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Homemade Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls with spicy gingery chicken, steamed rice, all the best toppings, and our favorite spicy, sweet, and creamy mayo sauce. I top each bowl off with fresh avocado, pan-fried edamame, and a generous side of creamy mayo. Each bowl is colorful and full of flavor. A great family dinner any night of the week.

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

Update from Texas! It’s Monday now, but by the time you read this, I’ll be on my way home. I’m excited to get back to family and my daily routines. I’ve loved all this travel, but I think we all know that I’m a homebody through and through! 

If all goes planned, I’ll be home in plenty of time today to chill and get organized. I usually get in super late, but I should have some of the afternoon left, which will be a really nice change! 

I obviously made this yummy bowl before leaving home and it’s already become a real favorite.

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

Mom and Asher love a nice rice bowl dinner. So I made chicken katsu for them and it was a huge hit! 

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

Details

I started with the soy sauce marinade, it’s so simple. I mixed tamari (which is what I use, it’s gluten-free soy sauce), a bit of honey, ginger, and green onions. Then I let the chicken sit in the marinade a few minutes before cooking. 

You won’t use all of the marinade, so reserve the rest for serving with your katsu bowls. 

For the chicken, I made sure to keep it simple and easy. I used chicken cutlets, then simply breaded them in Panko and sesame seeds. Super simple, but when put together with the rest of the ingredients and served over rice…so delicious. 

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

Pan-fry the chicken until crispy on both sides. Then toss some frozen edamame into the skillet with a little soy sauce. The edamame ends up becoming almost “fried” and is so delicious.

Most poke bowls have a spicy mayo on top, so I wanted to add that to these bowls too! It’s usually just mayo and sriracha mixed together, but I also added soy sauce and a small drizzle of honey to balance the sweet. 

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

The only other “must-have” item here is rice. The rest are extra, but I really do recommend toppings!

My bowls almost always include cucumber, avocado, and pickled ginger. 

Really fun if you’re looking to switch up your chicken and rice bowls. Of course, over here, it’s all about the sauces, so those are a must. And the crispy chicken is extra delish too!

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other rice bowls favorites?

Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls

Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice

Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

Lastly, if you make Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 924 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Spicy Mayo

Instructions

  • 1. In a medium bowl, combine 2/3 cup tamari/soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, green onion, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
    2. Place the chicken in a bowl and pour over 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce, save the rest for serving. Let the chicken sit 10 minutes.
    3. Place the Panko and 3 tablespoons sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Dredge both sides of the chicken through the Panko, pressing to adhere by using your fist to pound the crumbs in. Place the chicken on a plate.
    4. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
    5. Add the edamame to the skillet, cook until thawed, then add 2 tablespoons tamari/soy sauce. Cook another minute, then remove from the heat.
    6. To make the Spicy Mayo, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
    7. To assemble, slice the chicken into thin strips. Add the rice to bowls, top with cucumber, avocado, chicken, pickled ginger, green onions, and nori. Spoon over the spicy mayo and the reserved tamari/soy sauce.
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Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

  1. This is one of my families favourites! I use Chex cereal instead of panko to make it gluten free, it never seems to stick well once cooked. I’ve tried pan fried and cooked in the oven with the same results. Do you have a suggestion? Egg?

    1. Hi Kaleigh,
      Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Sorry, I’ve never tried this with Chex cereal so that could be the issue with sticking, but definitely try the egg next time! xT

  2. 5 stars
    One of our favorites that we come back to often. I follow the measurements and use gluten free panko and low sodium tamari. Then and I use our air fryer and it turns out SO good and it’s so quick! Usually the chicken and rice are done very close to the same time. We can fit 3 cutlets in the air fryer at a time.

    1. Hey Keana,
      Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)

    1. Hey Maureen,
      Your local grocery store should carry GF panko crumbs! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

  3. 4 stars
    This is a really solid recipe!! The only thing I will note is there might be a step missing during the breading portion of the recipe. I first tried to make this recipe by dipping in egg wash then the panko (I had never heard of not using flour during the breading process) but none of the panko stuck. The second time I first dipped the chicken in flour and the breading stuck MUCH better!

    1. Hey Mallory,
      Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Sorry to hear about your breading, I didn’t use flour here:) Have a great weekend! xx

  4. 5 stars
    Honestly the EASIEST and BEST meal I’ve made recently!!! I’ve made it 3 times the past few weeks cause it’s just that good!!!

    1. Hey Danielle,
      Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT

    1. Hey Chelsie,
      Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:)

    1. Hey Lisa,
      Happy Sunday!!🌸 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xT

  5. 5 stars
    This really is a rather simple meal to make (once you have all the ingredients!) but the flavor is SO GOOD! Both my picky husband and teen daughter loved this.

    1. Hey Kara,
      Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! xx

  6. 5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and it’s such an easy meal but tastes like you’ve spent a lot of time making it all come together!! So good!

    1. Hey Kadi,
      Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT

    1. Hey Lulu,
      I just do sliced cucumbers with some rice vinegar:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx

  7. 4 stars
    I have never even had katsu before so I have nothing to compare it to but I really enjoyed the flavour of this recipe!! My only issue was my panko crumb did not stick well at all and I tried a million times squishing hard like the recipe says. Is there any tips or tricks that might help me when I make this next time? A lot of other recipes have the usual egg and flour combo first – perhaps I didn’t do the accurate ratios with liquid or something? Any help would be appreciated, we will definitely be having this again!! So yummy!

    1. Hey Ashleigh,
      Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! I would let any extra sauce drip from the chicken before dredging through the panko. xT

    1. Hey Tasha,
      Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! Sorry about the salt! xT

  8. 4 stars
    Super yummy! My family loved that they could each customize their own bowls. Hubs added Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce to his for an extra kick.

    Recommend using low sodium soy sauce (which we usually do; however, we were out and used full strength…..far too salty!). We also may add some chopped romaine next time!

    1. Hey Colinda,
      Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx

  9. 5 stars
    WOW this was good! Another flavor filled winner. My husband who is pretty reserved in his praise said multiple times, “whoa this is amazing.” Thanks for a great winner!