Musubi Makers
Other Hawaiian dishes

Chicken katsu

A chicken cutlet in a crisp panko crust, fried golden, sliced into strips, and served over rice with a tangy katsu sauce. It is on every plate lunch menu in Hawaii for a reason.

crisp, sliced, over rice

What it is

Chicken katsu is a boneless chicken cutlet, pounded a little thin, coated in flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs, then fried until the crust is crisp and golden. You slice it crosswise into strips and eat it over rice with katsu sauce, a thick, tangy, slightly sweet brown sauce. On a plate lunch it comes with two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad.

A short history

Katsu comes from Japan. In the late 1800s, cooks there put their own spin on the Western breaded cutlet and called it katsuretsu, from the English word cutlet, which got shortened to katsu. Pork katsu, tonkatsu, came first, and chicken followed. Japanese immigrants brought the technique to Hawaii's plantations, and chicken katsu settled in as a plate lunch regular. The katsu sauce is a cousin of tonkatsu sauce, thick and fruity like a mellow Worcestershire.

How to make it at home

Panko is the key. It is the light, flaky Japanese breadcrumb that fries up crunchier than regular crumbs. Do not skip pounding the chicken, even thickness means it cooks evenly.

Chicken katsu

Serves 4

For the chicken

  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1.5 cups panko
  • Neutral oil, for frying

Quick katsu sauce

  • 3 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tbsp shoyu, 1 tsp sugar
  • Or just buy a bottle of tonkatsu sauce

Steps

  1. Pound the chicken to an even thickness, about half an inch. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Set up flour, beaten egg, and panko in three dishes. Coat each piece flour, then egg, then press into the panko.
  3. Fry in about half an inch of oil over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
  4. Stir the sauce ingredients together. Slice the katsu crosswise and serve over rice with the sauce.

Want more? Here is how I make spam musubi, or the rest of the Hawaiian favorites.

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