Hawaiian Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl

Name: Hawaiian Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 2 cups (480 ml) cold water; 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz / 340 g each), sliced horizontally in half to make 4 cutlets, pounded to ⅜-inch (1 cm) thickness, patted dry; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten well with 1 tbsp water not needed; just beaten until smooth; 2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs; 1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil (canola, vegetable or peanut); ½ cup (125 ml) tonkatsu sauce; 2 tbsp (30 ml) pineapple juice; 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce; 1 tsp (3 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 4 cups (300 g) green cabbage, cored and very thinly shredded; 1 tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil; ½ tsp (2 g) granulated sugar; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; 4 rings (280 g) fresh pineapple, cut into rings ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, core removed, patted dry; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil; 4 large (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds; 2 tbsp (30 g) Japanese mayonnaise, for drizzling (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp panko-crusted chicken cutlets pan-fried until golden, sliced over fluffy short-grain rice with a tangy cabbage slaw, caramelized pineapple, a fried egg, and a pineapple-spiked katsu sauce.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 38 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 33 min
Makes: 4 large rice bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the rice
2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear
2 cups (480 ml) cold water
For the chicken katsu
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz / 340 g each), sliced horizontally in half to make 4 cutlets, pounded to ⅜-inch (1 cm) thickness, patted dry
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten well with 1 tbsp water not needed; just beaten until smooth
2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs
1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil (canola, vegetable or peanut)
For the katsu sauce
½ cup (125 ml) tonkatsu sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) pineapple juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (3 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
For the slaw
4 cups (300 g) green cabbage, cored and very thinly shredded
1 tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
½ tsp (2 g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the toppings
4 rings (280 g) fresh pineapple, cut into rings ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, core removed, patted dry
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
4 large (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature
2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp (30 g) Japanese mayonnaise, for drizzling (optional)

Equipment (8)

3-quart (3 L) saucepan with tight-fitting lid
12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet (cast iron or stainless) for frying the chicken
10–12-inch (25–30 cm) nonstick skillet for the pineapple and eggs
3 shallow dishes or pie plates for the breading station
Meat mallet or rolling pin plus plastic wrap or parchment
Wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet
Instant-read thermometer
Chef's knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets and pound them to an even thickness so they cook through before the crust over-browns.
Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels before breading so the coating sticks.
Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet for the fried cutlets; paper towels make the underside soggy.
Have an instant-read thermometer ready for the chicken, and ideally a frying thermometer for the oil (350°F / 175°C).

1
Rinse and soak rice
- Put the rice in the saucepan and cover with cold water.
- Swirl with your hand, drain, and repeat 4–5 times until the water is only slightly cloudy.
- Drain well, add the 2 cups (480 ml) cold water, and let the rice soak for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Grains look opaque white all the way through
Tip: Don't skip the rinse; surface starch makes rice gluey rather than tender and distinct.
2
Cook the rice
- Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, about 4 minutes; you'll see steam escaping and hear bubbling.
- Reduce to the lowest heat and cook, covered, for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Water is fully absorbed and small steam holes appear on the surface when checked after resting
Tip: Keep the lid on; escaping steam leaves the top grains hard.
3
Make sauce and slaw
- Leave the rice covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the tonkatsu sauce, pineapple juice, soy sauce and grated ginger in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ¼ tsp salt.
- Refrigerate the slaw until serving.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth and glossy; cabbage is lightly coated and glistening
Tip: Dress the slaw no more than 20 minutes ahead to keep it crisp.
4
Slice and pound chicken
- Place each breast flat on the board, press a hand on top, and slice horizontally through the middle into 2 thin cutlets (4 total).
- Place between plastic wrap or parchment and pound with a mallet to an even ⅜-inch (1 cm) thickness.
- Pat dry and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
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Ready when: Cutlets are uniformly thick with no thick ends
Tip: Pound from the center outward so the thick end doesn't stay raw.
5
Bread the cutlets
- Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, panko in the third.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg and let the excess drip off, then press firmly into the panko on both sides.
- Set on a plate.
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Ready when: Each cutlet is completely and evenly covered in panko with no bare spots
Tip: Use one hand for dry and one for wet to avoid clumpy 'club hands'.
6
Pan-fry the chicken
- Pour 1 cup (240 ml) oil into the 12-inch skillet (about ¼ inch deep).
- Heat over medium-high until it reaches 350°F (175°C), or until a panko crumb sizzles immediately.
- Fry 2 cutlets at a time for 3–4 minutes per side, adjusting heat to medium if they brown too fast.
- Transfer to the wire rack.
- Return the oil to 350°F before frying the second batch.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown and chicken reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part
Tip: Don't crowd the pan; the oil temperature drops and the crust turns greasy.
7
Sear the pineapple
- Wipe out the nonstick skillet if needed.
- Heat 2 tsp of the 1 tbsp cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the pineapple rings in a single layer and cook 2 minutes per side without moving them.
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Ready when: Both sides are browned in spots and edges look caramelized
Tip: Pat the pineapple dry first so it sears instead of steams.
8
Fry the eggs
- Return the skillet to medium heat with the remaining 1 tsp oil.
- Crack in the 4 eggs and cook 2–3 minutes, covered if you like, until the whites are fully set and edges are lightly crisp.
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Ready when: Whites are opaque and firm; yolks are still glossy for a jammy center
Tip: For a fully set yolk, flip and cook 30 seconds more.
9
Slice and assemble
- Slice each cutlet crosswise into ¾-inch (2 cm) strips.
- Fluff the rice with a wet paddle and divide among 4 bowls.
- Add slaw, a pineapple ring, a fried egg and one sliced cutlet to each.
- Spoon the katsu sauce over the chicken, drizzle with mayo if using, and finish with scallions and sesame seeds.
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Ready when: Chicken juices run clear when sliced
Tip: Sauce the chicken just before serving so the crust stays crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Even thickness matters more than anything else: pound the cutlets until uniform for juicy chicken and a crust that doesn't burn.
Press the panko on firmly with your palm; loose crumbs fall off in the oil.
Keep oil at 340–350°F (170–175°C); too cool makes greasy cutlets, too hot browns the crust before the center cooks.
Rest fried cutlets on a rack, not paper towels, so steam escapes and the bottom stays crisp.

Make ahead

Cook the rice and make the katsu sauce up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately. Bread the cutlets up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate uncovered on a rack. Fry, slice and assemble just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Store components separately. Leftover chicken, rice and slaw keep in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days; room temperature no longer than 2 hours. Freeze cooked cutlets up to 2 months. Reheat cutlets on a rack in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until crisp and hot to 165°F (74°C); microwave the rice with a splash of water until steaming.

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz / 340 g each) → boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pound to ½ inch (1.25 cm) and fry 4 minutes per side; juicier and more forgiving.
tonkatsu sauce → 3 tbsp ketchup + 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp sugar. Makes about ½ cup; skip the extra soy sauce in the recipe if using this.
panko breadcrumbs → crushed cornflakes or regular dry breadcrumbs. Cornflakes give a sturdier crust; regular breadcrumbs are denser and brown faster.
fresh pineapple → canned pineapple rings, drained and patted very dry. Sear 1–2 minutes per side as they are already soft.