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Chicken Katsu in the Air Fryer

Chicken Katsu is a Japanese recipe for juicy, tender chicken coated in a crispy breading. It’s a versatile main dish that comes together easily in the air fryer and makes a tasty, quick weeknight dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 361kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place 2 chicken breasts on a cutting board. Cut them in half, width-wise so that you have four thin chicken cutlets.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap over all of the chicken pieces on the cutting board. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until they are about ¼ - ½” thick.
  • Remove the plastic wrap. Then sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
  • Get out 3 separate shallow bowls (I sometimes use cake pans or pie tins) and pour 1 cup flour in one, the 2 beaten eggs in another, and 2 cups panko breadcrumbs in the final pan.
  • Pick up one of the chicken pieces and first dip it in the all purpose flour, making sure it is evenly coated on both sides.
  • Next, rub the chicken in the beaten egg, making sure it is evenly coated on both sides.
  • Finally, dip the floured and egged chicken in the panko breadcrumbs. Press the chicken into the breadcrumbs so that the breadcrumbs stick and the chicken is evenly coated. Make sure there is no surface area without breadcrumbs.
  • Repeat this process with as many chicken pieces as can fit in your air fryer at once. I have a mini air fryer that can only fit one piece of chicken, so I only prepared one piece of chicken at a time.
  • Place the chicken in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Spray the top of the chicken with nonstick spray. Cook for 8 minutes on the first side.
  • When the 8 minutes are up, turn the chicken over and spray the other side with nonstick spray. Continue cooking for another 6-8 minutes until both sides of the chicken are brown and the interior of the chicken is cooked through.
  • Repeat steps 5-10 until all of the chicken katsu is cooked. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe reviewed by Japanese reader, Kengai Wilberding. Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
  • Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could use chicken thighs if that’s what you have on hand, but your cooking time will vary. Chicken thighs tend to be juicer and more forgiving. Chicken breasts are healthier but may come out a little drier if not cooked perfectly.
  • Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can easily substitute gluten free flour instead if desired.
  • Panko Bread Crumbs: Make sure you are using Panko Bread Crumbs instead of normal breadcrumbs. Panko is desirable because it is lighter and crispier, which will lead to a coating that is not as heavy. You can buy them at an Asian grocery store or in the Asian aisle of your standard grocery store.
  • Cooking Spray: You can also use oil if you want, but the cooking spray will disturb the Panko Breadcrumbs less.
  • Do not coat the chicken in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs until you are ready to place it in the air fryer and fry immediately. Coating the chicken and then leaving it on the counter to sit while the other pieces cook will result in soggy breading.
  • These times are what worked for my air fryer, but yours might be different. Start with the smaller times and add time if necessary for the best results
  • Some people feel like chicken breasts are too dry. Chicken breasts are a healthier option but you could use chicken thighs if you want. You could also try brining your chicken breasts for a few hours before you use them. Brining helps chicken soak up a bit more salt and makes the meat extra tender
  • For a really unique curry flavor, you can try mixing and blending different curry roux.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg