Chicken Katsu Sandwich – Tori Katsu Sando
This iconic Japanese sandwich features soft white bread packed with perfectly crispy fried chicken thighs sprinkled with a Japanese spice blend for an extra spicy kick. A restaurant-worthy lunch that's surprisingly easy to make at home.
Introduction
This Japanified club sandwich has become one of the country’s iconic dishes. Crispy, crunchy, the perfect amount of saucy, it’s a sandwich that satisfies all tastes. You can find it at the local konbini (convenience store) to grab on your way out, or in upscale dining establishments, made using the best-quality meats and fried to perfection. This sandwich is easily in my top three recipes. It’s inspired partly by being a child and always looking forward to going to a restaurant called Maisen Aoyama in Tokyo and ordering the pork sandwich – an unadulterated juicy pork loin that was deep fried in house-made panko breadcrumbs and sandwiched between thick slices of Japanese shokupan bread, which has a brioche-like sweetness (it’s enriched with milk and butter), with a lick of tangy tonkatsu sauce. I’ve kept this sandwich simple, with minimal accoutrements. Just trust the simplicity – and, it goes without saying, cut off the bread crusts
Ingredients
| For the chicken: | |
|---|---|
| 250g (9oz) | skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (4 thighs) |
| 30g (1oz) | plain (all-purpose) flour seasoned with a pinch of salt |
| 1 | egg |
| 40g (1½oz) | panko breadcrumbs |
| 4 tbsp | neutral oil, such as rapeseed (canola) or sunflower |
| 1 tbsp | shichimi togarashi (see note) |
| 1 tsp | toasted sesame seeds |
| flaky salt | |
| For the sandwich: | |
| 4 slices | thick white bread, crusts removed |
| 2 tsp | softened butter |
| 1 tbsp | tonkatsu sauce (I use Bulldog) |
| 1 tbsp | mayonnaise |
| 30g (1oz) | cabbage, finely sliced |
Method
Put the chicken thighs between two sheets of baking paper and, using a rolling pin, flatten to 1.5–2cm (5/8–¾in) thick.
Create a breading station: put the seasoned flour in one bowl, whisk the egg in a separate bowl, and put the panko breadcrumbs on a plate. dip the flattened chicken pieces first in the flour, then the egg, followed by the panko.
Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. After 4 minutes or so, it should be hot enough. to test: dip the tip of a wooden or bamboo chopstick into the oil. When a steady stream of small air bubbles form and rise to the surface, it’s ready to fry with.
Fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and cooked through, 2–3 minutes on each side. once cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain away excess oil, and immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of shichimi togarashi, sesame seeds and flaky salt.
Get the bread ready by buttering one side of each piece of bread. Spread the bottom slices of bread with the tonkatsu sauce, then the mayonnaise, then add the chicken. Top with the cabbage and the remaining bread. Serve as is or cut in half.
Note: Shichimi togarashi
A spice blend from Japan that mixes chilli pepper flakes, sansho pepper flakes, citrus peel, nori, sesame seeds and other dried ingredients. Rather than a sweat-inducing spice, this is more similar to Sichuan pepper, but with a kick of citrus. You would never use this spice blend to marinade or cook with, but it’s a great finishing touch on your udon or karaage to give it a little kick
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