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Chicken Katsu

Tender chicken breasts covered in a crispy breadcrumb coating served over sticky Japanese white rice and swathed in a delicious and classic curry sauce. Serves 4.

Course Dinner, light supper, Lunch, Supper
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword chicken, curry sauce, katsu
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Author Susan

Ingredients

Breadcrumb coating:

  • 120g panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons/6 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Chicken:

  • 3 - 4 skinless chicken breasts around 600g - 650g in total

Batter:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 30g mayonnaise
  • 50g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 10g miso (or 10g extra mayonnaise)
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Curry Sauce - check you packet for instructions - I use:

  • 120g curry squares - 4 squares
  • 700ml water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C /200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6

  2. Breadcrumbs: thoroughly mix the breadcrumbs, vegetable oil and salt ensuring all the crumbs are covered in oil. Tip onto a baking tray ensuring they are spread out evenly.

  3. Cook in a preheated oven until they are golden brown between 4 – 9 minutes. Stir after 4 minutes and you will have a better idea of exactly how long they will take. (*See comment 2 below)

  4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

  5. Chicken: Slice the chicken in half horizontally.

  6. Batter: simply mix all ingredients together well and ensure there are no lumps. If it seems too thick add some milk a teaspoon at a time. It should be the consistency of a thick pouring cream.

  7. Prepare the chicken: dip the chicken in the batter ensuring each escallop is coated in a thin layer of batter.

  8. Allow excess batter to drip off the chicken.

  9. Transfer to the dish with the breadcrumbs and press the chicken into the breadcrumbs on both sides. Further pat the breadcrumbs onto the chicken to ensure they are fully stuck on.

  10. Lay on the greased rack on a baking tray and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • baking tray for the breadcrumbs
  • baking tray with rack for the chicken - grease the rack well with oil to prevent the chicken sticking
  • mixing bowl and balloon whisk
  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • chopping board and knife

Golden brown breadcrumbs – breadcrumbs burn easily and seem to go from white to golden in the blink of an eye. Watch them carefully, particularly the first time you do this. The length of time it takes to cook will depend primarily on:

  • The baking tray size you use. The bigger the tray, the more spread out the crumbs will be and the quicker they will cook
  • The actual temperature of your oven – this can vary.
  • Crumbs burn easily so keep a close eye on them

If you increase the quantities, they may take longer to cook and equally if you decrease them, it may take less time.

Miso – if you do not have any miso simply add an extra 10g mayonnaise. Although miso is quite expensive to buy I urge you to try it. There are a number of recipes on this blog which use it. 

Oven Baked Breaded Chicken

Oh my, this is life changing! There are a number of recipes for oven baked breaded chicken/fish out there; this one is a slight adaptation from Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats. We love Chicken Katsu as well as chicken dippers and other breaded food such as homemade fish fingers. However, I have always been reluctant to make them as they involve frying, which is both unhealthy and my house seems to smell of fried food for ages afterwards. I also found that the breadcrumbs browned really quickly when frying and I was concerned that the chicken wasn’t fully cooked so always seemed to overcook it. This way solves all those problems and works EVERY TIME! I kid you not! I’m not claiming it is a health food but it is way better for you and, in my book, tastes better too.