I’m a huge fan of chicken katsu, but when you really think about it, what’s not to love about extra-crispy fried chicken? There’s a Hawaiian/Japanese place near my house and I always order chicken katsu there and I’ll usually take some and put it in a sweet Hawaiian roll with cabbage and the sauce. I’ve been doing it for so long that it got me thinking I should really turn this favorite into a burger. So I present to you these Chicken Katsu Burgers and let me tell you, they’re amazing! A great weekend project. Dinner plans are set, and you can thank me later.
To make the burgers, in a large bowl, mix together the chicken, mayo, 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, mustard, sriracha, garlic, ginger, and a large pinch of salt and pepper until evenly combined.
**Tip: Try to work this mixture as little as possible. If you overwork it, the burgers will become tough. I recommend using a fork to mix until everything is just combined.**
Divide the mixture into four even portions and then shape each one into a thin burger patty. Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
**Note: The chilling is crucial as it’ll make the dredging and frying much easier. You might find that the patties are too soft initially and so the chilling will firm them up.**
For the tonkatsu sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. Set over low heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
**Tip: This can be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use. You can rewarm slightly before assembling the burgers!**
When ready to cook, whisk the eggs in a shallow dish. Then add the remaining bread crumbs into a separate shallow dish. Dip the chilled burger patties, one by one, into the egg and then into the bread crumbs, flipping over to coat evenly. Return to the baking sheet and continue coating the remaining patties.
Fill a large skillet with about 2-inches of oil and heat over moderate heat. Once hot carefully place one or two patties into the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked in the middle. It should register at 165°F with an instant read thermometer. Carefully remove from the oil and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
**Note: Keep warm in a 250°F oven while you continue to fry the remaining burger patties.**
To assemble the burgers, toast the buns in a dry skillet, cut side down. Then spread the bottom halves with Dijon mustard and top each with a crispy burger patty.
Top with thinly shredded cabbage, radish slices and tonkatsu sauce (from earlier). Place the top bun on and serve immediately.
The great thing about these burgers is that they don’t have to be served super hot. They’re just as good warm or even at room temperature. You can also use this method for the chicken patties (flavoring them a bunch of different ways) for various other chicken sandwiches!
**Tip: Keep the fried patties in the freezer and you can rewarm them in a pinch when you need something quick!**
If you’re a fan of chicken katsu as much as I am, then you’re going to love these burgers! Give them a try and let me know what you think below. As always, thank you so much for reading and following along!
Chicken Katsu Burgers
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Wire rack
- Saucepan
- Sauté Pan
Ingredients
Burgers:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 garlic cloves crushed or grated
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
- 1 cup thinly shredded cabbage
- 3 to 4 radishes thinly sliced
Tonkatsu Sauce:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin Japanese sweet wine
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic cloves crushed or grated
Instructions
- To make the burgers, in a large bowl, mix together the chicken, mayo, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, mustard, sriracha, garlic, ginger, and a large pinch of salt and pepper until evenly combined. Divide the mixture into four even portions and then shape each one into a thin burger patty. Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, whisk the eggs in a shallow dish. Then add the remaining bread crumbs into a separate shallow dish. Dip the chilled burger patties, one by one, into the egg and then into the bread crumbs, flipping over to coat evenly. Return to the baking sheet and continue coating the remaining patties.
- Fill a large skillet with about 2-inches of oil and heat over moderate heat. Once hot carefully place one or two patties into the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked in the middle. It should register at 165°F with an instant read thermometer. Carefully remove from the oil and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Keep warm in a 250°F oven while you continue to fry the remaining burger patties.
- To assemble the burgers, toast the buns in a dry skillet, cut side down. Then spread the bottom halves with Dijon mustard and top each with a crispy burger patty. Top with cabbage, radish slices and tonkatsu sauce (recipe follows). Place the top bun on and serve immediately. Enjoy!
- For the tonkatsu sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. Set over low heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
nice chicken burger, and like the spiciness too, thank you!