I think this first recipe is the winner:
Chicken
- 2 boneless chicken breasts or pork loin cutlets (pounded to ½-inch thickness)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 3 cups cooked white rice (sushi rice preferred)
- ½ cup tonkatsu sauce (store-bought or homemade*)
- Oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
- Fresh parsley or green onion for garnish (optional)
Tonkatsu Sauce Ingredients (for homemade):
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Pound chicken to ½-inch thickness and season with salt and pepper.
- Set up a breading station with three bowls: one for flour, one for beaten eggs, and one for panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat each cutlet in flour, then dip in egg, and finally coat with panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat to about 350°F (175°C).
- Fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side (for chicken) or 2-3 minutes per side (for pork) until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- If making homemade tonkatsu sauce, mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Adjust sweetness to taste.
- Assemble bowls by adding cooked rice, sliced cutlets, and a generous drizzle of tonkatsu sauce. Garnish with parsley or green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.
Lady Savor
30 minutes
For the Tonkatsu Sauce
- 6 tablespoons ketchup
- 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 teaspoons unsulphured molasses
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
For the Chicken Katsu
- Vegetable oil, as needed for frying
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs (about 3½ ounces)
- 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise then pounded ¼-inch-thick
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 cups tightly packed finely shredded green cabbage (about 12 ounces)
- Tonkatsu sauce, steamed rice and lemon wedges, for serving
-
Prepare the tonkatsu sauce: In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. (Makes ⅔ cup.)
-
Prepare the chicken: Fill a large cast-iron or heavy skillet with ⅓-inch oil. Heat over medium until an instant-read thermometer registers 350 degrees.
-
Place flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 separate wide, shallow bowls or large plates.
-
Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour until fully coated, then shake off excess. Dip in egg, coating both sides, let excess drip off, then press into bread crumbs until well coated. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with remaining 3 cutlets.
-
Gently lower 2 cutlets into the oil and fry until golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Adjust heat to keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Turn over and fry until chicken is golden on the second side and cooked through, 1½ to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and season with salt. Repeat with remaining 2 cutlets.
-
Slice cutlets into thick slices and transfer to plates. Divide the cabbage in mounds next to the katsu. Drizzle the katsu with some of the tonkatsu sauce. Serve with small bowls of rice, lemon wedges and extra tonkatsu sauce.
The chicken was good, but the sauce was not. Also tried Just One Cookbook’s Katsu sauce and it was gross as well. Keep looking.
New York Times