This Chicken Katsu is juicy in the inside and crispy in the outside. Smeared with Chicken Katsu curry sauce and sandwiched with 2 pan-seared rice patties.
Hey, foodies, there’s a kickin’ bun in town. Instead of the familiar wheat-type bun, our recipe for Chicken Katsu Rice Burger is constructed with two pan-seared rice patties.
How to keep rice buns from falling apart?
Straight from the Japanese cook’s mouth to your ear: before frying, press nori seaweed on the underside of the rice bun. Or, use the nori seaweed on both sides of the rice bun for added durability.
There is a caveat if you decide on a double dose of nori; it’s harder to sink your teeth into the rice bun.
If you belong to the I-hate-nori camp, wrap your Chicken Katsu Rice Burger in edible rice paper. Although, if you don’t like the taste of edible rice paper, you may need to refine the rice bun until it’s just right for your family’s taste buds.
If for whatever reason you can’t eat bread, rice is a marvelous substitute. It’s also gluten-free.
So, what if your rice bun crumbles a bit? Ridiculously-messy food is fun to eat and an auspicious conversation starter among guests.
Do you wonder whether brown rice is a viable alternative? Granted, brown rice is more nutritious and higher in fiber, than white rice. But for this particular recipe, Japanese sushi-style, short grain rice works better.
Because it manifests with a clumpy-ness not present in other types of rice. Also, long grain rice is not a good option because it cooks up fluffy and doesn’t stick together like short grain rice.
What is Chicken Katsu or Katsu Chicken?
Now, let’s talk about chicken katsu. Think chicken nuggets developed to the nth degree. The Japanese prefer dark chicken meat.
Traditional chicken katsu cutlets (in Japanese katsu means cutlet) are made with thigh meat.
This recipe calls for the chicken breasts that Americans love. Panko breading supplies the chicken’s crispy, crunchy texture.
Ingredients
for chicken katsu
- 1 piece boneless chicken breast (pounded until ½" thick, cut in half to make 2 pieces)
- 1 cup Panko crumbs
- 2 pieces eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Chicken Marinade (skip this if you'll get the marinated chicken)
-
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
for curry roux:
-
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional but you can add for slight spicy taste)
- pinch of black pepper
for curry sauce
-
- 1 onion (medium sized - roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 2 ¼ cup chicken stock
- Salt (to taste)
- Sugar (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
for rice buns
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice (Japanese short grain or cooked rice)
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce (for basting)
- White or black sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Furikake seasoning (or Seaweed flakes)
Step by step instructions
Prep the chicken katsu:
1 Butterfly the chicken breast fillet and pound until ½" thick, cut in half to make 2 pieces.
2 Add the marinade ingredients and store in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
3 Prepare 3 separate bowls and fill each with flour, eggs and panko crumbs.
4 Coat chicken in the flour and dunk it in the egg wash. Coat it with the panko crumbs, pressing it so that the chicken is coated completely.
5 Repeat the process one more time (with the flour, egg and panko crumbs) and set aside until ready to be fried.
6 Heat oil to 350 F over medium-high heat, Once the oil is hot, gently place the breaded chicken cutlet and fry it for 3-4 minutes on each side OR until golden brown (do not overcrowd the pan).
7 Place the chicken katsu in the oven at 200° F to keep warm until needed.
Prep the Roux:
1 Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients for the roux and continue to stir.
Note: the mixture will become crumbly and dry but make sure not to burn it. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Prep the Curry:
1 Using a blender, blend the garlic, onion, and ginger to make a paste. Then fry the paste over a medium-low heat until fragrant and translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil.
2 Season with salt, black pepper and some sugar according to your taste.
3 Once the chicken stock is boiling hot, pour the roux mixture and stir well until the roux has fully dissolved while the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat.
Prep the rice buns:
1 Spread the cooked sushi rice in a container and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and Japanese rice seasoning (keep a wet cloth handy). Using a rice paddle, fold the rice lightly and roughly divide the rice into 4 portions.
2 Using an egg ring, place 1 portion of the sushi rice and compress it with a wet spoon until it forms a molded rice patties. Brush both sides with soy sauce. Set them aside covered with damp cloth.
3 If shaping the rice buns by hand - shape each portion into burger patties with wet hands so the rice won't adhere into your hands while shaping.
4 Brush both sides with soy sauce. Set them aside covered with damp cloth.
5 Over a medium heat, add some oil and sear the patties until a bit crisp on both sides. Set aside and keep covered with a damp cloth.
Assembling the Rice Burger:
1 Place lettuce or your favorite toppings to the bottom rice patty. Place the chicken katsu and spoon a generous amount of katsu curry on top of the chicken. Top with another sushi rice patty.
2 For added help to stay intact, you can wrap the rice burgers using a parchment paper (this is optional). Serve immediately.
Watch The Video Below
A generous amount of curry sauce adds just the right amount of zest to the flavor profile. Since the white rice bun provides the dominant color of this dish, replace the traditional white plate, with a contrasting color, i.e. Purple, rich brown or black.
Your job is done. Sit back and wait for the mmm-mmm’s!
Related recipes:
Full Recipe
Chicken Katsu Recipe Rice Burger
Ingredients:
Chicken Katsu
- 1 piece boneless chicken breast (pounded until ½" thick, cut in half to make 2 pieces)
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 2 pieces eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Chicken Marinade (skip this if you'll get the marinated chicken)
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Curry Roux:
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional but you can add for slight spicy taste)
- pinch of black pepper
Curry Sauce
- 1 onion (medium sized - roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 2 ¼ cup chicken stock
- Salt (to taste)
- Sugar (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Rice Buns
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice (Japanese short grain or cooked rice)
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce (for basting)
- White or black sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Furikake seasoning (or Seaweed flakes)
Watch the Video:
Instructions:
Chicken Katsu:
- Butterfly the chicken breast fillet and pound until ½" thick, cut in half to make 2 pieces.
- Add the marinade ingredients and store in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- Prepare 3 separate bowls and fill each with flour, eggs and panko crumbs.
- Coat chicken in the flour and dunk it in the egg wash. Coat it with the panko crumbs, pressing it so that the chicken is coated completely.
- Repeat the process one more time (with the flour, egg and panko crumbs) and set aside until ready to be fried.
- Heat oil to 350 F over medium-high heat, Once the oil is hot, gently place the breaded chicken cutlet and fry it for 3-4 minutes on each side OR until golden brown (do not overcrowd the pan).
- Place the chicken katsu in the oven at 200 F to keep warm until needed.
Chicken Katsu Curry:
For the Roux:
- Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients for the roux and continue to stir.
- Note: the mixture will become crumbly and dry but make sure not to burn it. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For the Curry:
- Using a blender, blend the garlic, onion, and ginger to make a paste. Then fry the paste over a medium-low heat until fragrant and translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil.
- Season with salt, black pepper and some sugar according to your taste.
- Once the chicken stock is boiling hot, pour the roux mixture and stir well until the roux has fully dissolved while the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat
Rice Buns:
- Spread the cooked sushi rice in a container and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and Japanese rice seasoning (keep a wet cloth handy). Using a rice paddle, fold the rice lightly and roughly divide the rice into 4 portions.
- Using an egg ring, place 1 portion of the sushi rice and compress it with a wet spoon until it forms a molded rice patties. Brush both sides with soy sauce. Set them aside covered with damp cloth.
- If shaping the rice buns by hand - shape each portion into burger patties with wet hands so the rice won't adhere into your hands while shaping.
- Brush both sides with soy sauce. Set them aside covered with damp cloth.
- Over a medium heat, add some oil and sear the patties until a bit crisp on both sides. Set aside and keep covered with a damp cloth.
Assembling the Rice Burger:
- Place lettuce or your favorite toppings to the bottom rice patty. Place the chicken katsu and spoon a generous amount of katsu curry on top of the chicken. Top with another sushi rice patty.
- For added help to stay intact, you can wrap the rice burgers using a parchment paper (this is optional). Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Sapana V says
Yummm.. This recipe looks so easy and tempting. Would love to try it out.
Via Bella says
I am going to pin this so I can try it later! Looks absolutely delish!
Karla says
Great tips! I wish I have time to cook. I'll definitely share this recipe to my grandma. Thank you for a very detailed post.
The Blonde Diary says
What a great idea! I never though you could use rice instead of bread. I love rice, so I am sure I will love this!
Eloise says
Now that's something new... I've never even heard of this before but I really want to try it! I'll have to make a stop to get everything I need from the store and make it for a dinner this week... YUM!
Rhian Westbury says
I'd have never thought of using rice instead of bread, such a good idea x
Sylvia Happiness says
This looks absolutely delicious, I've never tried chicken katsu before but I've heard so much about it and how delish it is - I think yours will be the first one I try! 🙂
Thena says
THis looks like a lot of work, but worth it in the end. Looks amazing!
Ana De- Jesus says
And this is why I love your blog because you are so creative, I really love the idea of a rice based bun and as a vegetarian I can use quorn chicken to follow your chicken katsu recipe!
five little doves says
That looks absolutely delicious! I am gluten free so it's good to know that rice is great with it too! I'm going to make these!
Amalia says
This looks so good, I'm salivating right now!!
Gloria Andre says
Oh!! These chicken katsu is so unique. Instead of a bun,
Jajwalya says
Unfortunately or fortunately, I am vegetarian so I do not know all the kind of meat you are talking about. However, this looks really fascinating and unique. I suppose the art of reinventing food is a a Japanese cuisine thing haha!
Sreekar says
Looks yummy and surely tastes so too! Will work out this recipe this weekend!
Angela Ricardo Bethea says
Oh!! These chicken katsu is so unique. Instead of a bun, they use rice. Excellent. Want to try this one.
Katie says
Wow these look so good! We love trying new recipes and foods
Calleigh says
@ Sue Tanya McHorgh,
If you use the cooked sushi rice, there'll be no problem but if you'll be using the regular cooked rice, you can add some sesame oil and cornstarch to make them stick a bit.
Nicole F says
This is a great spin on a traditional burger! It looks so tasty.
Kd says
This looks very delicious. Sometimes a full bun seems too much.
Sue Tanya McHorgh says
This is interesting. How did you get the rice to stick like that? I would really love to try this Chicken katsu rice burger recipe.
Menaka Bharathi says
ILooks so yumm and delicious! I have been trying to avoid burgers lately - but this is so inviting
Ana Ojha says
I'm drooling just looking at the pictures of this recipe! It looks incredibly delicious and would be amazing for this holiday season! Though I have never tried chicken kastu before! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
Ithfifi says
You had me at the first picture if I am honest, that looks SO good! And a little bit of everything, normally if I have a burger I go sans bun so I like this alternative! Suddenly very hungry and dinner is miles away!
Ginny says
Love your curry sauce.. It's a great idea and I can add it to other sandwiches too!
Liz says
Wow this is so creative! I've never seen a burger like that but I bet the flavors are incredible! so many yummy spices!
Valentina says
This looks AMAZING! And the messier the better, right!? 😉
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
What a creative idea. I love chicken Katsu and I would love to try your idea of rice buns.
Tanvi Rastogi says
That looks super interesting and unique. I bet it tastes ever better.
❥ tanvii.com
Joanna says
The burger looks like a proper work of art, I would expect to be served something similar in an expensive restaurant! You did an amazing job, especially with those perfect rice patties. I don't think I have ever had chicken katsu before but I'd love to try your burger.
Elizabeth O says
Wow!! This is very new to me. I love the idea of rice instead of burger bread, I would love to try this one. So tempting and yummy!
Pooja Kawatra says
I have tried this Chicken Katsu only once and it was absolutely divine and would love to try this at hoe.
Sarah says
I've never heard of a rice bun and am now completely intrigued! Oh...not to mention the sauce...and the chicken! This looks and sounds amazing!!
Christine says
What a creative idea for a bun! I love it!
inventoswiki.com says
Lámpara incandescente. Si tenías uno bueno,
lo vendías.
Lisa|Garlic & Zest says
Cue the angels -- I'm in heaven! This looks absolutely phenomenal -- and messy is always best -- that's what forks and fingers are for... and napkins - or wet naps!
Thanh | Eat, Little Bird says
I adore chicken katsu! What a great way of reinventing it!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Looks complex, but totally worth it. The payoff looks amazing!
Calleigh says
@AnneMarie,
Sure, you can substitute the chicken breast with the boneless thighs instead.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
I don't have any issues with gluten, but I love those rice buns and the nori keeping them together is a great idea. Like the Japanese, I prefer the darker meat. Can I make the recipe as is and substitute boneless thighs instead?
Jenni LeBaron says
These look so awesome. I want to make a batch right now!
Maggie Unzueta says
I'm drooling. I have never heard of a burger like this, and now I must try it!
Jennifer says
I love the ice of using rice for a bun!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
These are genius!! Chicken Katsu curry is one of my absolutely faves and this is such an interesting, unique take on it! Pinned and printed the recipe as we are definitely making these in my house!