Katsu is a Japanese fried cutlet preparation – part of a tradition of Japanese cuisine called Yōshoku – essentially western influenced foods. Often made with pork, it appears in a number of preparations: simple served with shredded cabbage and a spicy sauce (similar to a thickened and sweetened worcestershire sauce) , topping rice, noodled, or even with Japanese curry. My personal favorite way to eat almost any Katsu, and this chicken thigh katsu in particular, is on a simple and filling sandwich of soft, sweet white bread, shredded cabbage and spicy sauce.
Chicken Thigh Katsu
Course: Lunch, dinner, mainCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes30
minutes1
hour30
minutesIngredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 tbsp water
Oil for deep frying
Directions
- Salt the chicken on both sides and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Set up a three-stage breading station. Choose three large, wide bowls. Place the flour in one bowl. In the second, beat the eggs well with water. Put the panko in the third.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, dip it in egg wash, and bread it heavily with panko, pressing the crumbs into any crevices.
- After you have breaded all of the chicken, quickly dip it into the egg again, and then back into the panko to thicken the breading.
- Place the breaded thighs on a rack on a sheet pan, and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. This will help the breading adhere to the chicken.
- To finish, prepare a fryer or a thick-bottomed pan with at least 3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 375°. Deep-fry the cutlets at 350° for about 6 minutes, turning part way through to ensure that the crust forms evenly.
- To serve, slice the cutlets and drizzle with katsu sauce. Serve with steamed short-grained rice, sliced lemon, and raw, shredded white cabbage, or on a sandwich with sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and shredded cabbage.
Notes
- Panko (japanese breadcrumbs) is available at many grocery stores, or online.
- Katsu sauce is available at many asian markets, or you can make your own following our recipe.
Katsu Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp dry mustard
Whisk all ingredients together and quickly bring to a simmer to combine. Set aside and allow to cool.
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Looks amazing! Quick question, did you pound/tenderize the chicken?
You certainly can, but I generally don’t. Both, I like a thicker piece for slicing and because thighs are more tender than boneless breasts.