This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Chicken Katsu is an amazing Japanese comfort dish that is hard not to love. For this chicken katsu recipe, I use the Air Fryer to make it juicy and deliciously crispy without all the oil. I’ll show you the secret to getting the chicken katsu perfectly golden brown and extra crunchy. It’s so easy to put together, you’ll want to make this chicken katsu all the time!
What is Chicken Katsu?
Katsu is a tasty Japanese dish consisting of cutlets dredged in flour, egg, panko, and then fried. It’s most commonly made with chicken or pork (which you can easily substitute in this recipe). It’s typically served with a fruity and tangy katsu sauce, rice, and finely shredded cabbage. The meat is juicy and tender, and the outside is wonderfully golden and crunchy. It’s total comfort food!
Air Fried Chicken Katsu
Typically, chicken katsu is fried in lots of oil until it’s crispy and golden brown. In this version, I use the Air Fryer to achieve a crispy outside coating.
Look, I love deep-fried foods, but I absolutely hate the clean-up. This air-fried katsu is just as crispy as the fried version but healthier without so much oil. No need to figure out how to dispose of the oil afterward and less mess! It’s so good, you honestly won’t miss the deep-fried version.
If you don’t have an Air Fryer, no sweat. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
The Secret to Extra Crispy Katsu
The secret to getting the chicken katsu perfectly brown and golden is toasting the panko beforehand. I used this technique from Just One Cookbook for their baked chicken katsu recipe.
In a pan with a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil, the panko is toasted for several minutes until it turns golden brown. This is what you’ll coat the chicken cutlets with before you air fry them. It makes the katsu extra crunchy and gives it a lovely toasty flavor. It also ensures an even golden color throughout the katsu.
Below you can see the difference. The top plate is without toasted panko, and the bottom is with toasted panko. Both are delicious, but the toasted panko makes it look SO much better. It’s worth the extra effort, promise!
How Do You Eat Katsu?
After the katsu is cooked, you’ll chop the chicken into more manageable bite-sized pieces. You can serve it over steamed rice with katsu sauce (my favorite brand below). However, katsu is versatile and can also be served as a sandwich, over Japanese curry, or with dashi and eggs (called katsudon). These versions are also incredibly tasty, I honestly can’t decide which is best. All the more to make lots of katsu and try them yourself.
Chicken Katsu Ingredients
- Chicken breast – You’ll use chicken breasts, pounded flat for even and quick cooking. You can substitute with boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or pork loins.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – These breadcrumbs are light and airy, and is the key to giving the chicken katsu that amazing crunch. You can find them at an Asian supermarket, the regular grocery store, and online.
- Katsu Sauce – This tangy sauce is made from fruit, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. People sometimes compare it to a bbq sauce. If you don’t want to use katsu sauce, try katsu with Japanese curry instead. This is one of my favorite ways to have katsu, it’s so hearty and comforting! Find both of these at the Asian store or online.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Fried Tofu With Teriyaki Sauce
- Fried Chicken Sandwich (Spicy!)
- Salmon Sushi Bake
- Chicken Katsudon
- Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1 pound chicken breasts (about 2 filets)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- katsu sauce
Instructions
- Start with toasting the panko bread crumbs. In a nonstick pan, add panko and cooking oil and heat the pan over medium heat. Occasionally stir the panko until it becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, transfer panko to a shallow bowl, and set aside while you prepare the chicken.
- Next, pound the chicken to get it an even thickness. Take out one chicken breast, place on a cutting board, and lay down a piece of plastic wrap over top. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin, pound the chicken so it is an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Once flattened, cut the chicken breast in half. Repeat with the second chicken filet. You should have four pieces of chicken.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. This is the only seasoning for the chicken, so be generous.
- Time to set up the dredging station. In a shallow dish, add flour. In a second shallow dish, combine eggs, water, and whisk. The third dish will have the reserved toasted panko bread crumbs. Take a chicken piece and coat it in flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip the chicken into the egg mixture. Lastly, dip the chicken into the toasted panko, coating evenly. Set the chicken aside, and repeat with the other chicken pieces until all are coated.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 375°F. Place the chicken pieces on the Air Fryer basket. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes, flip the chicken and bake an additional 5 minutes.
- When the chicken is done, transfer to a cutting board and chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Serve with rice, katsu sauce, and shredded cabbage. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the chicken breast with boneless chicken thighs or pork loins.
- Toasting the panko beforehand is highly recommended. However, if you don’t have time, you can bake them untoasted. However, be sure to spray the katsu with cooking spray on both sides before cooking.
- If you don’t have an Air Fryer, bake the katsu in the oven. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Other ways to enjoy chicken katsu: in a sandwich, with Japanese curry, or with dashi and eggs (called katsudon).
Omg!!! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this! Thank you for making this. I will for sure cook this for my lunch.
Yay, I’m so glad you checked out my recipe!
This recipe looks SO delicious!
Thank you!
Simple and yummy – the best way to make dinner 😊
Agreed!
Yes, very similar to schnitzel. My husband is part German, and introduced me to mushroom sauce which I always need to have with Schnitzel now.
I love my air fryer and I love Chicken Katsu. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sames, my air fryer gets so much use!