The crispiest air fryer chicken katsu recipe – one of my favorite air fryer recipes. Juicy chicken with a crispy panko coating in under 20 minutes, made with just a few simple ingredients. I like to serve this katsu chicken over a bed of steamed rice and top with cucumber salad, avocado slices, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo!
Great for a busy weeknight and simple enough for picky eaters. Pair this chicken katsu with simple roasted or sauteed veggies or fresh pickled veggies. Find all of my easy air fryer or dinner recipes here for more weeknight inspiration!
Recipe Highlights
- Crispy Coating: Chicken cutlets are coated in a mixture of flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs for a super crispy texture when air fried without the mess of frying in oil.
- Tender Chicken: Chicken breasts (or thighs) are seasoned and cooked quickly in the air fryer, keeping them juicy and tender on the inside. Due to the coarse panko bread crumbs these turn out crispy and perfectly golden brown.
- Fast & Easy: Prep time is minimal—just bread the chicken and air fry. It’s ready in about 20 minutes! It helps if you set up a dredging station, especially if making multiple chicken breasts.
- Perfect for Dipping: Serve with tonkatsu sauce or a simple homemade sriracha aioli for the perfect flavor pairing.
Chicken Katsu Recipe
This is a great recipe for the air fryer because it is fairly hands off. The chicken needs flipped once halfway through cooking but the air fryer does the work for you. This crispy chicken can be used on chicken sandwiches, chopped on rolled into wraps, or added to grain bowls.
For a super crispy chicken katsu sandwich, toast a brioche bun and top with your air fryer chicken cutlet. Drizzle the chicken with hoisin or tonkatsu sauce and top with homemade coleslaw and crunchy pickles for a delicious spin on a fried chicken sandwich.
Ingredient List & Substitutions
This easy chicken katsu is made with simple ingredients, many you probably already have on hand in your fridge or pantry. If there is a substitution for an ingredient, you’ll find it below:
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breast are recommended for this recipe but boneless skinless chicken thighs could also be used.
- Seasonings: this dish is seasoned with kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and garlic powder. Other seasonings can be used to add flavor to the panko.
- Egg: whole eggs or liquid eggs will both work for this recipe.
- Panko: plain, coarse panko breads crumbs make up the classic chicken katsu. I do not recommend using regular bread crumbs.
- Flour: all purpose flour lightly coats the chicken helping the egg and panko to stick. Gluten-free flour may be used if desired.
How to Make The Chicken Katsu
Let’s talk a little about how to make the Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Recipe (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick Overview:
- Pound out chicken. Prep dredging stations.
- Dip chicken in flour, egg, and then panko.
- Air fry until crispy. Rest and slice.
- Prepare the dredging station. Fill one shallow bowl with the combined panko, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate shallow bowl combine the egg and water, whisk to combine. Add flour to a separate bowl.
- Take your chicken breast and dredge in the flour mixture, then the egg mix, and finally the panko. Coating well between each step, press the panko in to adhere to the chicken. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
3. Preheat your air fryer using the “air fry” setting, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Spray the basket with cooking spray, once preheated add your coated chicken breast. Flip the chicken halfway through. After 12-15 minutes the chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
4. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and slice, serve immediately.
Cooking Tip
Thinly pound of chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet for quick and even cooking time.
Tools I Recommend Using
- Instant 6 qt. Air Fryer – Sleek and functional, the perfect size for 2-3 people. I like this because it has a tray in the bottom which make cleaning easy and it allows for air to circulate evenly. It has a large tray so you don’t have to do so many batches and a window to see into the air fryer while cooking! Any brand of air fryer will work for this recipe.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
- Meat Mallet – this is a handy tool to keep on hand for pounding out meat or use the textured side to tenderize cuts.
More Air Fryer Favorites
If you’re a fan of easy air fryer dinners like this chicken katsu, you’ll love these other easy weeknight friendly recipes. Perfect for the whole family.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
This crispy chicken dish goes great on its own or easily elevate it with a few of the following side dish ideas:
Recipe FAQs
What is chicken katsu made of?
Chicken katsu is a popular Japanese food of breaded chicken or pork cutlets. The cutlets are pounded out, coated in flour, egg, and panko, and shallow fried. This version is made in the air fryer but still results in a juicy interior and a crispy exterior.
Do you have to use panko bread crumbs?
Yes, panko breadcrumbs are recommended for this chicken katsu. Plain or Italian breadcrumbs will change the texture a bit and not be as crispy and crunchy.
Can you put raw chicken in the air fryer?
Absolutely. Cooking raw chicken in the air fryer results in a crispy exterior and a juicy interior without all of the mess of oil frying. Pound the chicken out before cooking for a quicker cooking time.
More Family Favorite Chicken Recipes
If you like these flavor packed chicken rice bowls, try my other Chicken Recipes for more easy weeknight meals the whole family will love!
- Copycat Panda Express Air Fryer Orange Chicken – hand breaded chicken air fried until crispy with a homemade orange sauce!
- Spicy Chopped Thai Chicken Salad (Panera Inspired) – a light and refreshing salad loaded with all the toppings.
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Recipe – crispy chicken in the air fryer with a homemade teriyaki sauce.
Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 6-8 oz. Boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 Whole egg
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare the dredging station. Fill one shallow bowl with the combined panko, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate shallow bowl combine the egg and water, whisk to combine. Add flour to a separate bowl.
- Take your chicken breast and dredge in the flour mixture, then the egg mix, and finally the panko. Coating well between each step, press the panko in to adhere to the chicken. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
- Preheat your air fryer using the "air fry" setting, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Spray the basket with cooking spray, once preheated add your coated chicken breast. Flip the chicken halfway through. After 12-15 minutes the chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes and slice, serve immediately.
Nutrition
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