Chicken Katsu Sandwich
Inspired by Ivan Orkin - New York, NY
Every culture seems to love fried chicken and that’s alright by me. But in a sandwich, I think Katsu is King. Perfectly tender, perfectly crunchy, and served with a soft white bread that’s only there to let the star of the show shine brightest. Try it.
Parts of this recipe were adapted by Ivan Orkin’s recipe for “Chicken Cutlet (Tori Katsu) Sandwich” in his cookbook, “The Gaijin Cookbook”. Ivan also own a ramen shop in New York City called Ivan Ramen. In my opinion, it’s the best ramen in the city.
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN KATSU (Makes 2 sandwiches):
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tsp salt
¼ cup flour
1 large egg
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
Canola oil for frying
White bread for serving
SIMPLE COLESLAW (for 2 sandwiches but make more if you want):
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
¼ cup mayo (kewpie mayo if you can find it)
TONKATSU SAUCE (for serving):
½ cup ketchup
¼ Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ TBS soy sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
GO FOR IT
CHICKEN KATSU:
Under plastic wrap, pound chicken breast very thin using a mallet or bottom of heavy skillet
Season chicken with salt and cut into 2 pieces
Using 3 bowls set up in a row, fill 1 bowl with flour, 1 bowl with with whisked egg, and 1 bowl with panko bread crumbs
Using one hand for dry ingredients, and the other for wet ingredients, cover the chicken first with flour, then coat well in the whisked egg, and lastly cover liberally with the bread crumbs, then set aside
In a frying pan or skillet, heat enough oil on high to cover the chicken cutlets to at least half thickness (probably about ¼-½ cup)
When oil reaches 350°, or when you can add breadcrumbs and they sizzle immediately, add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to paper towel to drain
SIMPLE COLESLAW:
Mix cabbage and mayo in a bowl, then set aside
TONKATSU SAUCE:
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients until well incorporated
FINISHING STEPS:
Cut the crusts off your white bread like mom used to
On 1 slice, make a bed of coleslaw, then place chicken katsu on top
Top with tonkatsu sauce and add 2nd slice before serving
NOTES:
If you don’t own anything to pound out your chicken, then cut your chicken breasts in half but try to keep them as thin as possible as you want want a thin chicken cutlet for frying so it cooks quickly before burning the panko breadcrumbs. You can also switch things up and do this same recipe by pounding out pork chops instead. Both are great.
Feel free to use store bought slaw or your own recipe but for authentic Japanese flavor, see if you can locate some Kewpie mayo. Kewpie mayo is made with egg yokes only and is thus much creamier and richer than the American version. Try it on its own without using it to make slaw if you wish. It’s good stuff.
At Ivan Orkin’s suggestion, I bought a bottle of Bull-Dog brand tonkatsu sauce online and it’s great. It’s kind of like Japanese BBQ sauce and goes very well atop this chicken. However, if you don’t feel like ordering a bottle of sauce online just to make this sandwich, I’ve provided a very easy recipe that will get you pretty close with ingredients you probably already own at home.