Hähnchen-Katsu
Chicken katsu is the Japanese take on a breaded, deep-fried cutlet: chicken breast pounded thin, coated in airy panko, and fried until shatteringly crisp and deep golden. The crust stays light and craggy rather than dense while the meat inside stays juicy, and a tangy-sweet tonkatsu sauce ties it all together. Butterflying the breast into thin cutlets is the key move, because it lets the chicken cook through in the few minutes it takes the panko to turn a rich gold.
Butterfly two large chicken breasts into four even cutlets, pound them to about 1.5 cm, and season with salt and pepper; dredge each in flour, then beaten egg, then a thick coat of panko, pressing firmly so the crumbs stick. Heat about 3 cm of neutral oil to 170°C (340°F) in a heavy pot and fry the cutlets two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and 74°C (165°F) inside, then drain on a wire rack. Whisk ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, and a little sugar for a quick tonkatsu sauce, slice the katsu crosswise into strips, and serve over short-grain rice with finely shredded cabbage and plenty of sauce.
- Pound the cutlets to an even thickness so the chicken cooks through before the panko over-browns.
- Hold the oil at 170–175°C (340–350°F): cooler oil makes the crust greasy, hotter oil burns the panko before the meat is done.
- Drain and rest the cutlets on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the crust stays crisp on every side.
Equipment
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
- Three shallow bowls for breading
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Wire cooling rack
- Tongs or cooking chopsticks
- Instant-read thermometer
Zutaten
Chicken and breading
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into 4 thin cutlets
- 5 g kosher salt, for seasoning
- freshly ground black pepper
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- large eggs, beaten
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs, Japanese-style
- 750 ml neutral oil, for frying, canola, vegetable, or rice bran
Quick tonkatsu sauce
- 45 ml ketchup
- 30 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 4 g granulated sugar
- Dijon or Japanese karashi mustard, optional
To serve
- cooked Japanese short-grain rice, warm
- 200 g green cabbage, very finely shredded
- toasted white sesame seeds, optional garnish
Zubereitung
- SCHRITT01
Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it horizontally into two thin cutlets. Cover with plastic wrap and pound the thicker areas with a mallet or rolling pin until each cutlet is an even 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick. Pat dry, then season both sides with the salt and pepper and let them sit while you set up.
- SCHRITT02
In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and mustard if using until smooth. Taste and adjust: add a little more Worcestershire for tang or sugar for sweetness. Set aside so the flavors meld.
- SCHRITT03
Line up three shallow bowls: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, panko in the third. Coat a cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip it fully in egg, then press it into the panko, packing crumbs onto both sides. Set on a plate and repeat with the rest.
- SCHRITT04
Pour about 3 cm (1.25 inches) of oil into a heavy pot and heat over medium until it reaches 170°C (340°F) on a thermometer. If you don't have one, a panko crumb dropped in should sizzle steadily and float within a couple of seconds.
- SCHRITT05
Lower two cutlets into the oil, away from you, and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked to 74°C (165°F) at the center. Keep the oil between 170 and 175°C, adjusting the heat between batches, and fry the remaining cutlets.
- SCHRITT06
Transfer the fried cutlets to a wire rack set over a tray and let them rest 3 to 5 minutes. Resting on a rack lets steam escape from all sides so the crust stays crisp instead of steaming soggy on a plate.
- SCHRITT07
Slice each cutlet crosswise into 1.5 cm strips, keeping the shape intact. Serve over warm rice with a mound of shredded cabbage, drizzle or pool the tonkatsu sauce alongside, and finish with sesame seeds.
Make ahead
Bread the cutlets up to a day ahead and keep them uncovered on a rack in the fridge; the surface dries slightly and fries up even crisper. You can also freeze breaded raw cutlets in a single layer, then fry them from frozen, adding a couple of minutes and keeping the oil closer to 165°C (330°F). The tonkatsu sauce can be mixed several days in advance.
Storage
Store leftover cutlets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 190°C (375°F) oven or air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes to recrisp the panko; avoid the microwave, which turns the crust soggy. The tonkatsu sauce keeps for up to 2 weeks refrigerated.
Variations
Baked or air-fryer katsu
For a lighter version, toast the panko in a dry pan until golden before breading, then spray the cutlets with oil and air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for about 12 minutes, flipping once, or bake on a rack at 220°C (425°F) for 18 to 20 minutes.
Chicken katsu curry
Turn it into katsu curry by serving the sliced cutlet over rice with a ladle of Japanese curry sauce poured around the base rather than over the top, so the crust stays crisp.
Gluten-free
Swap in gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko, and use a tamari-based Worcestershire plus a gluten-free-labeled oyster or tonkatsu sauce so the whole plate stays gluten-free.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Häufige Fragen
What cut of chicken is best for chicken katsu?
Boneless, skinless chicken breast is traditional and gives the neat, uniform cutlet most people picture as chicken katsu. Pound it to an even thickness so it fries evenly. If you prefer juicier meat, boneless thighs work well too; just trim them flat and expect a slightly less tidy shape.
Why did my chicken katsu turn out soggy or greasy?
Almost always an oil-temperature problem. If the oil dips below about 165°C (330°F), the panko soaks up fat before it sets, so use a thermometer and fry in small batches. Draining the finished chicken katsu on a wire rack instead of paper towels also keeps the underside crisp.
Can I make chicken katsu without deep-frying?
Yes. Toast the panko in a dry pan until golden first so it browns in the oven, then air-fry the breaded cutlets at 200°C (400°F) for about 12 minutes or bake at 220°C (425°F) for 18 to 20 minutes. The texture is a touch less rich than fried chicken katsu but still crisp.
What sauce goes with chicken katsu?
The classic is tonkatsu sauce, a thick, tangy-sweet brown sauce. The quick version here whisks together ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, and sugar, and it comes together in a minute. A squeeze of Japanese mustard or a little karashi on the side is also common.
How do I know the chicken katsu is cooked through?
Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach 74°C (165°F). Even 1.5 cm cutlets get there in about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Pounding the chicken to a consistent thickness is the reliable way to make sure the katsu cooks through before the crust over-browns.
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