Fried Chicken Katsu Sandwich (Katsu Sando)
A twist on a classic Katsu sando! This sandwich has crispy fried chicken, tonkatsu sauce, crunchy slaw & Kewpie mayo, all served in a homemade bun.
This fried chicken sandwich is inspired by a classic Japanese Katsu sando and a classic American style fried chicken bun. Instead of a breaded chicken cutlet, our sandwich is made with buttermilk fried chicken thighs that have been marinated with miso, soy sauce, ginger & garlic then dredged in flour and deep fried until super crispy.
We’re still using the other components of a classic Katsu sando, so our fried chicken sandwiches are filled with a generous amount of Japanese Kewpie mayo, homemade slaw (or finely shredded cabbage) and tonkatsu sauce that we’re making from scratch.
This one’s essentially a Japanese-American fried chicken sandwich and all the components work exceptionally well together. Crispy, crunchy & jam packed full of flavour, this sandwich is a belter!
Kewpie Mayo
Kewpie mayo is a Japanese mayo that is made with egg yolks, MSG and a mix of rice and apple cider vinegars which gives it it’s signature colour & rich, sweet umami flavour. This mayo tastes creamier than the regular, shop bought stuff and works brilliantly in our fried chicken sandwich! You can buy Kewpie mayo in some supermarkets or online.
Tonkatsu Sauce
Tonkatsu sauce is a Japanese sauce (similar to a BBQ sauce) that is traditionally served with breaded & fried pork cutlets or in a katsu sando (a fried pork cutlet sandwich). Made with tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy & sugar, this sweet and tangy sauce also works fantastically well with other fried meats, chips, veg & seafood (and our fried chicken sandwich!).
What You’ll Need For This Sandwich
- Fried Chicken – To make the fried chicken, you’ll need four boneless & skinless chicken thighs. The marinade consists of buttermilk, red miso, light soy, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil and fresh garlic & ginger. And the flour dredge is made with plain flour, cornflour and garlic & onion granules.
- Tonkatsu Sauce – Tonkatsu sauce is a sweet & tangy Japanese sauce that’s made with tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, honey, light soy, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar & ground ginger. It’s often described as a Japanese style BBQ sauce.
- The Sandwich – To make the sandwich, you’ll need four tangzhong burger buns, half a batch of Asian slaw & Kewpie (or regular) mayo. If you don’t fancy using slaw, feel free to swap it out for finely shredded cabbage.
How To Make Fried Chicken Katsu Sandwiches
This sandwich is inspired by a classic Japanese Katsu sando. Instead of a breaded chicken cutlet, I’ve used buttermilk fried chicken thighs and instead of Japanese milk bread (Shokupan), I went with a homemade tangzhong burger bun.
1. Marinade Chicken Thighs
The first step is to marinade boneless and skinless chicken thighs in a buttermilk brine that’s flavoured with red miso paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, fresh garlic & ginger. It’s best to leave the chicken in the buttermilk for around 6 hours before cooking but if you’re short on time, a couple of hours will work too.
2. Flour Dredge
The flour dredge for the fried chicken can be prepared whilst the chicken is marinating. This dredge is made by mixing plain flour with cornflour (cornstarch), garlic granules, onion granules and salt & pepper.
3. Tonkatsu Sauce
The tonkatsu sauce should also be made whilst the chicken is in the marinade, so that it has time to cool before using. This sauce is super easy to make, simply add tomato ketchup into a pan along with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, honey & ground ginger then warm over a low heat to dissolve the sugar.
4. Fried Chicken
To cook the fried chicken, the thighs are removed from the marinade then coated in the flour dredge & deep fried until crispy & cooked through (a digital food probe comes in handy here!). Once cooked, make sure to season the chicken with sea salt! I’ve found that it’s best to have your deep fat fryer preheated to 175°c/347°f and you’ll need to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 75°c/167°f.
5. Assembling The Sandwich
To assemble our chicken katsu sandwiches, we cut burger buns in half then toast in a frying pan set over a medium heat. Then, we add a generous amount of kewpie mayo to the bottom half of each bun then top with a heaped tablespoon of Asian slaw & a piece of fried chicken. Drizzle plenty of tonkatsu sauce over each chicken thigh then place the top part of each bun on top of the sandwiches & serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kewpie mayo is a brand of Japanese mayonnaise that has a rich, sweet, umami flavour. This style of mayonnaise is made with egg yolks, msg and a mix of rice & apple cider vinegars.
Homemade tonkatsu sauce should be stored in the fridge and is best eaten within 2 weeks of being made.
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are best for fried chicken sandwiches, as they have plenty of flavour and will stay moist once cooked. Make sure to use boneless chicken thighs as you won’t want to bite through a bone!
More Lunch Recipes To Try
- Tarragon Roast Chicken Cobb Salad
- Leftover Roast Beef Sandwiches
- 3 Meat, Pesto & Burrata Focaccia Sandwich
- Marmite & Red Leicester Scones
- Everything Bagel Salad With A Cream Cheese Schmear
- Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
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Fried Chicken Katsu Sandwich
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Small Saucepan
- Digital Food Probe
Ingredients
Fried Chicken
- 1 tsp Red Miso
- 10 g Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- ½ tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Grated)
- ½ cm Piece Of Fresh Ginger (Peeled & Grated)
- 300 g Buttermilk
- 4 Chicken Thighs (Bones & Skin Removed)
Flour Dredge
- 145 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- ½ tsp Garlic Granules
- ½ tsp Onion Granules
- Salt & Pepper
Tonkatsu Sauce
- 150 g Tomato Ketchup
- 25 g Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Honey
- ¼ tsp Ground Ginger
To Serve
- 4 Burger Buns (See Notes)
- ½ Batch Asian Slaw With Lime & Sesame Dressing (See Notes)
- Kewpie Mayo
Instructions
Fried Chicken – Marinade
- Add the miso, sugar, soy sauce, garlic & ginger into a mixing bowl then stir, to make a paste.
- Pour in the buttermilk then mix to combine. Add in the chicken thighs then cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave to marinade in the fridge for 2-6 hours.
Flour Dredge
- Place the flour, cornflour, garlic granules & onion granules into a mixing bowl.
- Season with salt & pepper then whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
Tonkatsu Sauce
- Place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan then set over a low heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully dissolved. This will only take a couple of minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl/container then leave to cool. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
The Sandwich
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/347°f.
- Take a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk then toss in the flour dredge, making sure that it is completely coated.
- Carefully place the dredged chicken into the hot oil & cook until golden, crispy & cooked through. This will take around 5 minutes. If you take the internal temperature with a digital food probe, it should be above 75°c/167°f.Repeat with the remaining chicken.Depending on the size of your fryer, you might be able to cook several chicken thighs at a time. Make sure not to overcrowd the fryer though! Keep the chicken warm in an oven between batches or serve straight away.
- Once cooked, transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with kitchen roll/paper then season with sea salt.
- To assemble the sandwiches, cut each burger bun in half then lightly toast the insides, in a frying pan set over a medium heat.
- Add a generous dollop of kewpie mayo to the bottom of each bun then spread out with the back of a spoon.
- Next, add a heaped tablespoon of slaw into each bun then top with a piece of fried chicken.
- Drizzle plenty of tonkatsu sauce over each chicken thigh then place the top part of each bun on top of the sandwiches & serve immediately.
Notes
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