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Air fryer chicken katsu with a homemade katsu curry sauce drizzled on top.
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5 from 7 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Recipe

Make delicious and crispy air fryer chicken katsu with homemade katsu curry sauce. Perfect for a quick and healthy dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 477kcal
Author Beth Sachs

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Equipment

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 4 Chicken Breasts boneless and skinless
  • 4 tablespoon Plain Flour
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • 100 g Panko Breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon Oil Spray olive oil or sunflower oil

For the homemade katsu curry sauce

  • 2½ tablespoon Korma Curry Paste
  • 2 tablespoon Cornflour
  • 4 tablespoon Ketchup
  • 2 tablespoon Honey
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 300 ml Boiling Water

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350F) and spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray.
    ⅛ teaspoon Oil Spray
  • Put the flour, egg, and seasoned panko breadcrumbs in 3 separate wide shallow bowls. Coat each chicken breast in flour, then egg, then the breadcrumbs.
    Pro Tip - If your chicken breasts are very thick in the middle, you can pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before breading and air frying. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to do this.
    4 Chicken Breasts, 4 tablespoon Plain Flour, 1 Egg, 100 g Panko Breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • Air fry for the required time (see below). Cooking times will vary depending on the size and weight of your chicken breasts. Always test with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should have reached 75°C (165F).
    170g (6oz) chicken breast - 15 -16 minutes total cooking time
    225g (8oz) chicken breast - 18 -19 minutes total cooking time
    280g (10oz) chicken breast - 20 -21 minutes total cooking time
    340g (12oz) chicken breast - 22-23 minutes total cooking time
  • Whilst the chicken is cooking, place the curry paste in a saucepan on a low heat and whisk in the cornflour so no lumps remain.
    2½ tablespoon Korma Curry Paste, 2 tablespoon Cornflour
  • Mix in the ketchup, soy sauce and honey.
    4 tablespoon Ketchup, 2 tablespoon Honey, 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • Pour in the boiling water, turn the heat up, and whisk until the sauce boils.
    300 ml Boiling Water
  • Turn down the heat to low and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened.
  • Serve the crispy coated chicken cut into slices and drizzled with the katsu curry sauce.

Notes

Expert Tips:
  • Use Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are lighter and airier than regular breadcrumbs, which makes them perfect for getting a crispy coating on the chicken katsu. They're also more absorbent, so they soak up less oil and stay crispy for longer.
  • Pound the chicken evenly: If your chicken breasts are very thick in the middle, you can pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before breading and air frying. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to do this.
  • Make the katsu curry sauce in advance: The katsu curry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. This not only saves time, but also allows the flavours to develop and intensify.
  • Double coat the chicken: For extra crispy chicken katsu, double coat the chicken by dipping it in the egg and breadcrumb mixture twice. This will create a thicker coating that's extra crispy and golden brown.
  • Don't overcrowd the air fryer: To ensure that the chicken katsu cooks evenly and gets crispy on all sides, don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary, leaving some space around each piece.
 
Variations:
  • Make it veggie with extra firm tofu. Cut the tofu into thick slices, dip them in the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko breadcrumbs. Air fry the tofu for about 10-12 minutes until it's crispy and golden brown.
  • Substitute the chicken with pork tenderloin or pork loin. Cut the pork into thick slices, pound them to an even thickness, dip them in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Air fry the pork for about 12-15 minutes until it's crispy and golden brown
  • Add a chopped cooked onion to the katsu curry sauce for more flavour.
 
Storage:
Store - The chicken katsu and the katsu curry sauce can be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat - Place the chicken back in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for 5-7 minutes or until it's heated through and crispy again. To reheat the katsu curry sauce, heat it up in a saucepan over medium heat, or in the microwave.
Freeze - The chicken katsu and the katsu curry sauce can be frozen in separate airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
 
Nutrition:
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
 
 

Nutritional Information (Approximate)

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 967mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1681IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg
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