Easy Baked Chicken Katsu with Pineapple Katsu Sauce
Crispy baked chicken katsu served with a sweet-tangy pineapple katsu sauce for an easy weeknight meal.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Aluminum Foil
- Three shallow bowls or containers
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast about 10 ounces; butterflied and halved
- to taste salt for seasoning
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3/4 cup panko
- cooking spray for spraying tops before baking
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce for sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch for sauce slurry
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice can be from canned pineapple chunks
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- white steamed rice optional, for serving
- pineapple chunks optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it.
- Butterfly the chicken breast by slicing horizontally through the center to create two thin even pieces; lightly season both sides with salt.
- Set up an assembly line with three shallow bowls: flour in the first, beaten egg in the second, and panko in the third. Place the prepared baking sheet at the end.
- Dredge each chicken piece in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the beaten egg, and press into the panko to coat evenly. Transfer to the baking sheet.
- Lightly spray the tops of the breaded chicken with cooking spray to help browning. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C).
- While the chicken bakes, whisk the soy sauce and cornstarch in a very small bowl until smooth. Combine that slurry with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, white vinegar, pineapple juice, and ketchup in a small saucepan.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat if it starts to boil, and simmer 3 to 6 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest 5 minutes, then slice. Serve the sliced katsu over white steamed rice with pineapple chunks if desired and sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Nutritional info in the original source excludes rice and pineapple.
- To shallow fry instead, heat about 1 cup oil to 1/4-inch depth in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Oil is ready for frying when bubbles form around a wooden spoon dipped into it.
- Fry panko-covered breasts 3 to 5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.