Description
Japanese Katsu Bowls with Tonkatsu Sauce are a delicious and comforting meal featuring crispy fried chicken cutlets served over steamed rice, drizzled with flavorful tonkatsu sauce and a spicy mayo. This recipe combines tender pounded chicken coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried to golden perfection, making it a perfect lunch or dinner option for 3 to 4 servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola), for frying
Rice and Sauce
- 3 cups steamed short-grain white rice
- 1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or green onion
- Optional Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce: 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken thighs or breasts to an even thickness to ensure uniform cooking. Season both sides with salt and pepper to enhance flavor.
- Set up dredging stations: Arrange three shallow bowls—one with all-purpose flour, the second with beaten eggs, and the third with panko breadcrumbs. This setup will make coating the chicken efficient and even.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge each chicken piece first in flour, shaking off excess, then dip it into the beaten eggs, and finally coat it thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs ensuring every surface is covered.
- Fry the chicken: Heat the neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and fully cooked through. Once done, transfer the chicken to paper towels or a wire rack to drain excess oil.
- Prepare sauces: Mix mayonnaise and sriracha together to create a spicy mayo for drizzling. If making tonkatsu sauce from scratch, whisk together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sugar until well combined.
- Assemble the bowls: Slice the fried chicken into strips. In each serving bowl, layer a base of steamed rice, arrange the chicken strips on top, then drizzle with tonkatsu sauce and spicy mayo. Garnish with chopped parsley or green onions for freshness and color.
- Serve: Serve the katsu bowls immediately for best texture and flavor, or store the components separately for convenient meal prep later.
Notes
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness helps it cook evenly and stay tender.
- Using panko breadcrumbs provides a light, crispy crust unlike regular breadcrumbs.
- Adjust the sriracha quantity in the spicy mayo to control heat level according to your preference.
- If preferred, you can substitute chicken breasts for thighs, but thighs tend to be juicier.
- To keep the chicken crispy for meal prep, store the fried chicken separately from the sauces and rice.
- Short-grain rice is preferred for authentic texture; jasmine or medium grain can be used as alternatives.
