Hen Katsu (Japanese Panko Hen)

Splendidly golden and crispy, this simple rooster katsu is loaded with taste from a few secret elements. Drizzled with tonkatsu sauce, it’s the proper Japanese side-turned-main dish.

Straightforward Japanese Hen Katsu Recipe

Hen Katsu is a traditional Japanese dish ready with crispy deep-fried rooster and pairs deliciously with tonkatsu sauce. With sesame seeds within the breading, this simple rooster katsu is completely juicy and comes with a pop of coloration that units it apart from most katsu.

Prepared in lower than half-hour, it’s shocking how a lot taste this straightforward recipe packs. With a little bit of dashi, garlic powder, and floor ginger within the eggs and breading station, this Japanese panko rooster will steal all of the highlight. Don’t fear about it ever getting boring— you can also make it with pork and even add some warmth with Sriracha!

Dip it in Japanese mayo and serve it over fluffy rice for the perfect katsu you’ve ever had. This fast recipe is proof that small kitchen cheats and a few elements can go a good distance in making your weekday meals lots yummier with none additional effort.

What Is Katsu?

Japanese katsu refers to any deep-fried, breaded cutlet. It’s made with rooster, pork, beef, and even fish. Katsu is often sliced and drizzled with numerous sauces and condiments like tonkatsu sauce or Japanese mayo. It’s usually served as a aspect or a important dish.

Recipe Elements

Don’t skip the panko! It’s what makes this katsu so crispy. Examine the recipe card on the backside of the submit for full ingredient quantities.

• Boneless, skinless rooster breasts
• Eggs
• Dashi: Be happy to go away it out, nevertheless it provides glorious depth.
• All-purpose flour: Cornstarch may also work.
• Floor ginger: Don’t use recent ginger.
• Garlic powder: No recent garlic.
• Plain panko: If it’s seasoned, ensure that it’s not an Italian taste.
• Black sesame seeds: These add a pleasant pop of coloration, however white sesame seeds are additionally okay to make use of.
• Vegetable oil: Canola and corn oil are good substitutes. No olive oil as a result of its smoke level is decrease.
• Salt
• Tonkatsu sauce
• Japanese mayo: You need to use full-fat mayo as a substitute.

Straightforward Variations

With these simple variations of rooster katsu, you may create a number of dishes from the identical base recipe.

• Serve it over udon. Make your favourite udon recipe and place the sliced katsu on prime for an extra-filling meal.
• Make it spicy. Drizzle the katsu with Sriracha or add 2 1/2 teaspoons of shichimi togarashi chili powder into the panko to make it additional spicy.
• Add miso. Add 2 tablespoons of miso paste to the whisked eggs and blend effectively. It provides saltiness and umami.
• Use pork. So long as the cutlets are the identical thickness, you may swap the rooster for pork.

Make Hen Katsu

Making katsu is rather like making breaded or fried rooster however with a Japanese twist. Examine the Suggestions part for additional steering and cheats.

For the Breading Station

• Put together the rooster. Place the rooster on a chopping board and canopy it with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound it till it’s 1/2″ thick. Discard the parchment paper and set the rooster apart. Be certain that all of your items are roughly the identical dimension and thickness.
• Whisk the eggs. Crack the eggs in a small bowl and add the dashi powder. Whisk till effectively mixed.
• Put together the flour. Add the flour, floor ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to a flattened plate. Combine till effectively mixed.
• Combine the panko. In a separate plate or bowl, whisk the panko, remaining garlic powder, and sesame seeds till effectively mixed.

For Frying the Katsu

• Warmth the oil. Add about 3 to 4 cups of vegetable oil to a pot for frying. Set it over medium warmth and wait till it reaches 350˚F.
• Dredge the rooster. Coat the rooster with flour and dredge it into the egg combination. Then place it within the panko combination. Even after absolutely coated, proceed urgent additional panko all around the rooster.
• Fry it. Gently decrease one nook of the rooster into the oil. If it sizzles instantly, add just a few rooster items to the pot. Allow them to fry for a number of minutes, flipping midway by means of or till golden brown. Repeat for all of the rooster.

• Cool and serve. Take away the rooster from the oil and set it on a wire rack to chill. Let it relaxation for a couple of minutes earlier than slicing. Sprinkle with salt to style, reduce it into 3/4″ strips, and serve.

Suggestions for Success

The following pointers will up your katsu sport like a professional:

• Marinate the rooster. Combine 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of water, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, and a couple of tablespoons of rice wine vinegar till effectively mixed. Pour the combination right into a bowl and place the rooster inside. Cowl the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for six hours. Discard the marinade and start with the recipe.
• Purchase cutlets. Utilizing store-bought cutlets and even having your butcher slice and flatten the rooster for you’ll prevent a number of prep time.
• Don’t overcook it. It’s necessary to take away the katsu from the oil as soon as it’s golden brown on all sides. If you happen to overcook it, the rooster might be dry, not juicy.
• Let the oil relaxation. Give the oil a ten to twenty second resting time in between frying batches in order that the temperature stays fixed.

What to Serve With Japanese Panko Hen

My favourite approach to serve this rooster katsu is over a mattress of Prompt Pot Jasmine Rice with a easy cucumber salad for a little bit of freshness. If you happen to’re craving a extra take-out fashion meal, attempt it with my Shrimp Fried Rice or Straightforward Hen Fried Rice Recipe.

It’s additionally nice with a aspect of my Pepper Steak Stir Fry Recipe, Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Bites, and Asian Hen Noodle Soup.

Retailer & Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate any absolutely cooled leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. Don’t retailer it longer than this so to cut back the chance of meals poisoning.
• To reheat it, preheat the oven to 425˚F and place the katsu in a baking tray. Let it warmth for 10 to fifteen minutes or till crispy once more.
• For one thing a bit faster, pop the katsu into the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or till heat. Sadly, the microwave methodology received’t yield crispy outcomes.

Can I Freeze This?

• Sure, however provided that it’s raw. When you coat it in panko, place the breaded rooster on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze it for two hours after which switch it into freezer-friendly baggage or containers.
• Freeze for as much as 3 months.
• Don’t thaw it earlier than cooking or the panko will soften. Warmth the oil as regular and thoroughly decrease the frozen cutlets into the pot, including 1 to 2 minutes of additional frying time as wanted till the katsu is golden brown.

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ENJOY!