Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowl

What Is Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowl?

Chicken Katsu Bowls is a take on the famous Japanese deep-fried chicken cutlets coated with panko breadcrumbs, served with seasoned steamed rice in a bowl, and topped with fresh vegetables. The dish is drizzled with sweet-tangy-savory katsu sauce that gives a mouthwatering flavor.

This dish is now growing popular in Asian fusion restaurants and takeout. If you’re one of those who love ordering this menu, why don’t you give it a try by making it yourself? Because it is straightforward and almost effortless to replicate it in the comfort of your kitchen. 

The recipe I’m sharing here will help you achieve that.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy homemade: This recipe is simple and easy to prepare with pantry ingredients and readily available shop items. 
• Flavorsome: The chicken has a sweet, tangy, and savory flavor from the katsu sauce marinade and drizzle. The rice also has a delicious depth of flavor from the vinegar seasoning mix.
• Versatile Dish: You can choose a different array of fresh vegetables, salads, seeds, and nuts for this dish to tickle your taste buds.
• Cost-effective: The ingredients are everyday items that you can buy locally. You can use chicken thighs instead to make it more cost-effective. 

What You Need To Make It

• Boneless and skinless chicken: You can choose chicken breasts or thighs.
• Tomato ketchup: Rich tomato ketchup with the right balance of vinegar, salt, sugar, and tomatoes. This sauce lends the sweetness to katsu sauce.
• Hoisin sauce: It’s a Cantonese sauce usually used as a dipping sauce, stir fries, and marinade. It has a reddish-brown hue and combines rich umami flavor with sweet elements (similar to American barbecue sauce).
• Oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom sauce: A thick, dark brown condiment made from oyster or mushroom extracts, sugar, salt, and water thickened with corn starch. It offers an earthy, slightly sweet, and salty flavor.
• Japanese soy sauce: Made of four main ingredients — soybeans, wheat, water, and salt and is double fermented. Used in 90% of Japanese recipes, it adds saltiness and umami (savoriness) to your dishes. 
• Water: Ensures that the consistency of the sauce is just perfect.
• Egg: Free range is preferable, but you can use any.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Flaky bread crumbs are used in Japanese cooking for a crisp, crunchy coating for fried foods, such as tonkatsu. Made from bread baked by electrical current and then ground to create fine slivers of crumb. It has a crisper, airier texture than Western breadcrumbs, resulting in a lighter coating.
• Cooking oil: I prefer sunflower oil for deep frying because it has less flavor and smell than vegetable oils. It also gives a much crispier finish.
• Sushi rice: Japanese short-grain white rice with a higher starch content makes the rice clump or stick together. The rice also has a sheen to it. Sushi rice is often flavored with a vinegar-sugar-salt mixture or eaten plain. 
• Sugar & Salt: Needless to say, salt is the principal ingredient for tasty, savory food. But when you cook red meat or white meat, adding a little bit of sugar can enhance the flavor. Therefore, we put a teaspoon or two of granulated sugar in this recipe. 
• Rice wine vinegar: This is made by fermenting the sugars in rice from alcohol and changing to vinegar. This vinegar is less acidic with a delicate, mild, and somewhat sweet flavor. It’s one of the main ingredients in salad dressings, marinades, and pickling vegetables.
• Lettuce: I prefer Ice burg or Romanian lettuce for a crunchy bite.
• Cucumber: whichever you prefer.

Equipment Needed

• Chopping board
• Kitchen knife
• Mixing bowls
• Plates
• Deep frying pan
• Kitchen towel

How To Make Crispy Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl

It’s easy peasy to make this recipe. 

1. Firstly, wash and dry your chicken and cut it into slices. The size of the pieces can depend on your preference. I like small 2-3 inch lengths and even thick slices as they cook quicker. However, you can slice the chicken as thinly as you desire. Here, you can pierce the poultry using a skewer or a fork. This trick will help the flavor to develop inside the chicken meat. Set the chicken aside. 
2. Place the tomato ketchup, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water into a small bowl to prepare the marinade. Stir everything using a teaspoon or a fork until you get a nicely emulsified sauce mixture. This mixture is your katsu sauce. Taste the sauce and make sure all the flavors are there. Feel free to adjust it by adding any ingredient with your preferred flavor so it gives the best result that goes well to your palate. 
3. Leave aside two tablespoons of the sauce, and add the remaining sauce to the chicken slices. Stir well until all chicken pieces are well coated with sauce. Leave the chicken to marinade overnight or 1-2 hrs in the fridge for added flavor, or use after 15 minutes.
4. Wash, rinse, and cook the rice according to the instructions of the rice brand you get. 
5. While the rice is cooking, prepare the vinegar seasoning for the rice by mixing the sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl. 
6. Then, heat the oil in a deep frying pan to fry the chicken. 
7. Dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg, then roll the chicken onto panko bread crumbs. Ensure all the pieces are well covered with breadcrumbs. Then, carefully slide the panko-coated chicken piece into hot oil and fry at medium heat. Turn once until the chicken katsu is fully cooked and golden brown. Rest the fried chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel.
8. Once the rice is cooked, please place it in a mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Stir thoroughly with the rice. Set it aside.
9. Chop and slice the amount of lettuce and cucumber you need.
10. Spoon your seasoned rice into the serving bowl. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber, and fried chicken on the top, and drizzle everything with the remaining katsu sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds if you like.

Pro Tips

• Cover the boneless chicken with clingfilm and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken. Or, prick the chicken using a fork or knife. These tricks help the marinade to penetrate better in the chicken.
• The longer the marination, the better. Use the pricking trick above if you only have less than an hour to marinate before coating and cooking. 
• You can prepare a batch of chicken ahead of time and reheat it when required. Ensure you store it in a fridge in an airtight container. See storage instructions for further information.
• The best way to reheat the refrigerated cooked chicken katsu is by using an oven or air fryer to maintain its crispiness. 7-10 minutes at 356°F/ 180°C in an oven, or 3-5 minutes at 338°/170°C in air fryer should do the trick.

Substitutions and Variations

• You can use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. 
• You can use an ordinary soy sauce, i.e., Chinese-style soy sauce. Though the flavor may differ slightly, it is not majorly different.
• Alternative to oyster sauce: If you prefer, you can omit this sauce or replace it with vegetarian mushroom sauce as it has a similar earthy flavor.
• You can also use store-bought tonkatsu sauce for this recipe if you prefer doing so. 
• You can vary the vegetable or salad toppings to your liking. Arugula leaves, spinach, avocado, beans, carrots, and bell peppers are only some examples to explore. 

Storing and Reheating The Leftovers?

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• If you want to freeze the leftovers, keep the rice and chicken in separate containers. They freeze well for up to 6 weeks in the freezer.
• Thaw the rice in the refrigerator overnight before serving, and reheat the rice in a steamer or microwave.
• The chicken straightaway from the freezer in the oven at 356°F/ 180°C for 20-25 minutes or in an air fryer at 338°/170°C for about 10-15 minutes. Reheating time may vary. 
• When reheating from the fridge, you can reheat in an oven or air fry for 5-7 minutes at 356°F/ 180°C. If you reheat the chicken in a microwave, the coating becomes soggy, with the edges going hard.
• Ensure the chicken and rice are heated all the way through and piping hot. 

What To Serve Chicken Katsu Bowl With?

This dish has everything from protein carbs, and vegetables. So, you don’t need anything else.

However, if you want to serve this chicken katsu bowl as a part of a food spread, try this Korean cucumber salad, Pakistani chicken pakora, Indian onion bhaji, and Indonesian beef soup, aka Soto Betawi. Promise you will have an exciting Asian food spread with many flavors.  

FAQ

Can you reheat the chicken in an air fryer?

You can reheat the chicken leftovers in an air fryer or oven for a crispy finish. Please see storage instructions for further information.

Can I omit the vinegar mixture from the rice?

Yes, you can omit the vinegar mixture from the rice if you prefer the rice plain. Or season the rice with salt. 

Crispy and Tasty Chicken Katsu

This crispy chicken katsu rice bowl recipe is quick and easy to prepare. It’s a flavorsome meal of crispy chicken katsu, delicious katsu sauce, and tasty seasoned rice. It is a quick weekday meal with everything you need on a plate, from carbs to protein and vegetables. 

Chicken Katsu Bowl Recipe

The crispy chicken katsu bowl is a take on the famous Japanese fried chicken served with a seasoned rice bowl, topped with fresh vegetables, and drizzled with fruity-tangy katsu sauce. It’s a delicious, hearty meal you can make quickly.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 521kcal

Author: Devy Dar

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Kitchen knife
• Mixing bowls
• Plates
• Deep frying pan

Ingredients

• 1 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup tomato ketchup.
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce.
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce.
• 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce.
• 1 tablespoon water.
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 cup/ 60 grams of panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking oil for deep fry
• 1 cup sushi rice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 handfuls sliced lettuce
• ½ cucumber sliced.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Prepare and cut the chicken into slices. Place them in a bowl and set it aside.
• Place the tomato ketchup, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water in a small bowl. Stir everything using a teaspoon or a fork until you get a nicely emulsified sauce mixture. This is your katsu sauce.
• Leave aside 2 tablespoons of the sauce, and add the remaining sauce to the chicken. Stir well until all chicken pieces are well coated with sauce. Here, you can pierce the poultry using a skewer or a fork. This will help the flavor to develop inside the chicken meat. Set it aside.
• Wash, rinse, and cook the rice according to the instructions of the rice brand you get.
• Once the rice is cooked, place it in a mixing bowl.
• Mix the sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl. Then add it to the rice as you mix the rice. Ensure the vinegar mixture is mixed thoroughly with the rice. Set it aside.
• Heat the oil in the deep frying pan.
• Dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg, then roll the chicken onto panko breadcrumbs. Ensure all the pieces are well covered with breadcrumbs.
• Carefully slide the panko-coated chicken piece into hot oil and fry at medium heat. Turn once until the chicken katsu is fully cooked and golden brown.
• Rest the fried chicken katsu on a plate lined with a kitchen towel.
• Take a serving bowl and spoon the seasoned rice into the bowl.
• Add the lettuce, cucumber, and fried chicken.
• Drizzle everything with the remaining katsu sauce.

Notes

You can use boneless chicken thighs if you like.
Store-bought tonkatsu sauce can also be used for this recipe if you prefer doing so.
Feel free to put any vegetables you like. Avocados, radishes, carrots, romaine lettuce, edamame beans, and arugula leaves are just some examples you can choose from.

Nutritional Info Disclaimer

The nutritional info on this page is only an estimate using online calculator. It should not be used for health related guidance. Please verify your own data if you seek an accurate info.

Nutrition

Serving: 100grams | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1686mg | Potassium: 1008mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 2880IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 5mg