Fried Garlic Chicken Katsu Ramen
Chicken Katsu is one of those flavors that you will remember for the rest of your life. Like your first oyster, a bowl of ramen, or great steak, chicken katsu can leave an imprint on your taste and memory.
When you combine the insane flavor of delicious craft ramen with the crispy, fried chicken goodness of well-prepared chicken katsu, you get something that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
The best thing about chicken katsu ramen noodles is that they are super easy to prepare in your home. Whether you're making a great tonkotsu ramen or kicking things up a notch with the delicious Fried Garlic Chicken Ramen Noodles from Mike's Mighty Good Craft Ramen, adding a crispy katsu breast is always a great idea.
Chicken Katsu Ramen Noodles at Home!
Chicken Katsu is super easy to prepare, especially if you have an air fryer.
Air fryers reduce the fat in fried foods, and the breading procedure you use for Chicken Katsu is almost purpose-made for an air fryer preparation.
If you don't have an air fryer, you can always use your oven to bake the chicken katsu or pan fry it in a more traditional manner.
What is Chicken Katsu?
Katsu in Japanese Cuisine is traditionally a thin, breaded cutlet of meat that is pan-fried or deep-fried until golden brown.
Usually breaded in a mixture of flour, egg wash, and panko breadcrumbs, Katsu makes for a delicious appetizer, main course, or an addition to a perfect bowl of craft ramen noodles.
To make Chicken Katsu, you take a chicken breast and dip it in flour before immersing it in an egg wash and coating it evenly in panko bread crumbs.
Once breaded, you can cook it any number of ways, but one of the more convenient methods is to use an air fryer.
Don't worry if you don't happen to have an air fryer on hand; you can still cook your Katsu perfectly by pan-frying or baking it in your still oven; an air fryer is just a great way to get
Chicken Katsu is great in several different preparations, often used as the base for Japanese-style teriyaki chicken; the crispy chicken and sweet teriyaki sauce are a hyper addictive combination.
You can also eat Katsu over a veggie rice bowl or as an incredible ramen addition.
The crispy texture and incredible fatty, roasted flavor from the cooking process make Katsu a truly amazing addition to your next bowl of ramen, and it's really easy to make in the comfort of your own home.
Making Chicken Katsu Ramen
While this ramen hack is more involved than others, it's absolutely worth the time investment.
All you need to get started on your first bowl of Chicken Katsu Ramen Noodles is 1 chicken breast, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, some salt, pepper, and a great pack of ramen noodles.
You can use whatever ramen you like best, but this recipe is built for the Fried Garlic Chicken Ramen from Mike's Mighty Good Craft Ramen. The combination of rich fried garlic and perfectly crisp Chicken Katsu is about as close as you can come to a perfect bowl of noodles. The only other thing you might want to add is a soft-boiled egg or a touch of soy sauce and garlic soy butter.
Bread the Chicken Katsu
The first step on your journey to insanely tasty chicken katsu ramen, you need to bread the chicken.
Begin by cracking the egg into a bowl and whisking it vigorously with 1-2 tbsp of water.
Once you've created a nice egg wash, place the flour and panko bread crumbs into separate bowls.
Bread the chicken by dipping the breast into the flour first, then the egg wash. Finally, place the egg-washed breast into the panko and coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs.
Fry the Chicken Katsu
Cooking the chicken katsu once it's breaded is a pretty simple affair, especially if you have an air fryer.
Preheat your air fryer to 425°f. Once the air fryer is ready, pop the breaded katsu breast into the basket and then close the frying chamber.
Allow the chicken breast to cook for 10-12 minutes or until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165°f.
You don't need an air fryer to cook your chicken cutlets; it's just a pretty convenient way to get the job done. If you don't have an air fryer hand, you can cook the chicken katsu in your oven; just cook it for a little longer at 375°f, so it cooks evenly without burning.
If you want to go the traditional route, you can always shallow fry the katsu breast in a wok or frying pan, but that will take more time and make a much bigger mess.
Prepare the Ramen Noodles
While the Chicken Katsu is frying, you can prepare the ramen noodles according to the directions on the package.
Once the noodles are perfectly cooked, pour them carefully into your favorite ramen bowl and then move on to the garnish phase.
Slice the Fried Chicken Katsu and garnish your ramen
With a perfectly cooked bowl of homemade ramen noodles and a crispy chicken katsu breast ready to go, it's time to get down to the finishing steps.
Cut the katsu into thin strips, about 1" thick, and pile the sliced chicken on top of the ramen.
At this point, you're ready to get to work on a perfect bowl of Chicken Katsu Ramen noodles, but you can always step up the game a little bit more.
Try adding a little soy sauce for a shoyu ramen flavor or a handful of scallions and sesame seeds for a rich umami pop to really punch the flavor through the roof. Or try adding these topping ideas.
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