (*)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs (**)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying***)
Easy Tonkatsu Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons ketchup
- 7 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Prep:
- Line a plate with paper towels. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the tonkatsu sauce ingredients. Set aside.6 tablespoons ketchup, 7 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, with the knife parallel to your work surface, to create 4 thin cutlets.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Dredge:
- Create a breading station. Add the flour, eggs, and Panko each to separate shallow bowls.½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs, 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Dredge in the eggs, letting any excess drip off.
- Finally, fully coat the chicken in Panko. Let it rest while the oil heats up.
Fry:
- Fill a large cast iron skillet with ¼-inch oil. Heat over medium until it reaches 350°F.1 cup vegetable oil
- Place the chicken cutlets into the oil, and fry about 2 minutes per side; until golden and 165°F internally. Transfer to the prepared plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Serve cutlets hot with the tonkatsu sauce.
Notes
- Use a large, deep-sided skillet or dutch oven for this recipe.
- For best results, let the chicken sit out for 20-30 minutes before frying. This helps it cook through more evenly, and prevents cooling the oil.
- Be sure to shake off any excess while dredging. Thick layers of flour, egg, or breadcrumbs can create a soggy crust.
- If the Panko breadcrumbs aren’t sticking well to the chicken, gently press them onto the surface of the chicken to help them adhere. Adding a teaspoon of oil to the egg can also help the breadcrumbs to stick better.
- You can use a bottle of Tonkatsu sauce instead of making your own.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Foolproof Tips
- Use thin cutlets. Tonkatsu recipes work best with cutlets, which cook through quickly and crisp up nicely. So be sure to slice any thicker chicken breasts in half. If needed, place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them into thinner pieces.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Crowding the pan while frying can lower the oil temperature and cause steaming, which creates soggy spots. So it’s better to batch cook, adding only 1-2 cutlets to the frying oil at a time.
- Make it extra crispy. Try double-frying for a restaurant-level dish. First, fry at about 325°F to cook the chicken through and set the breading. After a brief rest, return it to hotter oil (around 350–360°F) for a quick second fry. This extra step drives out excess oil and creates a shatteringly-crisp crust.
How to Make Chicken Katsu Step by Step
Make the Shortcut Tonkatsu Sauce: Line a plate with paper towels and set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons of ketchup, 7 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, then set it aside.
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Prep the Chicken: Slice 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise (parallel to your work surface) to create a total of 4 cutlets. Season both sides of each piece with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
Bread the Chicken: Start by creating a dredging station. Set out 3 shallow bowls. To the first bowl, add ½ cup of all-purpose flour; to the second bowl, add 2 large eggs and whisk briefly; and to the third bowl, add 1½ cups of Panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour, shaking off excess; then the eggs, letting any excess drip off; and finally, fully coat in the Panko. Repeat with all cutlets.
Fry the Chicken: Fill a large cast-iron skillet with enough vegetable oil to reach ¼-inch up the pan. This should be about 1 cup of frying oil. There needs to be enough to partially submerge the cutlets. Heat the oil over medium until it reaches 350°F. Place 1-2 panko-coated chicken cutlets into the oil at a time to avoid crowding. Pan-fry for about 2 minutes, then flip and continue cooking. When done, the breadcrumb coating should be golden brown, and the internal temperature should be 165°F. Transfer to the prepared plate and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Serve: Serve fried cutlets while hot and crispy, with the tonkatsu sauce for dipping. I like to add some shredded cabbage to the plate for a cool and fresh contrast. This dish is also great with some rice on the side.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover chicken katsu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. Store leftover tonkatsu sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
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