Thin-cut chicken cutlets dredged in a rice flour, egg, and panko bread crumb coating keep this Japanese-style fried Chicken Katsu juicy and tender with a perfectly crisp crust.
The gravitational pull toward low-fuss meals that come together quickly is what weeknight cooking pines for. This is where crispy fried cutlets make their mark in pretty much every nation’s cuisine catalog. This Chicken Katsu is a prime example. Similar to my Grandma Freida’s German Schnitzel recipe or my Grandma Mary Jane’s extra easy-to-make Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets, thin-cut scallops of meat dredged in bread crumbs are what makes this Japanese chicken katsu recipe fast to prepare and delicious to eat. In this recipe, it takes just two chicken breasts to make four servings for an economical but nutritious protein choice. The chicken is dredged in rice flour for a lighter coating, eggs whisked with Maggi seasoning for extra umami, and flaky panko bread crumbs that absorb less oil. Fried for a total time of just 4-5 minutes or so, the breading insulates the thin chicken breasts so they stay moist and flavorful while delivering the ultimate crispy crunch.
In This Post
What Is Chicken Katsu Made Of?
For a lighter-dredge coating, I use rice flour or cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour. However, if all-purpose flour is what you have on hand, go ahead and use it instead.
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Rice flour or cornstarch (for a lighter coating than all-purpose flour)
- Eggs
- Maggi seasoning (optional) for just a bit more salty umami flavor. Or, try soy sauce or tamari
- Panko bread crumbs
- Canola oil or other oil with a high smoke point
- Maldon sea salt or other large-flake finishing salt
- Sesame seeds for finishing
- Tonkatsu Sauce for drizzling or dipping
How to Make Chicken Katsu
- Prepare the chicken by cutting them into thin scallops. When cut and pounded thin, chicken breasts cook faster while keeping tender and moist.
- Use a thin, sharp knife to slice each chicken breast in half, from tip to tail, to make two thinner scallops.
- Working with one chicken breast at a time, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ¼″ thickness.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Dredge the chicken for the crispy coating. The rice flour gives the egg a surface to adhere to while the egg creates a sticky surface for the bread crumbs.
- Season both sides of the cutlets with the kosher salt.
- Working with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the rice flour, tapping off the excess.
- Dip both sides of the cutlet into the egg, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.
- Place the chicken breast in the panko crumbs. Press the breast into the crumbs then flip and repeat with the other side. Make sure the breasts are fully coated.
- Transfer the chicken breast to a baking sheet topped with a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- MAKE AHEAD TIP: At this point, you can refrigerate the chicken breasts uncovered for up to 3 hours. Some recipes recommend chilling the coated cutlets to prime the panko shell for frying.
How to Fry Chicken Katsu
- Pour enough oil into a large, high-sided skillet to go 2-3″ up sides. Heat over medium until a thermometer registers 350°F. You can tell the oil is ready when a smidge of flour or a few breadcrumbs sizzle when dropped into the oil.
- Cooking one or two breasts at a time, use tongs to lower the cutlets into the skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet or the chicken will steam instead of crisp.
- Make the chicken extra crispy by flipping it to each side more than once. Cook the chicken for 1 ½ minutes then flip the cutlets and cook for another 1 ½ minutes. Flip again and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until golden brown. Repeat with the other side.
- Drain the chicken and season. Transfer the cutlets to the wire rack-topped baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with a few pinches of the Maldon or finishing salt.
- Keep the cutlets warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
- What makes chicken katsu different than fried chicken? Chicken katsu are thin-cut chicken scallops dredged in a series of flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs then fried. While recipes vary, fried chicken typically consists of all parts of the chicken dredged in buttermilk and seasoned all-purpose flour before frying.
- Can I use Italian-style breadcrumbs instead of panko? Regular or Italian-style breadcrumbs are finer in texture than panko and soak up more oil, resulting in a crust that has a more dense, but still delicious, crust.
- Why use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour? Rice flour is gluten-free and has a more powdery feel than all-purpose flour. When fried, it creates a light, crisp texture and is often used in Japanese tempuras and fried foods.
- What is tonkatsu sauce? Tonkatsu sauce is a Japanese condiment served with chicken katsu or fried vegetables. Similar to BBQ sauce but with a deeper umami flavor and salty bite, I like the ever-popular Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce or Bachans Barbecue Sauce. Or, make your own with this easy Tonkatsu Sauce recipe.
What to Serve With Chicken Katsu
- Asian Slaw
- Perfectly Cooked Rice
- Sesame Broccoli
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Sesame Soba Noodles
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce or Bachans Barbecue Sauce
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Crispy Chicken Katsu Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup rice flour or cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon Maggi seasoning , or use soy sauce or tamari
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 12 ounces Canola oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon finishing salt , such as Maldon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds , (optional)
Instructions
- Use a thin, sharp knife to slice each chicken breast in half, from tip to tail, to make two thinner scallops. Working with one chicken breast at a time, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ¼" thickness. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Season both sides of the cutlets with the kosher salt.
- Place the rice flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls or rimmed dinner plates. Whisk the eggs and season with the Maggi seasoning or an equivalent amount of soy sauce.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge the cutlets in the rice flour, tapping off the excess. Dip both sides of the cutlet into the egg, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Place the chicken breast in the panko crumbs. Press the breast into the crumbs then flip and repeat with the other side. Transfer the chicken breast to a baking sheet topped with a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. At this point, you could refrigerate the chicken breasts for up to 3 hours or start frying.
- Pour the oil into a large, high-sided skillet over medium and heat to 350°F when tested with a thermometer. The oil is ready when a smidge of flour or a few breadcrumbs sizzle when dropped into the oil. Cooking one or two breasts at a time, use tongs to lower the cutlets into the skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet or the chicken will steam instead of crisp. Cook for 1 ½ minutes then flip the cutlets and cook for another 1 ½ minutes. Flip again and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until golden brown. Repeat with the other side. Transfer the cutlets to the wire rack-topped baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with a few pinches of the Maldon or finishing salt. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds if desired, a drizzle of Japanese barbecue sauce, tonkatsu sauce, or a squeeze of lemon.
Nutrition
More Chicken Cutlet Recipe Ideas
- Easy Chicken Piccata
- Baked Chicken Parmesan Cutlets
- Dijon Chicken
- Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Breasts
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Hello! Can this be made in an air fryer?
Hi there, yes, it sure could be. Spray both sides of the chicken breasts with cooking oil then place the cutlets in a single layer (in batches) into the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 4 minutes then flip and spray the other side. Air fry for another 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through.