Air Fryer Chicken Katsu

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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

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 361kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Plastic Wrap
Meat mallet
Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 2 boneless, skinless 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 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Get out 3 separate shallow bowls (I sometimes use cake pans or pie tins) and pour 1 cup all-purpose flour in one, 2 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. Place the chicken in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes on the first side.
When the 10 minutes are up, turn the chicken over. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until both sides of the chicken are brown and the interior of the chicken is cooked through to an interior temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Repeat steps 5-10 until all of the chicken katsu is cooked. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only.

Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could use chicken thighs 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.
Gluten Free: You can easily substitute gluten-free flour and gluten free breadcrumbs instead if desired.
Place your flour, eggs and bread crumbs into shallow bowls before you begin dipping to make the process easier and smoother.
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.
Some people feel like chicken breasts are too dry. You could 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
Keep the chicken in a single layer. Do not overlap the chicken or it will not cook correctly.
Make sure to carefully flip the Katsu, as you do not want to peel the breading off of the chicken. Use tongs or chopsticks.

Nutrition