Chicken Katsudon – チキンカツ丼

By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: October 16, 2019

Last Updated: February 24th, 20240 Comments on Chicken Katsudon – チキンカツ丼

Chicken Katsudon ( – チキンカツ丼) is a big bowl of love and comfort. Crunchy katsu (deep-fried chicken cutlet) topped with soft, fragrant Japanese style eggs over a bowl of fluffy rice. It’s a celebration of flavour and textures.

Chicken Katsudon

For those days when you just need something restorative in your tummy, this classic Japanese 'donburi' 丼, translated quite literally as 'bowl' is a healing, hearty fix to any hunger/hanger situation. Katsudon is just one in a long line of tasty donburi options. Crunchy cutlets of chicken or pork sit in a seasoned egg mixture and are lovingly placed over fluffy rice. It's a hearty, filling and absolutely soul-comforting bowl of heaven.

Interestingly, traditional katsudon kind of goes against everything we're told about hot to deal with crunchy breaded meats like schnitzels etc. Donburi deliberately lets the cutlet go somewhat soggy by steaming it at the end in the sauce, and by pouring eggs over the surface. To my mind this was a challenge to do, but honestly it's a revelation - both the sauce and eggs soak into the crunchy coating giving it a unique and intense flavour. It's intentional, and the intention os to give us more flavour. Can't argue with that.

A bowl of chicken katsudon

What is donburi?

Donburi is the Japanese classification that we in the English speaking world call rice bowl. Dishes served in an oversized Asian soup bowl on a bed of steamed rice. Dishes can range from fish & seafood to meats and vegetables. They're a fast-food for those on the go, and a filling hearty option to satisfy hunger at all stages. There are countless variations of don/donburi to enjoy, all served over rice, all across Japan. These are a few of my favourites.

  • Gyūdon - 牛丼 - Beef Bowl (beef simmered with onion in a sweet dashi broth)
  • Tentamadon - 天玉丼 - Delicious crunchy tempura fish or vegetables simmered in an egg dashi sauce
  • Oyakodon - 親子丼 - One of my personal favourites; chicken served with a sweet egg/dashi mix and fresh scallions
  • Chashudon - チャーシュー丼 - a delicious combination of stewed chashu pork with eggs, pickles and scallions.
  • Tamagodon - 玉子丼 - Another favourite (because I'm obsessed with eggs) of dashi scrambled eggs over rice. (sometimes also called Tamago Soft-Scrambled Rice Bowl)
  • Unadon - 鰻丼 - Soy glazed eel fillets, charred over hot coals. A super tasty, humble and simple donburi to make at home.

Why it works?

It's comfort food - need I explain the premise and requirement of comfort food? It comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours! Chicken Katsudon has all the crunch, heartiness, umami and warmth that ticks every box you need.

Stuff You'll Need

Making Katsudon is easy, but you'll need a few Japanese essentials first.

  • Chicken Breast - You can also make this dish using a boneless pork cutlet.
  • Breading Ingredients - Flour, Eggs and finally crunchy Panko Breadcrumbs
  • Oil - for frying the cutlets.
  • Onion - the onion becomes part of the sauce mixture that the cutlet sits in.
  • Mirin - Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine, that brings a subtle sweetness to the onion braising liquid
  • Hondashi - Hondashi mix the key to the delicious authentic Japanese flavour - dried and powdered bonito fish
  • Sake - Japanese sake adds a level of complexity to the sauce
  • Soy sauce - adds a salty umami

Step by Step

Making this dish is easy and once you get the technique down you'll be making katsudon like a pro. Each serving is typically made individually, so you may need a few pans if you're cooking for more than one. My recipe makes two.

  1. Step 1 - Bash the chicken breasts into thin cutlets
  2. Step 2 - Set up a breading station of flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then coat each cutlet in that order.
  3. Step 3 - Fry the cutlets until cooked and golden brown, then set aside.
  4. Step 4 - Cook the onions in a small frying pan in a dashi mixture including sugar, soy, mirin and sake until they're soft.
  5. Step 5 - Cut a chicken breast into thick pieces and lay it on top of the onions
  6. Step 6 - Pour the eggs over and pop on a lid to steam for a minute or two.
  7. Step 7 - Slide the eggs and chicken over a waiting bowl of rice. Garnish with pickles, chopped spring onion and eat!
A special pan for making Donburi (Japanese Rice Bowls) with a vertical handle to make it easier to slide into the rice.

Pro Tips - get a donburi pan

You can buy a special Donburi pan to get the job done in true Japanese fashion. They're the perfect size for an Asian bowl and have lids that help create a good amount of steam to cook the eggs. The vertical handles help slide the katsu and egg over the rice with ease. Buy a few (they're cheap) and make all your donburi in one go! It's great fun! A regular small frying pan will do the job too.

Substitutions

Instead of chicken, you can also use pork cutlets (tonkatsudon). You can also use delicious menchi katsu (minced meat). Using the same technique of pouring over the eggs, you can use all kinds of other meats or fish instead of fried cutlets. I'll often use thin slices of beef or pork marinated in soy and sesame oil. A quick flash fry and then they're topped over the onions as usual. I also like to use salmon cutlets fried until just cooked then top the onions and add the eggs. Delicious.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

  • Serving - Serve hot. I like to keep it simple with my garnishes and serve with some seaweed flakes, thinly sliced scallions and some pickled ginger. You could also try wasabi, sesame seeds, tsukemono pickles, and any type of furikake rice seasoning.
  • Leftovers - Donburi are at their best when served right away, but if you have any leftovers, refrigerate for 1-2 days. Reheat in a microwave until piping hot. I don't recommend freezing.

Ready to get cooking?

For the ultimate Japanese comfort food, I can't look past this katsudon rice bowl. It's one of my most favourite dishes that I just KNOW will hit the sopt and fill me with a warm fuzzy glow. It has so much flavour and a combination of textures that fill anyone with joy! Be sure to try this recipe, I hope you enjoy!

A bowl of chicken katsudon

More delicious Japanese recipes

If you liked this recipe for chicken katsudon, why not try some of my other homestyle Japanese recipes.

Any Questions? (FAQ)

Have a question about Chicken Katsudon? Let me know in the comments.

What is Donburi?

Donburi is a popular Japanese dish featuring a bowl of steamed rice topped with a variety of ingredients, typically including meat, seafood, vegetables, and eggs. These ingredients are often simmered together in a flavorful sauce, such as soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, imparting rich umami flavors. Donburi dishes vary widely, with options like gyudon (beef bowl), oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl), and katsudon (breaded pork cutlet bowl), catering to diverse tastes. It's a comforting and satisfying meal enjoyed for its simplicity, versatility, and delicious combinations.

What is katsu?

Katsu is a Japanese dish consisting of breaded and deep-fried cutlets of meat, typically pork (tonkatsu) or chicken (chicken katsu). It's often served with a savory sauce, such as tonkatsu sauce, and accompanied by rice and shredded cabbage.

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A bowl of chicken katsudon

Chicken Katsudon - チキンカツ丼

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Recipe by Lee
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings (adjustable) 2
Calories (per serving) | 930

Ingredients

Seasoning sauce

Instructions

  • Create a coating station! 1 small bowl of flour, another of egg and the last one of panko breadcrumbs.
  • Take a chicken cutlet and press into the flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour then dip into the egg to coat fully. Shake off the excess egg then place into the panko. Press firmly to fully coat the chicken on both sides. Set onto a plate while you repeat the process with the second cutlet. Place the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes. This time to dry will stop the breadcrumbs falling off when you fry the chicken. Discard the leftover coating ingredients.
  • Heat the oil in a deep frying pan until rippling hot, but not smoking. Carefully slide in each chicken cutlet and fry for 4 minutes each side until fully cooked (depending on the thickness). Drain on paper towels and set aside.
  • Cook the rice gently in 4 cups of simmering water until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat. Cover with a clean tea towel, then a lid and set aside. Alternatively, change your life forever and buy a rice cooker - TRUST ME!
  • To make the katsudon, you'll need 2 small frying pans as you'll be making each portion separately but at the same time! You can also buy special Katsudon frying pans (see link in recipe introduction)
  • To make the seasoning sauce combine the Hondashi mix with the hot water and stir to dissolve. Mix with all the other seasoning sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • Break two eggs into two bowls and beat. Set aside.
  • Divide the the onions equally between the two frying pans. Pour over half the seasoning sauce into each pan. Turn on the heat and bring each pan to a light simmer. Pop over a lid and let the onions cook gently for 5-6 minutes until soft.
  • Take your cutlets and slice each one into 1 inch slices. Leave the cutlets in their original shape as you carefully place them on top of the simmering onions. put the lids back on and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Pour the beaten egg over each cutlet and return the lids. Let the eggs cook for 1-2 minutes before removing from the heat.

Serving

  • Divide the rice between 2 Asian soup bowls. Using a flipper, gently slide each cutlet and soft egg over the rice (it should slide from the pan in one layer like a soft omelette) - tuck the edges down. Garnish each with the spring onion, pickled ginger and Seaweed seasoning and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 930kcal (47%) | Carbohydrates: 88g (29%) | Protein: 68g (136%) | Fat: 31g (48%) | Saturated Fat: 16g (100%) | Cholesterol: 537mg (179%) | Sodium: 1769mg (77%) | Potassium: 1209mg (35%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 16g (18%) | Vitamin A: 893IU (18%) | Vitamin C: 11mg (13%) | Calcium: 169mg (17%) | Iron: 6mg (33%)
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