The Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Relies On 2 Extra Steps

Chicken katsu is one of those dishes that everyone loves. It can be dressed up with spicy tonkatsu sauce for adults and served simply with white rice for the kids. However, while shallow frying your breaded cutlets in a skillet does produce that universally adored crispy crust, it can lead to a smelly kitchen. Plus, you need to use lots of oil to achieve that characteristic, golden crunch, which can leave your katsu tasting heavy and rich. Instead, consider air frying your protein so you can eliminate the frying stage completely. The good news? You don't have to sacrifice that crispy coating.

If you place panko-crusted foods in an air fryer without any additional fat, they will crisp up but they won't be as appetizing as when they're fried in a pan with oil. This is because the fat provides flavor and acts as a cooking medium, helping to color the surface of the food as it's fried. To achieve a similar result, splash a tablespoon of neutral-flavored cooking oil into your panko and give it a stir to evenly coat. Then you can bread your chicken as normal in flour and beaten egg before dredging it in the oiled panko. An additional misting of cooking spray, applied once the chicken is in the air fryer, guarantees that it will develop a yummy, savory crust.

Depending on the thickness of your cutlets, you'll need to air fry your chicken for 12 to 16 minutes in total. At the halfway point, flip it over, spray the other side, and cook until crispy. This breezy two-stage cooking method can be used on our crispy breaded chicken katsu recipe (which uses chicken thighs instead of breasts) but you will need to air fry them longer as boneless thighs need more time to become tender than white meat. Also be mindful that some cooking sprays are made with additives that can have an unwelcome flavor when used in abundance, so aim for a light spritz. Alternatively, decant some regular cooking oil into a spray bottle and use that to cover the surface. This atomizer spray bottle for cooking oil, for example, is a useful investment because it creates a fine mist rather than a stream; just a couple of pumps are plenty to coat the breading.

Another way to boost the crispiness of your chicken katsu is to use a breading trick that's employed on chicken parm — switch some of the breadcrumbs for shredded parmesan. A classic chicken katsu doesn't ordinarily include parmesan, however, you can add a little to the breading to create a crispier crust that's super-savory with umami flavor. Plus, the cheese is starch-free, which means it doesn't absorb moisture like panko and swell up with oil.