Chicken Cutlet (Japanese Chicken Schnitzel)

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Lay out all four raw skinless chicken-thigh fillets. Where a thick section makes a fillet uneven, slice horizontally into it without cutting through the far edge and open it out, keeping the whole fillet together at a consistent thickness. Do not pound it flat.

   Uses 4 raw skinless boneless chicken thigh fillets, about 150 g each

2. 2

   Step 2: Season both sides of all four prepared chicken fillets with the salt and pepper to taste.

   Uses All four prepared fillets · Salt for seasoning chicken, to taste · Black pepper for seasoning chicken, to taste

3. 3

   Step 3: Beat the egg (1). Put the 30 g flour, beaten egg and cup of panko into three separate shallow dishes, in that order, with a clean tray beside the panko to hold the coated chicken.

   Uses 30 g plain flour for coating · 1 egg, beaten in step 3 · 1 cup panko breadcrumbs for coating

4. 4

   Step 4: Working one fillet at a time, dust each seasoned fillet in the shared flour, shake off excess, coat in the beaten egg and let excess drip off, then place into the panko dish. Keep the partially coated pieces with the same coating dishes for finishing.

   Uses All four seasoned fillets · The three shared coating dishes

5. 5

   Step 5: Press panko firmly onto both sides of every fillet until each has an even coating. Put all four crumbed fillets on the clean tray. Discard any flour, egg and crumbs left in the raw-chicken-contact dishes.

   Uses All four partly coated fillets and remaining coating dishes

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat enough vegetable oil for a 3–3.5 cm depth in a deep frying pan to 170–180°C / 338–356°F. Use a thermometer and keep the oil within that range as you fry.

   Uses Vegetable oil for deep-frying, enough for a 3–3.5 cm depth in the pan

7. 7

   Step 7: Carefully lower the coated chicken into the hot oil in uncrowded batches, usually two cutlets per batch. Keep any pieces awaiting their turn separate from the cooked-cutlet tray.

   Uses All four coated cutlets · The same heated frying oil

8. 8

   Step 8: Fry each batch for about three minutes on its first side until browned. Turn with tongs and fry for about three more minutes until golden on the other side. Continue as needed until the thickest centre of every fillet reaches 74°C / 165°F; browning alone does not establish doneness.

   Fry each batch: about 3 minutes per side · 6 minUses All the cutlets and same cooking pan

9. 9

   Step 9: Lift the fully cooked cutlets onto a clean tray lined with kitchen paper to drain excess oil. Rest each cooked batch for five minutes before slicing.

   Rest cooked cutlets before slicing · 5 minUses All four cooked cutlets

10. 10

    Step 10: Cut each rested chicken cutlet into strips about 2.5 cm wide. Serve one cutlet per person with the prepared shredded cabbage, carrot and cucumber mixture, and drizzle with tonkatsu sauce as desired.

    Uses All four rested cutlets · Prepared shredded cabbage mixed with julienned carrot and cucumber, as desired · Prepared tonkatsu sauce for serving, as desired