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–+ servings
crispy air fryer chicken katsu, sliced and drizzled with japanese bbq tonkatsu sauce.
5 from 3 votes
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Air Fryer Chicken Katsu

Air Fryer Chicken Katsu with an easy Tonkatsu sauce is just as tasty as anything you'd order at your favorite Japanese restaurant, and so simple to make at home.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
4 servings

Equipment

  • Air fryer
  • Mixing bowl
  • 3 shallow bowls
  • Meat Mallet or rolling pin, to pound chicken cutlets

Ingredients

For the Tonkatsu sauce:

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the Chicken:

  • 1 lb (2 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • To make the tonkatsu sauce, place the ketchup, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix to combine.
  • Slice the chicken breasts in half and pound to 1/2-inch thickness, so that you have 4 chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on a plate.
  • Place the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, covering all sides, and shaking off any excess.
  • Then dip the flour covered chicken in the beaten eggs, letting any excess drip off.
  • Finally, place the chicken in the panko breadcrumbs, making sure that the chicken is fully covered. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken if need be.
  • Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches if need be. Spray the top of the chicken with additional cooking oil.
  • Air fry at 350°F/180°F for 18 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F74°C, flipping and spraying the top of the chicken with more cooking oil halfway through.
  • Slice the chicken and top with tonkatsu sauce. Serve with rice and shredded cabbage, if desired.

Video

Notes

  • If you'd like this recipe to be gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko bread crumbs. You'll also want to use tamari, or gluten-free soy sauce.
  • To be more authentic, you can replace the flour in this recipe with potato starch or cornstarch. 
  • Tonkatsu sauce is pretty simple to make, but you can use store-bought bottled sauce as well.
  • It's important to pound out the chicken so that it's all the same thickness and about 1/2 inch. This will ensure that the cutlets cook at the same time. If the cutlets aren't thin enough, you'll need to cook them for longer and risk burning the breading. 
  • Cook in batches. Once you pound out the cutlets, you will probably only be able to fit 2 at a time in the air fryer basket. You can keep the first batch warm in a 200°F oven while the second batch is cooking. 
  • Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
  • Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
 
Have oven recipes that you’d like to convert to air fryer recipes? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/

Nutrition Information

Calories 314kcal | Carbohydrates 32g | Protein 31g | Fat 6g | Saturated Fat 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat 1g | Monounsaturated Fat 2g | Trans Fat 0.02g | Cholesterol 154mg | Sodium 1063mg | Potassium 625mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 8g | Vitamin A 238IU | Vitamin C 3mg | Calcium 64mg | Iron 3mg
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