Chicken Katsu
My oldest isn’t a fan of sushi while the rest of my family is flat-out obsessed. Okay, that statement is somewhat of a lie. Truth is, my oldest didn’t like sushi when he was younger, is now willing to experiment a bit, but I discourage it--ever-so-slightly, okay?!–because sushi dinners for four out of five of my family members are already so darn expensive. I can’t believe I just admitted that here on this permanent record. Clearly this topic will be discussed in therapy twenty years from now.
In my defense, Kyle really enjoys Chicken Katsu or Ton (Pork) Katsu so much that it’s a guilt-free substitution. Katsu is a Japanese style breaded, pan-fried cutlet that’s been pounded thin and served over sticky rice with a tangy, sweet dipping sauce. This recipe for Chicken Katsu is simple, straight-forward and an absolute kid pleaser–the smaller the kid the bigger the excitement. There are more complex recipes for katsu sauce but this one does the trick with ingredients that are already in your kitchen (truth, I’ve made it with all sorts of preserves as opposed to the suggested strawberry–most recently cherry, which I thought was especially nice). And if you find thinly sliced chicken cutlets in your grocery store, you can save yourself the step of pounding. Enjoy!
Chicken Katsu
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp strawberry jam
- 1½ lbs chicken cutlets, pounded ? inch thick
- Kosher salt
- ¾ c all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
- 2 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 8 Tbls vegetable or grapeseed oil, divided
- Cooked short-grain rice (for serving)
Instructions
- Whisk ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and strawberry jam in a small bowl to combine. Set sauce aside.
- Season chicken with salt. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place eggs in another shallow bowl. Place panko in a third shallow bowl. Season each bowl with salt.
- Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, turning to coat and allowing excess to drip back into bowl, then coat with panko. Place on a large plate.
- Heat 6 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-low until it sizzles when a pinch of flour is added. Cook half of chicken until just cooked through and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add another 2 Tbsp. oil to skillet and repeat with remaining chicken. Season with salt.
- Slice chicken crosswise into 1"-thick slices. Serve over rice with reserved sauce alongside for dipping.
Notes
Do Ahead: Chicken can be breaded 3 months ahead. Place between sheets of freezer paper or waxed paper in resealable plastic freezer bags; freeze. Thaw before cooking.