Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
Quick, Easy & Delicious!
Chicken Katsu is a crispy, juicy and satisfying meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Whether you’re packing it up for a bento box or serving it alongside Japanese curry, this dish never disappoints.
While traditional katsu is deep-fried for that golden crunch, I’ve found that making it in the air fryer yields the same crispy results. Bonus - there’s less oil, it’s healthier and you’ll end up with minimal cleanup. Plus, with a quick ~15-minute cook time, it’s ideal for busy weeknights when you need dinner on the table fast.
Chicken katsu bentos!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Chicken Katsu
Before you start cooking, here are a few important notes:
Panko crumbs are essential to this dish. While I usually provide substitutions, panko is key for that signature light, crispy texture. My go-to brand is linked here. You should be able to find these at most grocery stores, no need for an extra trip to the Asian market.
Use a neutral cooking spray, I recommend avocado oil spray, like Chosen Foods 100% pure avocado spray which you can find here, for an even, golden crisp.
How to Serve Chicken Katsu
The toppings and sides will take this dish to the next level! Traditional katsu is served with:
Steaming hot rice (white or brown) - try topping it with furikake for extra flavor. New to cooking rice? Follow my guidance here.
Thinly sliced cabbage - a fresh, crunchy contrast to the crispy katsu. I like to layer my katsu on top of the cabbage.
Thinly sliced green onions - add for extra color and freshness.
Pickled ginger (shoga) - I love it, but am currently on the hunt for an alternative given the new red dye warning (bummer!).
Looking to elevate your meal even more? Pair your katsu with my homemade Japanese curry sauce recipe. This will give you an ultra-cozy, comforting dish!
Meal Prep & Reheating Tips
This air fryer chicken katsu is perfect for meal prep—just pop it into a bento box for an easy lunch. When you're ready to eat, reheat it in the air fryer for a few minutes to bring back that perfect crunch!
Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
This air fryer katsu recipe gives you juicy and moist chicken without the mess and hassle of frying. A perfect lunch or dinner option!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pound chicken thighs until flat and even, approximately ~1/2" thick. This is super important for even cooking in the air fryer! If you do not have a meat mallet, you an use the bottom side of a heavy bowl or a rolling pin.
- Lay the chicken thighs on a baking sheet, salt and pepper the thighs - let rest for ~15 minutes
- Flip and salt and pepper the other side, rest for another 5 minutes.
- While the chicken thighs are resting, preheat your air fryer to 350° F.
- Mix eggs, flour, salt and pepper and garlic salt in a bowl. Add water so it's thinner than pancake batter.
- Spread out panko crumbs on another baking tray.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then the panko. Make sure your thighs are evenly coated with panko.
- Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer. Ensure they are not crowded, you may have to do this in batches. Spray the thighs with cooking oil.
- Cook on one side for 10 minutes. Flip and spray and cook for another 6-7 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Enjoy over hot rice, or with Japanese curry!
- Optional: Great toppings for this dish include; anything pickled, tonkatsu sauce, green onions and thinly sliced cabbage.
Tonkatsu Sauce
Katsu is especially delicious with the addtion of tonkatsu sauce. If you haven't had it before, it's a very loose version of a Japanese BBQ sauce with a ketchup base. There are lots of recipes out there but the way I make it is pretty simple:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup ketchup. Start with about 2 tbps of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of oyster sauce and a splash of mirin.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer and taste test.
3. Adjust to the flavor to your preference. You an also add in some worchestershire sauce if you have it handy.
If you're not in the mood to make sauce - you can purchase it at your local Asian market. My preferred brand is here.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
565Fat
15 gSat. Fat
4 gCarbs
46 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
44 gSugar
2 gProtein
56 gSodium
3394 mgCholesterol
378 mgNutritional information provided here is based on estimates and may vary depending on the brand and preparation methods used. Always check food labels for accurate nutritional details.