These chicken katsu rice bowls are a delicious weeknight dinner that is easier to make than you might think! These bowls combine tender fried chicken coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs, and a sweet and tangy tontaksu sauce, all served over sticky sushi rice with avocado and sliced cucumber. You’ll love this comfort food when you’re craving takeaway but want a budget-friendly at home option instead!
Even before I finally travelled to Japan to experience the cuisine first hand, I was obsessed with all Japanese food. We have so many incredible Japanese restaurants around in Brisbane, from fine dining, to super quick takeaway shops, that I usually end up eating some variation of it at least once a week, if not more if I’m cooking it at home.
While I am partial to a Japanese curry, a simple chicken katsu rice bowl is always a great option as it’s light enough for lunch but also filling enough for dinner.
Chicken katsu is a Japanese dish of fried chicken fillets coated in panko breadcrumbs. It’s very similar to a classic chicken schnitzel, but with one key difference in my steps. I first marinate the chicken in soy sauce to add that extra umami flavour that is iconic in Japanese cuisine.
My version is of course not authentic, but it takes the flavours and simplicity that it’s known for and makes it super approachable for an everyday weeknight dinner.
And if you really want to get dinner on the table fast, I’ve 100% made this recipe countless times with a store bought chicken schnitzel instead of making the chicken katsu myself and it’s so good as a low effort meal. Making the chicken yourself does taste better, but always remember you have options!
Key Ingredients
To make these chicken katsu rice bowls you’ll need a few ingredients for the different bowl elements of the chicken and the easy tonkatsu sauce.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken breasts – chicken breasts are recommended for katsu as they cook quickly and evenly. You’ll need to slice two large fillets in half horizontally to gain 4 thinner pieces for coating in the crumb.
- Soy sauce – flavours not only the chicken but is also added to the sauce.
- Plain flour – coats the chicken as the first step in the crumbing process.
- Eggs – helps the crumbs stick to the chicken.
- Panko breadcrumbs – much lighter and crisper than regular breadcrumbs, this will be the coating for our katsu.
- Tomato ketchup – the base of the tontaksu sauce which is often referred to as a Japanese barbeque sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce – it might be hard to say, but this sauce is what really turns the ketchup into a tontaksu sauce that is rich, tangy and savoury.
- Mirin – an essential pantry staple if you do a lot of Japanese style cooking at home. You’ll have it on hand if you’ve ever tried to make my homemade teriyaki sauce or any of the recipes that use it.
- Dijon mustard – just adds an extra layer of depth to the flavour of the sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The very first step to making these katsu chicken rice bowls is of course to get the rice on in the rice cooker. You can use any method you like to cook the rice but the rice cooker just means one less thing to think about!
Get started by prepping the chicken! You want to slice the chicken breast fillets in half horizontally so that you have 4 fillets in total. You can flatten them out using a meat mallet so that they are even in thickness. Add these to a shallow dish and add in the soy sauce and toss to combine. Sit this aside for at least 10 minutes to quickly marinate.
Next, whisk together the tonkatsu sauce ingredients until all combined. Give it a taste and adjust anything as you need to, but note that this is a rich, sweet and savoury sauce that should have a good amount of tang to it. Set this aside until we are ready to serve.
From here you want to set up your crumbing station. You can use shallow bowls or cake tins also work well. In one add the flour, in the next whisk the eggs, and in the third add the breadcrumbs.
Place the chicken one at a time into the flour, then the eggs, followed by the breadcrumbs. You can press the crumbs on firmly with your hands to help them stick.
Heat about 1-2 centimetres of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, carefully add the crumbed chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your fillets so for best results, use a meat thermometer to determine doneness. The chicken will be cooked when the internal temperature reaches 74°C / 165°F.
Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a wire rack over a baking tray to slightly cool and allow any excess oil to drain.
Finally, it’s time to assemble the bowls! Slice the chicken into strips and divide the cooked rice between serving bowls. Top with sliced katsu chicken, avocado, and cucumber. Drizzle with the tonkatsu sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds to finish.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This katsu chicken is best served fresh, however if you have leftovers you can store and reheat it but be aware the chicken will not be as crispy.
Store the rice and chicken separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The best way to reheat the chicken for maximum crispiness, is to place it in an air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 5-6 minutes or in a preheated oven at the same temperature for 10-12 minutes.
You can microwave it but the crumb will be soft and can detach from the chicken. It’s still delicious though. The rice can be reheated in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! Similar to my air fryer chicken schnitzel recipe, spray the crumbed chicken lightly with oil and cook in the air fryer at 200°C (400°F) for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. It is less crunchy than frying in oil but it’s still really good.
These bowls are super versatile so you can really add any extra topping or sauce you like. Try adding shredded carrot, pickled ginger, edamame, or a soft-boiled egg for extra flavour and texture. I also usually serve with a bit of kewpie mayo as well.
Yes! If you want to get ahead on dinner prep you can crumb the chicken in advance and store it uncooked in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The sauce can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More chicken rice bowl recipes:
Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
BBQ Chicken Bowls
Chicken Katsu Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the katsu chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- ⅓ cup plain flour/all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
For the tonkatsu sauce:
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon white sugar/granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
For the bowls:
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 1 avocado sliced
- 4 baby cucumbers sliced
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to packet instructions (or use your rice cooker). Once done, fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Make the easy tonkatsu sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make four thin fillets. Place each fillet between two sheets of baking paper and gently pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet until even in thickness.
- Place the chicken in a bowl with the soy sauce and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the crumb station.
- Set up three shallow bowls; one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs. Coat each chicken piece first in flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in egg, and finally coat well in panko breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs on firmly with your hands to help them stick.
- Heat about 1-2 centimetres of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the crumbed chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. The cooking time may vary based on the thickness of your fillets so for best results, use a meat thermometer to determine doneness. The chicken will be cooked when the internal temperature reaches 74°C / 165°F.
- Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray to slightly cool and allow any excess oil to drain. Slice the chicken into strips.
- Divide the cooked rice between serving bowls. Top with sliced katsu chicken, avocado, and cucumber. Drizzle with tonkatsu sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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