Short answer
Chicken katsu is a chicken breast or thigh cutlet, flattened, coated in flour, egg and panko, then fried until golden and crisp. It is sliced and served with katsu sauce, in curry, over rice or in a sandwich.
Chicken katsu is a Japanese chicken cutlet that has been flattened, coated in flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs, then fried until golden and crisp. Chicken katsu is sliced into strips and served with a sweet and tangy katsu sauce, and it also appears in curry, rice bowls and sandwiches.
What is chicken katsu?
Chicken katsu is a crumbed chicken cutlet from Japanese home-style cooking, usually made from breast or thigh meat. The name katsu is short for katsuretsu, a Japanese word taken from the English word cutlet.
The dish belongs to a Japanese style of cooking called yoshoku, which means Western-influenced food. Crumbed cutlets arrived in Japan in the late 1800s, and Japanese cooks adapted them with panko and a distinctive sauce. Today katsu covers chicken, beef, fish, prawn and vegetable cutlets, and the chicken version is called tori katsu or chikin katsu.
How is chicken katsu made?
Chicken katsu is made by flattening the chicken, seasoning it, dredging in flour, dipping in beaten egg, pressing it into panko and frying in hot oil. The thin, even cutlet cooks quickly, so the crumb browns before the meat dries.
- Trim the chicken and pound it to an even thickness of about 1.5 cm.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge in plain flour, shake off the excess, dip in beaten egg and press firmly into panko.
- Heat 2 to 3 cm of neutral oil to 170 to 180 C.
- Fry for 3 to 4 minutes a side until deep golden and cooked through.
- Rest on a wire rack for a few minutes and slice.
A sliced cutlet should have no pink meat. Thigh stays juicier, while breast cooks cleaner and slices neatly.
What is panko and why does it matter?
Panko is a coarse, flaky Japanese breadcrumb made from crustless white bread, and it gives katsu its light, crunchy coating. Ordinary fine breadcrumbs make a denser, harder crust.
Panko flakes are larger and drier, so they absorb less oil and stay crisp for longer. Many cooks toast the panko in a dry pan for a minute before coating for a deeper colour. If panko is not available, crushing cornflakes lightly is a workable substitute, though the flavour will differ.
What do you serve with chicken katsu?
Chicken katsu is usually served with shredded cabbage, rice and katsu sauce. The cabbage is cut very fine, which adds a fresh crunch against the rich crumb.
- Steamed Japanese rice
- Finely shredded cabbage with a little lemon or sesame dressing
- Katsu sauce, a thick brown sweet and tangy sauce
- Mustard, as a sharp contrast
- Miso soup and pickles in a set meal
Katsu sauce is usually described as soy, sugar, vegetable and fruit based. Karashi, a hot Japanese mustard, is a traditional side.
How is chicken katsu used in other dishes?
Chicken katsu is used in curry, in rice bowls, over noodles and in sandwiches. Because the cutlet is thin and sturdy, it keeps texture under sauce better than many fried foods.
| Dish | What it is | Katsu role |
|---|---|---|
| Katsu curry | Cutlet and rice with Japanese curry sauce | Sliced on the rice, sauce poured beside |
| Katsu don | Cutlet simmered with egg and onion over rice | Soaks up the sauce |
| Katsu udon | Thick noodles in broth with a cutlet on top | Added last to stay crisp |
| Katsu sando | Cutlet with sauce and cabbage in soft bread | Pressed between slices |
Katsu sando, a Japanese sandwich with a katsu cutlet, is popular in cafes.
Is chicken katsu on the menu at Eight Ounce Café?
Yes. The Tori Katsu Sando is recorded on the menu for Eight Ounce Café, a Japanese-inspired cafe at 2/10 Fitzgerald Avenue, Springwood, Brisbane. The recorded description is a crisp golden chicken katsu sandwich.
Tori means chicken, and a sando is the Japanese short form of sandwich. The cafe also lists an Ebi Katsu Sando, with a crumbed prawn patty. The menu in this guide is compiled from public listings, reviews and social posts, so no price is recorded and items can sell out. Look at the menu page for the recorded list and the hours page for times. The cafe is walk-in only.
How do you keep chicken katsu crisp?
Keep chicken katsu crisp by frying at the right temperature, draining on a wire rack instead of paper, and keeping the sauce off the crumb until serving. Steam softens crumbs quickly.
- Hold oil at 170 to 180 C and do not crowd the pan.
- Rest on a rack for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Slice with a sharp knife in a sawing motion.
- Pour sauce beside the cutlet, not over it.
- To reheat, use a 200 C oven for 8 to 10 minutes on a rack.
What other kinds of katsu are there besides chicken?
Besides chicken, katsu is made with beef, prawn, fish and vegetables, and the same sauce and crumb apply to all of them. The cooking method is identical: flatten, coat, fry and slice.
Ebi katsu uses prawn, gyu katsu uses beef, and kabocha katsu uses pumpkin. Chicken is the most common choice for home cooks because it cooks quickly and suits families. The method in this guide works for any cutlet of similar thickness.
Which cut of chicken is best for katsu?
Chicken thigh and chicken breast both work for katsu. Thigh has more fat and stays juicy, while breast is leaner and slices into neat, even strips. The right choice depends on how the cutlet will be served.
| Cut | Texture | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Breast | Lean, firm | Butterfly or pound to an even thickness so it does not dry out |
| Thigh | Juicy, tender | Remove the skin and any thick fat, and flatten gently |
| Tenderloin | Small, quick | Good for bite-sized strips and kids’ meals |
Whichever cut is used, even thickness is the main rule. A cutlet that is thick at one end and thin at the other will either overcook or stay raw. Place the meat between two sheets of baking paper and flatten it with a rolling pin, working from the centre outward.
How is baked katsu different from fried katsu?
Baked katsu uses oil-sprayed panko and an oven instead of a pan, so it is lighter and less messy but slightly less golden. Fried katsu has the deeper flavour and crunchier crust that most people associate with the dish.
For baked katsu, toss the panko with a few teaspoons of oil in a dry pan until pale gold before coating. Place the cutlets on a rack over a tray, and bake at 220 C for about 18 to 22 minutes, turning once. The crumb stays crisp because hot air circulates under the cutlet.
An air fryer gives a similar result in about 12 minutes at 190 C. In both cases the coating should be pressed on firmly so it does not fall away when the cutlet is sliced.
Common questions
Is chicken katsu the same as schnitzel?
They are close relatives. Both are flattened, crumbed and fried cutlets. Katsu uses panko, which is coarser and crunchier than ordinary breadcrumbs, and it is cut into strips and served with katsu sauce and rice.
What does katsu mean?
Katsu is a shortened form of katsuretsu, the Japanese version of the word cutlet. It describes a crumbed and fried cutlet, and is used for chicken, beef, fish and vegetable versions.
Can you bake chicken katsu?
Yes. Spray or brush the panko crumbs with oil, bake on a rack at 220 C for about 20 minutes and turn once. The crumb is less deeply golden than fried katsu but it is still crisp.
What is katsu sauce made of?
Katsu sauce is a thick, sweet and tangy brown sauce built on fruit, vegetables, soy sauce and sugar, similar to a Japanese Worcestershire sauce. Bottled versions are common, and homemade ones use ketchup, soy and sugar.
Why is my chicken katsu soggy?
The oil was probably too cool, the pan was crowded or the cutlets were left on paper towels. Fry at 170 to 180 C, cook two at a time and rest the pieces on a wire rack.
Everything practical is on the home page: Eight Ounce Café hours, menu and directions.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Eight Ounce Café itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.