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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. 5 stars
    So good! All the easy to get ingredients and flavors are insanely delicious together. And easy to make. Thank you.

  2. 5 stars
    I have made this recipe many, many times, and it has become my absolute favorite home cooked meal. It’s surprisingly easy, so tasty and super customizable for even my picky husband. I find thin sliced chicken at Safeway/Vons/Albertsons, take the recipe’s advise to use the palm of my hand to get the panko to stick, and it comes out perfect!

    1. Thanks so much Tilu!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! Happy Friday!

  3. 5 stars
    Wow! This is seriously the tastiest meal I’ve ever made for my family! Definitely a new fave. I only had ground ginger but it worked just fine. Thanks so much for sharing all your amazing recipes!

    1. Hi Pamela,
      Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit! Have a great weekend😎

  4. 5 stars
    My husband was obsessed and so was I with all the flavors this dish brought! We use to make something similar with tofu but there is no way we are going back to that after this meal! Even my two year old who can be picky with chicken was asking for more! Thank you!’

    1. Hi Kristin,
      Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! xT

  5. Just made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit, even with my picky sons. Everyone is already asking when I can make it again.

    1. Hi Kimberly,
      Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you!🍒🥭

    1. Hi Kate,
      Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

  6. 3 stars
    Almost all hfh recipes are flawless, but this one didn’t turn out well for us. The panko didn’t stay on at all, despite using lots of oil on our staub skillet, so it was extremely disappointing. Hoping to try to do the panko a different way next time!

    1. Hi Joanna,
      Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you had issues with the panko. I would try an egg wash next time and then dip in panko, that should help! xx

  7. 5 stars
    I have made tons of recipes from your site, Tieghan and they are always a hit! However, dare I say…this is my all time favorite? It’s at least a top contender! SO, SO good and so easy! My boyfriend and I both loved it! I was sure to press the panko into the chicken and it worked out wonderfully, very crispy and just perfect. Making it again tonight. 🙂

    1. Hi Shayla,
      Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx

        1. Hi Matthew,
          So sorry to hear this!! Did you really press the panko onto the chicken? Next time you could do an egg wash first and then dip in panko. I hope this helps! xx

    2. 5 stars
      I’ve made several of your recipes and this is my favorite! I use chicken tenderloins and tenderize them with a mallet first- the result is perfectly thin and extra crispy and it also helps the Panko/sesame stick. Thank you for sharing this one!

      1. Hi Amy,
        Happy Friday!! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!😎🍑 xx

  8. 3 stars
    Followed the recipe exactly and the flavors were great. It’s only a 3 star for me though because the panko was just falling off the chicken while cooking- despite really pounding it into the chicken! I salvaged the panko that had fallen off and tossed it in the bowl and it gave it a nice crunch. I may do the flour and egg next time like another commenter mentioned to see if that helps.

    1. Hi Christine,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear about the panko! Let me know if the egg and flour works better next time! xx

    1. Hey there,
      Thanks so much! So sorry, I have not tested the chicken in an air fryer, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! Let me know how the recipe turns out! xT

  9. 5 stars
    This is a family favorite! Five stars for flavor. I had problems with the bread crumb/sesame coating falling off the first time I prepared this. I now marinate the chicken, dredge in flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumbs and it works great.

    1. Hey there,
      Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Thanks for sharing what works well for you! xT

  10. 3 stars
    I love chicken katsu but I couldn’t get the Panko to stay on the chicken or cooking the chicken thoroughly without burning the breadcrumbs

    1. Hey Andrea,
      Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues!! Did you really press the panko onto the chicken? That is key! And then it sounds like either your chicken was too thick or your skillet was too hot. I hope this helps for next time! xT

  11. SO TASTY! Any tips on how to make sure the breadcrumbs don’t get ripped off the chicken when flipping/removing from heat?

    1. Hey Elle,
      Happy Monday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Make sure your pan has enough oil to prevent losing any breadcrumbs! xT