Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
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This Japanese-inspired Air Fryer Chicken Katsu recipe uses only a few ingredients and is easily made in under 30 minutes. It’s crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and covered in a sweet and savory sauce, making it great for special occasions and quick weeknight dinners!
I’ve officially gone down the Japanese cuisine rabbit hole! Between Hibachi Shrimp, Salmon Poke Bowls, and Asian Cucumber Salad, I feel like I’ve toured the country this week (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but you get it).
Next stop, Air Fryer Chicken Katsu! Chicken Katsu is a popular breaded and fried Japanese chicken dish, typically served with a sweet and savory sauce called “tonkatsu” sauce. It’s commonly served with rice (I recommend my Ginger Rice!) and shredded green cabbage.
Making chicken katsu in the air fryer is a no brainer! It keeps the recipe quick, easy, and healthier (no deep frying!). If you’re new to using an air fryer or want to learn more, check out my Air Fryer 101 and my guide on What Is The Best Air Fryer To Buy.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Multi Purpose Chicken: This chicken is delicious meal on its own. But you can also use it to top a salad or in a bowl of ramen noodles for Chicken Katsu Ramen.
- Chicken Cutlet Twist: Breaded chicken cutlets are a delicious go-to for so many. Now you can mix it up with a fun Japanese twist.
- Pantry Staples: This recipe is made using very few ingredients that you likely already have. And if you don’t already have oyster sauce for the sauce, I promise it’s a great addition to your pantry!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken breasts: I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs would also work!
- Egg: Helps the panko, flour, and salt stick to the chicken during the dredging process.
- Panko: I like to use Japanese-style panko crumbs for this recipe because they are light and flaky. If you want the perfect crunch, try my making the bread crumbs from my Creamy Tuscan Kale Campanelle With Lemony Panko Bread Crumbs recipe.
- White rice: You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or any other grain.
- Green cabbage: I love serving this chicken with cabbage or Baby Bok Choy With Garlic and Sesame Seeds.
Homemade Katsu Sauce Ingredients:
- Ketchup: Helps with the consistency of your sauce and adds a sweet and savory flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: A little bit goes a long way, so make sure not to add too much.
- Sugar: Helps cut any bitterness and adds a sweet layer to your sauce.
- Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is like a soy meets fish sauce. It’s thick, like syrup.
- Soy Sauce: Adds salt and a savory umami flavor to help achieve a perfect balance.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
Step 1: Bread the chicken. Dip each chicken cutlet into the egg, flour, then egg again, and finally into the Panko. Make sure to get a coating all over the chicken.
Step 2: Air fry the chicken. Air fry 18-20 minutes at 350° F or until the internal temperature has reached 165 F and the outside is crispy and golden brown.
Step 3: Make the sauce. Combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Step 4: Serve. Slice the chicken, drizzle with sauce, and serve it in a rice bowl topped with green onions (or in a bowl of ramen noodles with nori sheets and chili oil!).
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to flip the chicken halfway through to ensure the breading cooks evenly inside the air fryer. I like to use a spatula for flipping to keep the panko from falling off.
- Use panko bread crumbs, not Italian-style breadcrumbs. Japanese panko breadcrumbs are light and crispy, which is perfect for Chicken Katsu. They will give your chicken a nice crunch.
- If you want extra flavor, season the breadcrumbs with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and any other spices.
Recipe FAQ’s
Fried chicken often features chicken with the bone in, made by deep frying in oil. Chicken Katsu is typically thinly pounded, resulting in a more tender texture with a light and crispy exterior. It’s often served with katsu sauce, which adds a distinct flavor to the dish.
Air Fryer Chicken Katsu breading is made up of panko, egg, salt, and flour. These four ingredients help create the best golden crispy crust on your chicken breast cutlets. This breading combination is great because it will even stay crispy once you put your sauce on it!
Katsu sauce is essentially a Japanese-style barbecue sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, and savory, which complements the mild flavor of the chicken.
The key is to make sure the breadcrumbs are really stuck to your chicken. Sometimes I will use a spatula to carefully flip the chicken instead of tongs so I don’t accidentally remove any of the breading from the chicken.
Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool down to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container. Be sure the container is tightly sealed to prevent air from getting in and drying out the chicken. To reheat it, you can put it back in the air fryer at 325 F for 3-5 minutes, or until it’s heated through.
Want More Chicken In the air fryer? Try these recipes!
If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Katsu or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Katsu
- 2 chicken breasts, halved horizontally
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups panko
- 1.5 tsps kosher salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups white rice, cooked
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
Chicken Katsu Sauce
- 2 tbsps ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
Chicken Katsu
- Preheat the air fryer to 350° F.
- Whisk the egg into a medium bowl and add the all purpose flour and salt to a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken into the beaten eggs and then dip the chicken into the flour. Press enough to get a coating all over the chicken.1 large egg, 1.5 tsps kosher salt, ½ cup all purpose flour, 2 chicken breasts,
- Add the panko to a shallow dish. Dip the floured chicken into the egg again, and then into the panko. Press enough to cover all the chicken.1.5 cups panko
- Place the chicken into the air fryer basket and spray olive oil on both sides. Air fry the chicken for 18-20 minutes, or until fully cooked through and crispy on the outside.
- Let the chicken cool for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
Chicken Katsu Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the ketchup, wocesterchire sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and soy sauce together in a small bowl.2 tbsps ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, ½ tbsp soy sauce
- To serve, place the chicken on a plate with white rice and shredded green cabbage. Top the chicken with the chicken katsu sauce.2 cups white rice,, 2 cups green cabbage,
Notes
- Make sure to flip the chicken halfway through to ensure the breading cooks evenly inside the air fryer. I like to use a spatula for flipping to keep the panko from falling off.
- Use panko bread crumbs, not Italian-style breadcrumbs. Japanese panko breadcrumbs are light and crispy, which is perfect for Chicken Katsu. They will give your chicken a nice crunch.
- If you want extra flavor, season the breadcrumbs with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and any other spices.
