Chicken Thigh Katsu

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

Recipe by DrewCourse: Lunch, dinner, mainCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 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.

Be sure to check out my other food project, The Weekly Menu!

4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Buffalo Chicken Bites – The Chicken Thigh Guy

  2. Pingback: Chicken Thigh Katsu Curry – The Chicken Thigh Guy

  3. 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.

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