This is how Japanese people make a Chicken Cutlet that is deliciously crispy. By deep-frying the cutlet, you can perfect the consistency of the golden-brown crumbs around the chicken. Pour over fruity tonkatsu sauce to eat it. (Watch the video)
Cook Time assumes chicken is cooked in two batches.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 4 chicken thigh fillets (skinless and about 150g/5.3oz each, note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 30g/1.1oz flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (note 2)
- Oil to deep fry (note 3)
- Shredded Cabbage mixed with julienned carrot and cucumber
- Tonkatsu sauce (note 5)
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If the thickness of the thigh fillet is not even, cut into the thick part of the meat horizontally without cutting all the way through, then open it so that the fillet’s thickness becomes consistent (see the step-by-step photo in the post as well).
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Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
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Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs in a shallow plate or bowl individually and line them up in this order. Place an additional clean plate or a small baking tray next to the breadcrumbs.
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Working one fillet at a time, coat a fillet with flour, shake off excess flour, then place it in the egg and coat all over. Allow excess egg to drip, then transfer to the breadcrumbs.
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Cover the entire fillet in breadcrumbs, making sure that a good layer of breadcrumbs is stuck to both sides. Repeat for the rest of the fillets.
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Heat oil in a deep-frying pan to 170-180°C/338-356°F (note 6). The amount of oil should be about 3-3.5cm/1¼-1⅜” deep.
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Gently place a fillet into the oil. Depending on the size of the pan, you may fry more than one at a time. But do not over crowd the pan.
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Fry for about 3 minutes or until the bottom side is browned. Using tongs, flip the fillet and cook for further 3 minutes until the other side is browned.
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Transfer the cutlet onto a tray lined with a couple of layers of paper towel to drain excess oil. Rest for 5 minutes.
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Cut each chicken cutlet into 2.5cm/1” wide strips. Serve with shredded cabbage with tonkatsu sauce.
1. I used chicken thigh fillets, but you can use breast fillets if you like.
2. The quantity of breadcrumbs required is approximate as it varies depending on how much you coat the fillets.
You can use normal breadcrumbs, but Japanese panko breadcrumbs are much coarser than standard breadcrumbs, and develop a crunchier texture when deep-fried.
If you can’t find panko breadcrumbs, you can make them by placing stale white bread in the blender and coarsely grinding it.
3. Vegetable oil, canola oil or sunflower oil is good to use. Olive oil does not work with this dish.
4. Shredded lettuce and salad leaves are also good to go with Chicken Cutlet.
5. I use Bulldog tonkatsu sauce that I buy from a Japanese or Asian grocery store. You may even find it at supermarkets. Bulldog is the brand name of the sauce company. You can find more details of Bulldog sauces in my post Yakisoba.
I think tonkatsu sauce is the best for cutlets, but some people do not enjoy the fruity sweet favour. If you are not fond of sweet sauce, you can use Worcestershire sauce.
6. To check the temperature of the oil without using a thermometer:
a. Drop a small number of breadcrumbs into the oil. The breadcrumbs will spread with tiny bubbles around them.
b. Stick a pair of bamboo chopsticks into the oil. Bubbles appear around the chopsticks and come up constantly when the oil is the correct temperature.
7. Nutrition per serving. It assumes the amount of oil absorbed into the cutlet is 10% of the weight of the meat, and all of the flour, egg, breadcrumbs are used up (unlikely).
serving: 209g calories: 566kcal fat: 40g (62%) saturated fat: 707g (39%) trans fat: 0.3g polyunsaturated fat: 8.1g monounsaturated fat: 21g cholesterol: 189mg (63%) sodium: 516mg (22%) potassium: 362mg (10%) carbohydrates: 22g (7%) dietary fibre: 1.3g (5%) sugar: 1.7g protein: 30g vitamin a: 4% vitamin c: 0% calcium: 5.3% iron: 14%