Chicken Katsu | Chicken.ca (2024)

Developed for CFC by Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

Chicken Katsu | Chicken.ca (1)

In Hawaii it is called "chicken katsu" but the Japanese refer to this dish as "torikatsu." It is referred to as "tonkatsu" when it is made with pork cutlets. The katsu sauce recipe uses ingredients readily available in most Canadian kitchens. The goal with this recipe was to achieve "fried chicken" with as little fat as possible. Chicken katsu can be served over a bed of sliced cabbage and/or with rice.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

Katsu Sauce

⅓ cup ketchup

¼ cup sugar

3 tbsp light tamari sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ground

Panko Breaded Fried Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)

¼ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cups panko breadcrumbs

2 egg(s), medium

4 tbsp canola oil

2 cups green cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp sesame seeds, preferably black (optional garnish)

Chicken Katsu | Chicken.ca (2) Food Safety

Before you start, wash all surfaces and your hands with soap and warm water, and remember to wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards after they touch raw meat or eggs. Avoid cross-contamination by using a different cutting board for your meat and other ingredients. Make sure you’re cooking to safe temperatures and chilling any leftovers within two hours. For more food safety tips, visit our Food Safety at Home Section.

Steps

  1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook over low heat until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. This will take 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.

  2. Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a plastic freezer bag and flatten to an even thickness of ½ inch (1.25 cm). An easy way to do this is to put the boneless breasts in a plastic bag and use a tortilla press, smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to lightly flatten. Try not to tear the meat.

  3. Sprinkle flour over a dinner plate and then sprinkle the panko crumbs over another.

  4. Add eggs to a shallow bowl and beat with a fork until pale yellow.

  5. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour on both sides using a fork. Then move the chicken to the egg and coat both sides. Finally, coat both sides with the panko crumbs. Set aside on a large plate arranging so the pieces do not overlap.

  6. To fry the breaded chicken, work in two batches. Heat two tablespoons oil (30 ml) in skillet over medium high heat. Sauté half of the breaded chicken until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven. Add other 2 tablespoons (30 mL) oil and fry the remaining chicken pieces.

  7. Shred the cabbage and place over a serving platter.

  8. To serve, cut the fried chicken across the grain (horizontal) into strips. Use a large knife to lift the chicken as one piece and lay over the shredded cabbage. Continue with other pieces. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with the Katsu Sauce lightly spooned over the chicken. Alternately, you can serve the sauce in a bowl on the side.

Helpful Tip

Panko are a type of Japanese breadcrumbs. They are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs and are available at Asian food stores as well as some larger grocery stores.

Nutrition Info

Per 250 g serving Amount
Calories460
Protein34 g
Fat19 g
Saturated Fat3 g
Carbohydrate38 g
Fibre3 g
Sugar18 g
Cholesterol150 mg
Sodium900 mg
Per 250 g serving % Daily Value
Potassium17
Calcium6
Iron15
Vitamin A6
Vitamin C35
Vitamin B642
Vitamin B1234
Folate15
Zinc18
Chicken Katsu | Chicken.ca (2024)

FAQs

What is katsu chicken made of? ›

Chicken katsu (チキンカツ) is made of chicken breast fillets breaded with flour, egg, and Japanese panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden brown. It's the chicken counterpart of Tonkatsu or pork cutlet.

What is katsu sauce made of? ›

This sauce is the traditional Japanese accompaniment for tonkatsu — Japanese-style breaded pork cutlets. It's made from a specially balanced blend of applesauce, onion, tomato paste, carrots and traditionally brewed Kikkoman® Soy Sauce that adds flavor to meat and poultry.

Is chicken katsu just fried chicken? ›

Chicken katsu (chicken cutlet (Japanese: チキンカツ, Hepburn: chikinkatsu)), also known as panko chicken or tori katsu (torikatsu (鶏カツ)) is a Japanese dish of fried chicken made with panko bread crumbs. It is related to tonkatsu, fried pork cutlets.

How do you not burn katsu? ›

Frying time on each side usually takes 3 minutes per side at medium temperature or until it's golden brown. The key to properly cooking the chicken without burning the outside and under cooking the inside is by flattening the chicken with a meat tenderizer until it's flat.

What does katsu mean in English? ›

Meaning of katsu in English

a Japanese dish consisting of a piece of meat, usually chicken, or vegetable, covered in bread crumbs, fried, then usually cut into strips and eaten with a sauce: One of my favorite dishes growing up, chicken katsu is basically the Japanese version of fried chicken.

Is katsu actually Japanese? ›

Katsu or “cutlet” in Japanese, refers to meat that's been pounded thin before being cooked. It was introduced in Japan by the British in the Meiji era so that makes it a western dish, not traditionally Japanese. Being a Western-style curry, katsu curry is often mild unlike the Indian curry.

How unhealthy is chicken katsu curry? ›

But some of the dishes are deceptively calorific – for example, the chicken and prawn Pad Thai boasts 794 calories, while the ever-popular Katsu Curry is 1149 calories – more than two Big Macs – and contains over half your daily allowance of saturated fat.

What is the red stuff on katsu chicken? ›

f*ckujinzuke is a mixture of Japanese radish (daikon), lotus root, cucumber and eggplant which are preserved in a soya sauce and sweet cooking wine (mirin) base. The sweet brown or red relish is served as a garnish to Japanese curry (kare raisu).

Why is katsu sauce so good? ›

Despite its simplicity, katsu sauce has a complex flavor profile that includes the following elements: Sweet: The sweet flavors come from the sugar. Savory: Savory elements come from the Worcestershire sauce. Tangy: The tomato sauce or ketchup gives katsu a tangy flavor.

Why is my katsu not crispy? ›

The only thing to be concerned about is temperature management. Too cold, and your bread crumbs will take too long to crisp, allowing the meat to overcook. Way too cold, and they'll slough off before they can even set. Too hot, and they'll burn before the meat is done.

Is chicken katsu just schnitzel? ›

Both are fried chicken preparations. Katsu is a Japanese recipe where the entire piece of chicken is breaded ( with other ingredients) and fried. Schnitzel is a boneless filet( I pound mine out) breaded ( again other ingredients ) and fried.

Why is katsu chicken pink? ›

The pink color in the meat of safely cooked chicken is particularly common in young birds. The bones of younger chickens are more permeable than older animals, which can allow the bone marrow to leak into the surrounding meat and produce a pink color.

Is Katsu Don unhealthy? ›

Nutritional Balance: Katsudon can be a balanced meal with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Energy Source: The fats in pork cutlet and carbohydrates in rice provide energy. Caution: Being high in calories and fats, excessive consumption may increase the risk of obesity and heart diseases.

Why do you put cabbage in katsu? ›

Or simply put, Vitamin U is found in cabbage and it helps with normalizing gastric and intestinal functions. When eaten with katsu, the cabbage aids in digesting the deep fried goodness and helps prevents ulcers, heart burn, etc.

What does katsu chicken taste like? ›

Chicken katsu is a Japanese delicacy. It tastes very similar to schnitzel, but the bread crumbs for chicken katsu, called panko, are much coarser than the ones for schnitzel.

Is chicken katsu just chicken schnitzel? ›

The main differences between chicken katsu and Western-style chicken cutlet (also known as chicken schnitzel) are that chicken katsu does not tenderize the chicken meat by pounding it, it uses panko breadcrumbs, and it is deep-fried rather than shallow-fried.

What kind of meat is katsu? ›

Katsu is a Japanese dish of crispy fried cutlets coated with Panko bread crumbs. Popular varieties are chicken katsu (like this recipe) and tonkatsu (which is made with pork).

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