Chicken Katsu
This chicken katsu features thinly pounded chicken tenderloins soaked in a milk and mirin marinade, pressed with thinly sliced onion for extra flavor and crispy onion bits in the crust, breaded in panko and fried until deeply golden. My mom's version with the onion trick is a total game changer.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 kg about 2.2 lbs chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp mirin
- Onion
- 1 onion sliced as thinly as possible
Breading
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or Korean frying mix twigim garu
- 5 eggs beaten
- 3 cups panko breadcrumbs
For Frying
- Neutral frying oil
Instructions
PREP AND MARINATE
- Butterfly and pound: Butterfly each chicken tenderloin by slicing horizontally almost all the way through and opening it flat. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a zip-lock bag and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. You want them thin and even so they cook through quickly and consistently.
- Marinate: In a bowl combine chicken, milk, salt, black pepper, and mirin. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes — a few hours is better if you have time.
BREAD
- Slice the onion: Slice the onion as thinly as possible. The thinner the better for adhesion.
- Set up breading station: Set out three shallow bowls — one with flour or frying mix, one with beaten eggs, one with panko breadcrumbs.
- Press on the onion: Remove a piece of chicken from the milk and shake off excess. Press thinly sliced onion firmly onto both sides of the chicken. Some will fall off and that's fine — set those pieces aside to fry separately.
- Bread: Coat the onion-pressed chicken in flour first, shaking off any excess. Dip into beaten egg until fully coated. Then press firmly into panko breadcrumbs, making sure every surface is covered and the panko is pressed in well.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
FRY
- Heat the oil: Heat frying oil in a pan or pot to 350°F (175°C). You want enough oil to come at least halfway up the chicken for a shallow fry, or enough to fully submerge for a deep fry.
- Fry: Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan add the breaded chicken and fry until deeply golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Toss any fallen onion pieces into the oil alongside and fry until golden. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
- Serve: Slice and serve immediately with rice, shredded cabbage, and tonkatsu sauce or your sauce of choice.