Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls

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5 from 4 votes

Crispy chicken katsu rice bowls with pickles & thin sliced cabbage. Great weeknight dinner.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Servings: people

Equipment

large skillet or air fryer

Ingredients

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls

1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
kosher salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-2 tbs water
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
white rice, thin sliced scallions, thinly sliced cabbage, spicy mayo & tonkatsu sauce* for serving

Quick Pickle

3 mini cucumbers sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-2 carrots sliced 1/8-1/4 inch
1 garlic clove sliced in very thin slivers
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup avocado oil

Instructions

Prep Ingredients & Make Pickles: Make sure ingredients are prepped & veggies are chopped. In a small saucepan, combine water, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat over medium-high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and there are no granules left. In an airtight jar (like a mason jar), add sliced cucumber, carrots & garlic. Cover with the liquid. Let sit for a few minutes & place right in refrigerator. These pickles need to sit at least 30 minutes & get better each day.
Coat Crispy Chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel & season with salt, garlic & onion powder. Pound chicken thighs thinner and more even. Set aside. In a shallow dish, add the panko bread crumbs. Next, in a small bowl add cornstarch, egg whites, & water. Whisk vigorously until it resembles elmers glue. It should be thin enough that it easily coats the entire piece of chicken once dumped, add 1tsp more water if it is too thick.
Dunk 1 piece chicken into the cornstarch mixture & let any excess run off. Place in panko bread crumbs and coat well. Repeat with each piece of chicken until all are breaded.
Fry Crispy Chicken: In a large cast iron skillet, add about 1/2 cup avocado oil and heat on medium-high heat. Drop a large bread crumb into the oil, if it sizzles as soon as it hits the oil it is ready. Add chicken pieces to oil (you may have to work in 2 batches so do not crowd the pan). Shallow fry 3-5 minutes on each side until gorgeous golden brown. Remove & let drain on double lined paper towels. If oil is getting too hot, remove from heat 1-2 minutes before placing back on.
Air Fry Directions: Preheat to 425°. Lightly grease basket with non stick spray. Add chicken pieces (you may have to work in 2 batches) for 10 minutes or until cooked through & crisp.
Assemble bowls: Make white rice, slice green onion, avocado, thinly sliced cabbage & pickles. Add all to a bowl together. Drizzle with tonkatsu sauce & spicy mayo*. Enjoy.

Notes

Homecook's Tips:

*Tonkatsu sauce is not something typically made at home as it has a lot of fruits and veggies in it that make it really unique. This is the one I use. It is not a necessity, but I think it adds amazing balance to the dish.

*I have made this in the air fryer as often as I've made it in the cast iron. I ADORE both, but the look & crisp of the shallow fry is something special.

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