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A delicious and simple Chicken Katsu Sando sandwich. This sandwich came over from Japan and my version is with crispy fried chicken breast and cabbage. Chicken Katsu Sando!
Katsu sando sandwich
The Japanese really know what good food is. A friend of mine recently toured the Land of the Setting Sun (isn’t that what it’s called?), and seeing all the delicious dishes she had there made me want to go to Japan myself! It’s still high on my bucket list. And the Japanese cuisine is definitely a big part of my wish to go there.
She had an okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) and this katsu sando came along as well. And the good news is that you can also make this popular Japanese sandwich at home as well.
What goes into a Katsu Sando?
Traditionally, a katsu sando is often made with pork chops. It is then called tonkatsu. Sando is Japanese for sandwich, but katsu is also often made with other – fried – meats. In this case, chicken.
- Chicken breast – you can also use chicken thigh for this recipe
- white cabbage
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise – preferably Kewpie, the Japanese mayonnaise, but other mayonnaise will work too
- Worcestershire sauce
- Panko – Japanese bread crumbs
- Flour
- Egg
- Sandwich Bread – In Japan, katsu sando is made with shokupan, a type of soft white bread that is ideal for this sandwich. Alternatively, you can make it with casino white or other soft bread.
Preparing the Japanese sandwich
Preparing the chicken breast is your first step. First, flatten the chicken breast a bit. This is easily done by placing the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounding it flat with a heavy object (a frying pan works best).
Katsu sando sandwich
For the most delicious crispy chicken, roll the chicken breast in flour, egg, then panko and fry in hot oil. Drain the chicken well on a piece of paper towel. Toss the cabbage with mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
To serve
Katsu sando is traditionally served with a fruity tonkatsu sauce, a perfect blend of sweet, savory and sour. But the Japanese are masters at this anyway. You can make a similar tangy sauce using just ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. And no, it is not the same but it’s a close resemblance and pretty delicious too.
Spread the bread with mayonnaise, top with a generous amount of cabbage, then top with crispy fried chicken and some of the sauce.
Eat immediately to prevent the bread from getting soggy. Enjoy your meal!
Questions asked about the chicken katsu sando
For the ultimate crispy result you should eat the sandwich right away. It will still be delicious if you store it the crispy pork or chicken is definitely the main event of the sandwich. So I would eat it straight away.
Yes there is a source for buying this bread. But sources and options change but google it and you’ll find something for sure. I found a site called goldbelly.com selling the special bread.
I picked white cabbage but you can use green cabbage as well. You do use raw cabbage on the sandwich but if you have trouble digesting raw cabbage you can replace it with another veg of your choice. I would go for something like a crunchy kind of lettuce to replace the finely shredded cabbage.
Chicken katsu sando sandwich
Ingredients
- 200 grams chicken breasts
- 1 egg L
- 100 grams of all purpose flour
- 100 grams japanese breadcrumbs panko
- 250 grams white cabbage
- 4 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- 400 ml sunflower oil for frying
- 4 slices soft white bread
Katsu Sando Sauce
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 tbsp ketchup
Titel
- To make the sandwich, place the chicken fillets between two pieces of plastic wrap and, using a heavy skillet or something else heavy and large, pound the fillets flat until about an inch thick.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Prepare three plates and place flour, egg and panko in them. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then the egg, then the panko. For an extra nice crispy coating, pass the chicken breast through the egg and panko again creating a double layer.
- Finely chop the cabbage. Toss the cabbage with two tablespoons of the mayo and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix the ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together to make a nice sauce.
- Heat the oil to 180˚C/350˚F and fry the fillets until golden brown, drain on a rack or paper towel.
- Spread the sandwich with mayo, place the crispy chicken on top, then a generous spoonful of white cabbage. Top with a generous spoon of red sauce and cover with the second slice of bread. Cut the crusts off the bread. Then, if all goes well, cut off some of the chicken to give you that special katsu sando look. Of course, you can also eat the rest, it would be a waste to throw it away.
Notes
- Note on the nutritional value; this includes the flour and the panko which you will not all use. But since I can’t be sure how much you will use I kept it in.
- Storage: best to eat right away after baking for the ultimate crisp result
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Love it! Just love it ! Perfect lunch in one of your lovely parks, right ?
Haha. Yes absolutely! Now if only the weather starts getting a bit warmer it would be the best park lunch!