Air Fryer Chicken Katsu – No Frying! (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Katsu

I love this Air Fryer Chicken Katsu recipe because only a few ingredients will make crispy, juicy chicken. Firstly, here are the ingredients you will need!

• chicken breast – 1/2 lb each, seasoned with salt & pepper to taste
  • It is CRUCIAL that your chicken is flattened to ½” EVENLY – you want the chicken to cook evenly across and allow the panko to crisp up without burning. If you don’t have a meat mallet or tenderizer, use a heavy bottomed pan to flatten it!
• flour
• water (as needed)
• eggs
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are drier and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, so they absorb less oil and creates a light & crunchier crust. I do not recommend subbing these, as this is a key ingredient in this dish 🙁
• neutral cooking oil spray – I used avocado oil cooking spray (avocado oil is my go-to neutral cooking oil)! You can use another cooking oil spray, as long as it is NOT olive oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil spray for this dish, due to the flavor profile and low burning point.

Want to fry chicken instead? Make my easy Fried Chicken! Want a non-meat alternative? Try my super crispy Air Fryer Tofu!

Air Fryer Chicken Katsu: Recipe Instructions

Season the chicken

The first step in making Air Fryer Chicken Katsu is pounding the chicken breast fillets into 1/2″ thick pieces. You want to ensure a thin cutlet so that the chicken will be cooked through in the air fryer in the same time the panko breadcrumbs become crispy! Next, season with kosher salt and black pepper and let rest while you make the wet batter. Make sure all the pieces are cut to similar sizes so they cook evenly.

Make the wet batter dredge

Next, mix together eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to form a wet batter. Add 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until you get a consistency slightly looser than pancake batter. Dredge your chicken then immediately coat in panko breadcrumbs.

Coat chicken in Panko Breadcrumbs

Transfer the dredged chicken to a tray lined with 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs. Evenly coat the chicken and use your hands to pack in the panko breadcrumbs so they stick to the chicken well.

Air Fry the chicken

Lay the chicken into the air fryer basket and give the top side a spray of neutral oil spray (enough to cover any dry spots from the panko breadcrumbs). Then air fry at 350F for 10 minutes. Give the chicken a flip, and spray the other side well, and air fry again at 350F for 4-6 minutes until the Air Fryer Chicken Katsu is crispy!

Serve immediately with rice and picked vegetables and katsu sauce – Air Fryer Chicken Katsu is a perfect quick weeknight meal that is so satisfying!

Recipe Tips

DRY BRINING
This is the KEY tip for quick but JUICY chicken! Season the chicken with salt & pepper for 15 minutes before cooking to allow the salt absorb into the meat. This “dry brine” will result in crispy skin and juicy meat.

WET BATTER
This recipe is enough wet batter to coat 4 pieces of ½lb chicken breast fillets – you don’t want to skimp on the wet batter, so adjust your measurements if you are cooking more than 4 pieces of ½lb chicken breast fillets!

PANKO BREADCRUMBS
You want the panko breadcrumbs to really stick, as this is the crunchy texture you want! You need to really pack in the breadcrumbs when coating the chicken. After coating the chicken, let it REST for 10-15 minutes before cooking.