Fry

Sohui Kim's Chicken Cutlet à la Donkatsu

by:
June 16, 2021
5
2 Ratings
Sohui Kim's Chicken Cutlet à la Donkatsu
Photo by Sohui Kim
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Koreans have adopted donkatsu, a fast food favorite, from the Japanese. It’s typically made with pork pounded ultra-thin, then seasoned, breaded, and deep fried. I make mine with chicken, and skip the pounding—I don’t think it needs it, but you can make them thinner if you like—and I pan-fry it in a little less oil. You can serve these cutlets as a full meal, with boiled rice and a little shredded fresh cabbage, or kimchi, on the side. —Sohui Kim

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Sohui Kim's Extra Crispy Chicken Cutlet Is a Weeknight Champion.
—The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Sohui Kim's Chicken Cutlet à la Donkatsu
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup cabbage, finely shredded
Directions
  1. Cut each breast horizontally into thirds, so you end up with 6 pieces. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Set up 3 bowls for the coating: one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with panko.
  3. Dip each piece of chicken in flour first, dusting off any extra; then into the eggs, making sure it is coated completely; and then finally into the panko, making sure the whole piece is evenly coated. Let the coated chicken pieces rest on a plate for at least 15 minutes and up to 30.
  4. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the breaded chicken pieces to the pan making sure not to crowd them; you may need to cook them in batches. Let them cook until the cooked side is golden-brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them over and let the other side brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Remove the pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and let them rest for 10 minutes. Cut them into long thick strips and serve them with shredded cabbage, boiled rice, and whatever condiments you prefer for dipping.
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  • Linda D
    Linda D
  • Binnie Syril Braunstein
    Binnie Syril Braunstein
  • Chuck
    Chuck
  • Sohui Kim
    Sohui Kim

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5 Reviews

Linda D.
Linda D. October 5, 2019
Thank you Sohui, for sharing your story and this delicious dish. Even though the chicken breasts looked thin from the market, they plumped up quite a bit in the frying. Next time, I will be sure to get them a little thinner. We were prepared to eat the cabbage raw, but when we looked at the bits left in the pan, we couldn't resist popping the cabbage into the skillet for a quick stir fry. Yum!
 
Binnie S.
Binnie S. August 14, 2019
The recipe says that each chicken breast should be cut in thirds horizontally. However, in the video, the 2 chicken breasts had obviously been cut in half horizontally, not in thirds. In fact, I don't know how I could cut a chicken breast horizontally in thirds. Can somene kindly advise? Thanks!
 
Chuck
Chuck August 22, 2019
Very carefully
 
Sohui K.
Sohui K. August 23, 2019
Hi Bonnie!

Good noticing! In my cookbook, Korean Home Cooking where this recipe is featured, I brought supermarket chicken breasts and they were rather fat and plump. I thought it was too thick to only cut it in half so I cut it into thirds. But for this great Food52 shoot, they had on set perfectly sized chicken breasts that easily cut into halves and I thought it was too small to cut into thirds. So all this to say that it depends on the size of the chicken breast and all depends on your preference for thickness. As to how one would cut chicken breasts into thirds, like chuck says below, carefully by putting your hand firmly on top of the breast to steady it and horizontally cut the top thirds off and repeat once more to get three equal pieces. But carefully, without cutting any part of your hand. Also, know that you can do this with yummy boneless dark meat as well, pounded thin and season and bread as per usual. I hope this helps and thanks again for watching this video! Best, Sohui
 
Binnie S.
Binnie S. August 23, 2019
Thanks SO much for the clarification, Sohui. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this recipe.