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Homemade Crispy Chicken Katsu Bowls with spicy gingery chicken, steamed rice, delicious veggies, and 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.
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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.
Ingredients
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Toasted sesame oil
- Honey
- Grated ginger
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Chicken cutlets or boneless chicken breasts
- Panko bread crumbs
- Chili flakes
- Frozen shelled edamame
- Rice
- Cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger, and nori sheets
- Salt and Pepper
Spicy Mayo
- Olive oil mayo
- Sriracha
- Soy sauce or Tamari
- Honey
Mom and Asher love a nice rice bowl dinner. So I made chicken katsu for them and it was a huge hit!
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.
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.
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. However, you can incorporate a variety of vegetables based on your preference. Mushrooms, scallions, carrots, and cabbage would also be great in this dish.
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!
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
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon, plus 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 4 chicken cutlets, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
- 1 cup Panko
- chili flakes
- 1 bag frozen shelled edamame
- 3-4 cups rice, cooked
- cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger, and nori sheets – for serving
Spicy Mayo
- 1/3 cup olive oil mayo
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon honey
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This is my favorite dinner, and we make it at least twice a month. I pan fry in a cast iron pan, and I never have trouble with the breading falling off. I think the key is to make sure there is enough oil and that the oil is hot enough before cooking the chicken.
Hey Tracy,
Happy Tuesday!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe always turns out nicely for you, thanks a lot for making it!
We really liked the chicken and the spicy mayo! I did sautéed zucchini and avocado; I should’ve done the cucumbers or some vinegar carrots to help add some more freshness! I wasn’t a huge fan of the soy sauce mixture on top of everything, but in general this was pretty good!
Hey Haylee,
Happy Sunday!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
This recipe turned out great and was a hit with my family. The spicy mayo was very yummy on the chicken. After reading so many reviews about the breading falling off, I dipped the chicken first in beaten egg before the breading. This does a great job binding breading to chicken so I would recommend adding this step. My grocery store did not have the edamame so I used a zucchini I had instead and it was very tasty sautéed with the marinade added at the end. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Jo Ann,
Yay!! Happy Friday! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a bunch for making it! xx
Quick, easy and Super good!!!
Hey Lorrae,
Happy Monday! Love to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
This was delicious! Great combination and flavors. I will absolutely make it again, but my panko fell off so I think I will fully bread the chicken next time.
Thanks so much, JoAnn:) Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Thursday!
Made this for the first time tonight and it will definitely become a regular. Very easy to put all together and the flavors blended so beautifully. Family all enjoyed it as an added bonus! Fabulous recipe.
Hi Gina,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it!
Stop! This was SO GOOD we’re making it again tomorrow night!
Hey Erika,
Happy Monday! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment!!
Another winner from Half Baked Harvest! I made it exactly as directed and used jasmine rice.
Hi Leah,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!!
Flavor was so yummy, but my panko fell off pretty bad. What did I do wrong?? I used a stainless steel pan.
Hi Kaley,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, so glad it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear about your panko. I really have to press it hard onto the chicken so that it stays put:) xx
This was literally one of the best recipes of this kind I have ever made. The flavors were amazing. I pickled an English cucumber and red onion for the first time. So easy. The sauces were incredible. I can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow night. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!!!
Hey Sue!
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and your comment! x
This could be my favorite recipe of yours! Multiple mouthgasms!
Hey Amanda,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you!
My husband loves these bowls! They hold up well as leftovers for the next day as well. We always include a bit of kimchi too.
Hi Rose,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your comment! So glad it always turns out well! xT
Yum! This was so good! The chicken was crispy and delicious and the sauce/marinade was beautiful and solidified the flavours. I didn’t do the sauce (I just bought regular store kewpie mayo, sorry!), and just defrosted edamame beans. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hey Aliya,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT
Simple recipe with great flavors! I do want to know how to make the cucumbers. I didn’t have panko so I used crushed cornflakes, other breadcrumbs and sesame seeds handled with care and it stayed on while frying.
Spicy mayo and remainder of soy ginger sauce added such yum. Thanks for delicious food.
Thanks so much for your comment, Ditte! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! I just did the cucumbers with garlic and a little rice wine vinegar:) Xx
Hi there, love this recipe and I make it all the time. Just wondering for the cucumber, do you just do a quick pickled type thing?
Thanks so much, Kara!! Yes, I just do some rice vinegar and garlic. I hope this helps!
This was really delicious! I had issue with the panko staying on the chicken, any ideas how to better adhere it? I pounded it in like the recipe said, but it fell off into the pan and a lot of it burned. The taste was spot on though!
Hey Holly,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it turned out nicely for you! So sorry about the panko, I really don’t have any other tips for that than just pressing everything in really hard. Xx
I had the same problem my first time, so this time I tried getting the panko pieces even smaller (I just put them in a ziploc and banged it with a rolling pin, haha). But that helped a lot. I think it also helped that I used tenderloins instead of chicken breasts because the tenderloins aren’t as smooth.
Holly,
My trick to get panko to stick is to put it in the freezer for 20 minutes before cooking it. It helps the panko adhere to the chicken during cooking. I hope that helps in the future!
Dip it in a bowl of beaten egg before breading! It’ll help it bind and stay on 🙂