Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This fun chicken and rice bowl is easy to assemble and is bursting with flavor thanks to the creamy katsu sauce, which you can make using two store-bought sauces.
Or, I have a recipe to make these sauces from scratch if you prefer. You decide based on your time constraints.
Restaurant Quality
Yet homemade. And ready in just 30 minutes.
These Katsu Chicken Bowls are simple enough to prepare for weeknight dinner. With simple ingredients like white rice, breaded chicken, fresh veggies, and a flavorful tonkatsu-Sriracha mayo sauce, you can quickly create a restaurant-quality dish at home with minimal effort.
Signature Katsu Taste
Crispy Chicken + a Creamy Katsu Sauce = Delicious.
Lightly fried chicken cutlets are crispy on the outside and tender inside, just like the authentic Katsu Chicken dish that is popular in Hawaii, as well as Japan.
Fresh and Crunchy Vegetables
Cucumber slices, shredded carrots, and tangy kimchi add a fresh crunch that perfectly complements the rich chicken, creamy sauce and rice. The mix of textures and flavors creates a balanced meal — all in one bowl.
Customizable for Everyone
This recipe is highly customizable. Adjust the spice level by adding more or less Sriracha-mayo. Serve it without sauce for kids or picky eater.
Feel free to swap out kimchi for your favorite pickled veggies, or non-pickled veggies.
In Hawaii, katsu chicken is often found served with Hawaiian mac salad so feel to give that a try and replace the rice if you prefer.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at everything you'll need to put together these delicious crispy katsu chicken bowls.
For the Chicken
- Chicken cutlets. You want these to be about ½" thick, pound flat if needed. You can make you own cutlets by simply cutting a chicken breast in half to thin it out.
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- For the breading: All-purpose flour, eggs, panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil. Vegetable oil or other neutral, high-heat oil for frying. You want enough for there to be about ½" of oil in your skillet.
Rice
- Cooked jasmine rice. Or any rice you have or prefer works.
Veggies
- Kimchi. Adds a fun tangy flavor and healthy pro-biotics, too.
- Carrots. Shred your own vs. using matchstick carrots for best flavor.
- Cucumber. I prefer English cucumber, stripe-peeled and then sliced.
Garnish
- Green onions. Adds freshness and mild spice.
- Sesame seeds. Toasted for extra flavor or not if you're in a hurry.
Katsu-mayo Sauce
- Katsu sauce. Also called "tonkatsu sauce" can be found bottled at some stores or see my Tips section to get my simple homemade recipe to make your own. It's easy and you probably already have all the ingredients.
- Sriracha mayo. This can also be purchased pre-mixed and bottle or you can simply mix together Sriracha sauce and mayo to make your own.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This crispy katsu chicken and rice bowl comes together in just a few steps.
Here's a look at the process:
First cook rice and set it aside to keep warm. Then:
- Season chicken.
- Coat in flour then egg then panko crumbs.
- Fry chicken.
- Slice chicken.
- Layer chicken on top of rice and add veggies.
- Top with sauce and serve.
Simple as that. Oh-so-tasty!
★ Tips ★
Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying.
To ensure each piece of chicken fries evenly, avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry in batches if needed, giving each cutlet enough space to crisp up.
Time-saving Tip: Prep the rice ahead of time.
Jasmine rice can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge, saving you time when assembling the bowls. Simply reheat before serving. This is a great use for leftover rice or use pre-cooked rice in a bag if you're short on time.
Make Your Own Katsu Sauce
Can't find katsu or tonkatsu sauce at the store or prefer to make your own? Here's how.
Katsu Sauce
Just blend together these ingredients:
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
The garlic and ginger powder are optional.
★ FAQs ★
You want thinned chicken breasts, also known as chicken cutlets. To make your own cutlets, simply slice a chicken breast in half, into two thinner, flat pieces. Pound flat so that they are an even thickness, if needed.
You can reduce or skip the Sriracha and just use mayo to create a creamy katsu sauce that is not spicy, if you prefer a milder flavor.
The tonkatsu sauce alone adds plenty of flavor but if you'd like a creamy twist, try adding in Sriracha-mayo.
Jasmine rice is traditionally served with katsu chicken; however, any white or brown rice works. You can even serve with macaroni salad for a Hawaiian-style version of this dish.
To make your own Sriracha Mayo, simply mix together Sriracha sauce with mayo to taste. Easy!
★ More Rice Bowl Recipes ★
If you've tried this Katsu Chicken Rice Bowl, please leave a 🌟 star rating or comment below to let others know what you thought of it!
Katsu Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken cutlets pound flat if needed
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cooking oil (for frying)
Rice
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice warmed
Veggies
- 1 cup kimchi
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 cucumber sliced
Garnish
- 4 green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Katsu-mayo Sauce
- ½ cup katsu sauce also called "tonkatsu sauce"
- ¼ cup Sriracha mayo
Easy-Order Groceries
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Cook rice. Prepare rice according to package or use pre-cooked rice, just warm it up.
- Prepare sauce. Mix together tonkatsu sauce with Sriracha mayo as set aside.
- Season chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Heat oil. In a cast iron skillet add about ½" of oil set to medium-high. Let heat to a temperature of 350ºF while you coat the chicken.
- Coat chicken. In three shallow bowls, set up the breading station. In one bowl, add flour. In the second bowl, crack egg and whisk until well beaten. In the third bowl, add panko bread crumbs. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and then press firmly into the panko mixture, ensuring an even coating on all sides.
- Cook chicken. Once oil has reached 350ºF, add chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy and internal temp reached 165ºF. Flip carefully using tongs.Place on a plate lined with paper towels. Cover with foil to keep warm and allow to rest while you cook remaining chicken.
- Assemble bowls. Add an even amount of rice to each bowl. Cut cooked chicken into strips and layer on top of the cooked rice. Add kimchi, carrots and cucumber slices. Top with the katsu-mayo sauce, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Notes
- The amount of cooking oil you need may vary depending on the size of your skillet. Adjust as needed to reach ½" deep.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the oil temperature and the chicken's internal temperature. The key to frying is monitoring the temperature of both!
- To make your own tonkatsu sauce: see the Tips section for my simple recipe made with soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce plus optional spices.
Leave a Reply