NewsBite

Advertisement
Good Food logo

Chicken katsu rolls

Neil Perry
Neil Perry

Advertisement
Chicken katsu meets banh mi.
Chicken katsu meets banh mi.William Meppem

I love the crunchy white rolls Vietnamese bakeries use for their pork banh mi. If you can't find them, aim to buy the crispest and lightest bread you can for these. Tonkatsu sauce is available in Asian grocery shops; I can't resist drizzling sriracha sauce all over the chicken for a big chilli hit. Pork or white-fleshed fish fillet would also work well when crumbed here, and the chicken itself is great served on steamed rice with the tonkatsu and pickled ginger.

Advertisement

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless chicken breast fillets

  • 1½ cups panko crumbs

  • sea salt

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  • ½ cup milk

  • ½ cup plain flour

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 4 Vietnamese-style bread rolls

  • 1 cup tonkatsu sauce

  • freshly ground black pepper

For the coleslaw

  • ¼ savoy cabbage, finely sliced

  • 2 celery stalks, finely sliced

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated

  • aioli or mayonnaise

Method

  1. 1. Place the chicken fillets between sheets of greaseproof paper and flatten with a rolling pin until they are between 2cm to 3cm thick.

    2. Combine the panko crumbs and a little sea salt in a shallow bowl and mix well. Beat the egg and milk until combined and tip into a second shallow bowl. Put the flour in a third shallow bowl.

    3. Dip the first chicken breast on both sides, first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, then finish in the panko crumbs and shake to evenly coat. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

    4. Heat olive oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan and shallow-fry the chicken in batches for 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden, then 2 minutes on the other. Remove and drain on paper towel.

    5. To make the coleslaw, combine the vegetables in a bowl and dress to taste with aioli or quality mayonnaise.

    6. Split the rolls in half horizontally. Spread tonkatsu sauce generously on one half and place a chicken breast on the bottom half. Top with coleslaw and season with salt and pepper.

    If you like this recipe, try my pork tonkatsu with slaw

Continue this series

Make it a katsu Tuesday with these crowd-pleasing crumbed numbers
Up next
Katsu finger sandwiches.

Katsu finger sandwiches

These finger-sized schnitzel sandwiches are popular on bullet trains in Japan. The key is to press them with a weight so they hold together.

Tonkatsu (crumbed pork cutlets) with Japanese curry sauce, rice and slaw.

Tonkatsu with curry sauce and kohlrabi, kimchi and coriander slaw

I added a touch of katsu curry powder to the panko crumbs to intensify the flavour. Please don't panic if you can't find it – once your pork cutlet is lovingly doused in katsu curry sauce, no one will be concerned with its absence. I have included a recipe for curry sauce but if you are short on time and motivation, those supermarket Japanese curry sauce mixes are (don't judge me) a great backup.

Previous
Pork menchi katsu with apple katsu sauce.

Pork menchi katsu with apple katsu sauce recipe

Usually a mixture of pork and beef, the "menchi katsu" is cousin to Japan's popular tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet). This version uses chunks of pork belly to give it a decadent texture and is served with a unique apple katsu sauce.

See all stories

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.

Sign up
Neil PerryNeil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement

Similar Recipes

More by Neil Perry

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/goodfood/recipes/chicken-katsu-rolls-20200228-h1m5qt.html