Source video by Joshua Weissman on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.
From the Joshua Weissman channel. Four plump skinless boneless chicken breasts are pounded between cling film to 12 mm thickness for even cooking, salted (ideally overnight in the fridge), then breaded in flour, egg-wash and panko in turn. The original shallow-chips in 473 ml of oil at 160-175°C for 3-5 minutes per side; adapted here for the air fryer at 200°C for 12-14 minutes with a spray of oil for colour, flipping at the halfway point. Served with a homemade tonkatsu sauce of ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, miso and honey, plus a quick salt-bruised cabbage slaw.
Air fryer notes: Original is a shallow-fry in 473 ml of oil at 160-175°C for 6-10 minutes total. Adapted to air fryer at 200°C for 12-14 minutes. Oil bath replaced by an oil spray on both sides before cooking; that's the only swap that affects the final crust. Pound thickness (12 mm) and breading method unchanged because they're what make the katsu work, not the oil bath.
Ingredients
- 4skinless boneless chicken breasts, pounded between cling film to 12 mm thickness
- salt
- 290 gplain flour
- 3large eggs, whisked with the water
- 30 mlwater
- 210 gpanko breadcrumbs
- oil spray
- 42 gtomato ketchup (add late)
- 14 gWorcestershire sauce (add late)
- 20 goyster sauce (add late)
- 20 gwhite miso (add late)
- 8 ghoney (add late)
- white cabbage, thinly sliced (add late)
- 0.5 bunchspring onions, thinly sliced (add late)
- lemon juice (add late)
Method
Lay each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film. Pound the thicker end with a meat mallet or the base of a pot until the whole breast is 12 mm thick from edge to edge. Salt all over.
~8 minSet up three shallow dishes: 290 g of plain flour, 3 eggs whisked with 30 ml of water, and 210 g of panko breadcrumbs.
~3 minOne breast at a time, coat in flour (shake off excess), dredge in egg, then press into panko on both sides. Use one hand for wet, one for dry, to keep it tidy.
~6 minPreheat the air fryer to 200°C.
~3 minSpray both sides of each breaded breast with oil. Lay in a single layer in the basket (work in batches if needed). Cook for 7 minutes.
~7 minFlip each breast, spray again, and cook for another 6-7 minutes until the panko is deep golden and the chicken reads 75°C internal.
~7 minWhile the chicken cooks, whisk the tonkatsu sauce: 42 g ketchup, 14 g Worcestershire, 20 g oyster sauce, 20 g miso (optional), 8 g honey.
~2 minSlice the cooked katsu across the grain. Serve with rice, the tonkatsu sauce and the cabbage slaw.
~2 min