Complement Chicken Katsu with Delicious Sides and Sauces

Chicken katsu, a popular Japanese comfort food, features panko-breaded chicken cutlets served with a rich, mildly spicy katsu curry sauce. This delicious dish is simple to prepare but versatile enough for creative tweaks. Exploring tasty sides and sauces can transform chicken katsu into an extra special meal.

Demystifying Chicken Katsu

To understand how to complement chicken katsu, let’s first demystify what defines this iconic dish. Chicken katsu comprises two key components:

• Breaded chicken cutlets are chicken breasts that have been pounded flat, covered in egg and Japanese panko breadcrumbs, and then fried until golden brown.

• Katsu curry sauce – A Japanese curry blend simmered with onions, carrots, and potatoes then seasoned with ginger, garlic, and spices like turmeric and chili powder. Thickened with a roux and enriched with coconut milk.

The crispy, juicy chicken cutlets are served doused in the rich curry, often with a side of white rice. This tasty combination of textures and flavors makes chicken katsu a cherished favorite. But the fun needn’t stop there…

Elevate with Vegetable Sides

To go with the soft, saucy chicken katsu, colorful, fresh vegetable sides can add color and crunch.

• Grilled bok choy – Char lightly in a grill pan and glaze with a sweet soy sauce, ginger, and garlic marinade. The charred greens pair beautifully.

• Korean cucumber salad – Toss thinly sliced cucumbers with red onion, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and gochugaru for a spicy kick. Cooling and refreshing.

• Zucchini ribbon salad – Shave zucchini into long ribbons, dress simply with lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs like mint or basil. Elegant textures.

• Cabbage slaw – Shred green and red cabbage and carrot. Toss with an Asian sesame mayo dressing for added creaminess. A fresh take on coleslaw.

• Green beans with sesame sauce – Blanch green beans then coat with a traditional Japanese sesame and soy sauce blend called gomae. Nutty and umami flavors.

• Broccoli salad: Boil broccoli florets, then pour them over a hot mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes to cook them slowly and let the flavors mix.

Pick Perfect Carbs

Even though white rice is what most people eat, trying different kinds of carbs can make your chicken katsu dish more interesting.

• Coconut jasmine rice – Swap regular rice for fragrant jasmine rice simmered in coconut milk for touch of sweetness.

• Pandan rice – Infuse rice with the sweet nuttiness of pandan leaves Vibrant green color too

• Soba noodles – For a noodle swap, chilled soba noodles with dipping sauce make a refreshing contrast to the rich katsu

• Mashed potatoes – Creamy potatoes might seem unorthodox but their texture complements katsu curry deliciously.

• Fried rice – Incorporate leftovers into fried rice with veggies, egg, and soy sauce. An easy one-pan side.

Bake Up Some Bread

Warm, freshly baked bread is carby heaven alongside saucy chicken katsu. Sop up every last drop of that luscious curry!

• Japanese milk bread – Fluffy, slightly sweet rolls are perfect for dunking and mopping.

• Garlic bread – Load sliced bread with butter, garlic, and parsley for an addictive treat.

• Cheese and chili flatbread – Top flatbread with cheese that melts oozily under the katsu – sprinkle with red chili flakes for a kick.

Sauce and Spice It Up

Punch up your chicken katsu with extra sauces and spices. A few suggestions:

• Tonkatsu sauce – The namesake brown fruit and soy-based sauce, thicker and sweeter than Worcestershire sauce.

• Hot mustard – Japanese karashi mustard and mayo mixture, punchy and creamy in one.

• Sriracha mayo – Mix sriracha into mayonnaise for a spicy upgrade from plain mayo.

• Gochujang mayo – For something different, blend Korean chili paste into the mayo. Sweet heat.

• Japanese curry roux – Add extra roux cubes to the curry to make it thicker and richer.

• Curry powder – Sprinkle extra Japanese curry powder onto the katsu sauce for intensified spice.

• Shichimi togarashi – This Japanese seven spice blend adds complexity with chili, sesame seeds, ginger and more.

Creative Katsu-Inspired Bowls

If you’re feeling experimental, use the chicken katsu components as a base for bowls and salads. Some ideas:

• Katsu rice bowl – Top steamed rice with katsu chicken, katsu sauce, shredded cabbage, soft boiled egg.

• Katsu soba noodle bowl – Sliced katsu, veggies, katsu sauce, nori seaweed strips over chilled soba noodles.

• Katsu poke bowl – Combine katsu bites, sushi rice, edamame beans, cucumbers, avocado, nori.

• Katsu salad – Make a main meal salad with katsu chicken, mixed greens, carrots, wonton crisps, ginger dressing.

Chicken katsu is magnificent on its own but becomes a masterpiece when paired thoughtfully with complementary flavors, ingredients, and textures. Elevate your katsu experience with creative sides, sauces, and inspired bowls or salads. Those tasty chicken cutlets deserve it!