Crispy Baked Chicken Katsu with creamy sriracha spicy mayo sauce served with steamed rice, edamame, and avocado is an amazing bowl of deliciousness! This healthy chicken katsu recipe comes together in a flash and can be made any night of the week.
Crispy tender chicken with an amazing sweet and savory creamy sauce with just the right amount of spice is what we’re getting into today.
As an added bonus, we’re making a delicious rice bowl by pairing the chicken katsu with steamed white rice, avocado, edamame, and chopped green onion.
Those who enjoy Japanese cuisine or crispy chicken will surely love this easy chicken katsu recipe!
Let’s dive right into the details.
What is Chicken Katsu?:
Chicken Katsu is Japanese-style fried chicken, which is breaded with Panko breadcrumbs. It is deep fried in a neutral high temperature cooking oil until golden brown and crispy and is often served with rice and some sort of dipping sauce such as homemade Tonkatsu sauce, a sweet and sour sauce or creamy sweet spicy mayo.
The same method is often employed for breaded and pan fried pork.
While there is no denying the mouth-watering nature of deep fried chicken, I have made a baked version for those who love crispy chicken but don’t want to consume the excess oil.
In addition, for those of us who are gluten-free, I use gluten-free Panko, which your grocery store should have readily available next to the regular breadcrumbs.
The end result of this gluten-free baked chicken katsu is an amazingly tender and moist juicy chicken breast with the perfect crispy crust without the additional calories.
To level up the whole experience, I make a creamy sweet and slightly spicy mayo to drizzle over the chicken and I serve it with steamed white rice, green onions, avocado, and edamame.
My Asian Cucumber Salad would be an amazing addition here too.
You can also enjoy chicken katsu curry by serving it with a traditional Japanese curry sauce.
Looking to go a step farther? Make my Vegetable Fried Rice, Kimchi Fried Rice, or Pineapple Fried Rice to serve with the chicken.
Chicken Katsu Ingredients:
All we need to make Japanese chicken katsu are boneless skinless chicken breasts, egg, Panko bread crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper.
To keep it gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free Panko and gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Remember, you can use pork cutlets instead of chicken breasts if you prefer, or try using skinless chicken thighs.
Feel free to add garlic powder, onion powder, or sesame seeds to the panko crumbs mixture for added flavor.
For my spicy mayo, all we need is mayonnaise (I use avocado oil mayo), sriracha, soy sauce (or liquid aminos), and honey (or pure maple syrup).
The end result is a sweet and savory creamy sauce with just the right kick.
How to Make Baked Chicken Katsu:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly coat a large casserole dish or baking dish with cooking oil. As an alternative, you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the chicken breasts through the center to create four thinner cutlets from two boneless chicken breasts in order to get even thickness throughout the chicken filets.
This is an important step, as it helps the chicken cook through evenly without becoming over-cooked and omits the need to tenderize the chicken with a meat tenderizer.
Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and whisk it until it is well-beaten.
Transfer the breadcrumbs, flour, salt and pepper to a large plate and stir it around with a fork until everything is well-combined.
Dredge a chicken breast in the beaten egg mixture, then coat it liberally in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to get both sides. Repeat for the rest of the chicken.
Transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to the prepared baking dish and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the outside is nice and crispy.
While the chicken is baking, stir together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until creamy and well-combined.
Serve the baked chicken katsu with your choice of sides along with the spicy honey sriracha mayo.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Pan-Fried Chicken Katsu:
If you don’t mind a little frying in less oil, you can easily prepare this in a fry pan for even crispier chicken. Simply use avocado oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or your favorite neutral high temperature cooking oil.
To do so, heat three tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the breaded chicken on the hot skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown and crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
Avoid using olive oil, as it will burn at a lower temperature than what the chicken needs to be cooked at.
As an alternative, if you own a deep fryer or an air fryer, feel free to use one or the other to prepare the recipe. Deep frying will yield the authentic results that you’ll find in a Japanese restaurant.
And that’s it! Everything you need for an easy katsu recipe every time you’re craving Japanese takeout.
If you love Japanese recipes, also try my Salmon Poke Recipe, Seared Ahi Salad, Easy Honey Garlic Chicken, Ahi Poke Sushi Bowls, or my Crispy Sesame Salmon.
Enjoy this easy dish as a rice bowl any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into four filets*
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup gluten-free Panko or breadcrumbs**
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Sweet and Spicy Mayo:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise***
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp sriracha or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly coat a large casserole dish or baking dish with cooking oil. As an alternative, you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the chicken breasts through the center to create four thinner cutlets from two boneless chicken breasts in order to get even thickness throughout the chicken filets. This is an important step, as it helps the chicken cook through evenly without becoming over-cooked and omits the need to tenderize the chicken with a meat tenderizer.
- Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and whisk it until it is well-beaten. Transfer the breadcrumbs, flour, salt and pepper to a large plate and stir it around with a fork until everything is well-combined.
- Dredge a chicken cutlet in the beaten egg mixture, then coat it liberally in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to get both sides. Repeat for the rest of the chicken.
- Transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to the prepared baking dish and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the outside is nice and crispy.
- While the chicken is baking, stir together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until creamy and well-combined.
- Serve the baked chicken katsu with your choice of sides along with the spicy honey sriracha mayo.
Notes
Nutrition
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