If you are looking for a delicious chicken recipe and love Japanese food, you should try this Japanese chicken katsudon. This simple dish is so full of flavor and the chicken cutlet adds a bit of crunch without being too dry. You’ll feel like you’re at a Japanese restaurant when eating this dish.
Ingredients for Japanese Chicken Katsudon
Before making this recipe, make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Swaps and alternatives are listed next to each ingredient.
- Chicken thighs: You can also chicken breast if desired.
- All-purpose flour: Or gluten-free flour if you are celiac.
- Eggs: You will need eggs or an egg substitute for the chicken breading and at the end.
- Panko breadcrumbs: You can also use Italian bread crumbs or gluten-free panko.
- Canola oil: Or a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower or vegetable oil.
- Dashi stock: Beef or chicken stock works fine as well.
- Brown sugar: Or white sugar.
- Soy sauce: I use low sodium soy sauce but the regular stuff, tamari or coconut aminos are also fine.
- Onion: Yellow, white or sweet onions are fine.
- Japanese rice: You can also use jasmine rice or medium grain rice.
- Green onions: Optional
How to make Japanese Chicken Katsudon
First, lightly dry off chicken thighs with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. In three separate bowls add the all-purpose flour, 2 eggs and panko breadcrumbs. Whisk eggs. Dip chicken thighs first in flour, then the beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs. It’s a good idea to shake off each ingredient before dipping it into the next bowl.
In a skillet over medium heat, add canola oil. Once hot, add breaded chicken thighs. Fry on each side until the chicken is fully cooked and the outside is golden brown and crispy. You can also deep fry the chicken cutlets if desired. Remove the chicken thighs from the skillet and transfer to the cutting board.
In a shallow pot over medium heat add dashi stock, brown sugar, soy sauce and sliced onion. While the stock is cooking, slice the chicken thighs into strips. Once onions are softened, add chicken cutlet and remaining egg mixture in a circular motion. Cover and cook until the egg is fully cooked, about 3-4 minutes.
Add rice of a small bowl and layer the chicken on top of the rice. Top with green onions if desired. Then, enjoy the best part… eating it!
Alternatives to dashi stock
If you don’t have any dashi stock, don’t worry. You can simply replace the dashi stock with chicken or beef stock. Even vegetable stock will work if you don’t have any of the above options. You can also use chicken or beef bouillon mixed with boiling water if you don’t have any stock or broth in your kitchen.
Where to find dashi stock
You can make your own dashi stock from scratch or you use a shortcut (like I do). There are a variety of ways to make a quick dashi including powders, concentrates or packets. You can find it at a variety of asian grocery stores or purchase it online. Here are a few options that you can try out:
Is katsudon good for you?
This chicken katsudon recipe is pretty nutritious by itself, but can be made more nutritious by adding a vegetable or fruit side dish.
It contains around 500 calories and 27 grams of protein. It’s also a good source of B vitamins, folate, vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium and zinc. Much of this nutrition comes from the chicken and egg, as well as the fortified white rice.
If you choose to pair this with brown rice, you will get even more benefits since brown rice is high in fiber.
What to serve this with
I recommend serving this with a bowl of rice and a side of vegetables or fruit for some extra micronutrients. The dish by itself is a good source of protein, fat and carbohydrates, so no need to add additional protein or grains (unless you choose to of course).
How to store the leftovers
If you have leftovers of this delicious Japanese rice bowl dish, simply store the rice and the chicken separately in airtight containers. They should last in your refrigerator for about 2-3 days before spoiling. Once you are ready to eat your the leftovers of this great dish, simply reheat in the microwave and enjoy.
Similar Recipes
Chicken Katsudon (Japanese Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl)
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 cup dashi stock
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice
Instructions
- In three separate bowls add the all-purpose flour, 2 eggs and panko breadcrumbs. Whisk eggs. Dip chicken thighs first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Be sure to shake off each ingredient before dipping it into the next bowl.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add canola oil. Once hot, add breaded chicken thighs. Fry on each side until the chicken is fully cooked and the outside is browned and crispy. Remove the chicken thighs from the skillet and transfer to the cutting board.
- In a shallow pot over medium heat add dashi stock, brown sugar, soy sauce and sliced onions.
- While the stock is cooking, slice the chicken thighs into strips.
- Once onions are softened, add chicken thighs and remaining whisked eggs. Cover and cook until the egg is fully cooked.
- Enjoy over a bowl of white rice!
Notes
When breading the chicken thighs, make sure to shake off the excess flour before dipping it in the egg. I will usually pat the excess flour off. This ensures the egg will stick to the chicken thighs. I will also make sure all the excess egg drips off the thigh before adding it to the breadcrumbs. And after it’s coated in breadcrumbs, I will lightly press the breadcrumbs into the thighs to ensure they stick properly.
If you have trouble with the breading falling off the thighs after cooking, I highly recommend following this process.
