Mojo Chicken Katsu

Chicken Katsu is already amazing on its own and i’ve made it as simple as it is but sometimes I can’t hold myself back from adding my own spin on dishes —I mean, its in my name, right? Enter Mojo Chicken Katsu!

These extra crispy chicken breasts have the ultimate crunchy layer of seasoned panko with a tender and super flavorful meat center. If you’re a fan of Chicken Katsu and cuban flavor, then youre in for a treat with this recipe!

Bonus…besides the marinating time, this Chicken Katsu recipe only takes 30 minutes to execute making it a perfect weeknight meal!

The Idea:

I am always looking for ways to elevate dishes, not that the original dish isn’t tasty as it is but i’m the type of person that absolutely needs to add my own little spin, its a fun way to be creative and it helps me test my palate.

I already love Chicken Katsu the way its made but I wanted to add some Caribbean flavor to it so that’s where the mojo comes in. Mojo is a classic Cuban marinade that’s well known and loved. Mojo marinade (or Mojo criollo) is a Cuban marinade made with citrus and garlic and has a slightly sour, tangy flavor and the taste is AMAZING. You more than likely have seen the marinades at your local grocery store so pick one up, You can also make a homemade one if you choose to but we’re staying to make an easy and quick recipe here so use the already made ones if you can!

Alright now with the chicke—I used a whole chicken breast and butterflied it then pounded it until it was about 1/4- 1/2 inch thick. I decided to keep the chicken whole instead of splitting it into two. We’re big eaters in this house so we like a BIG piece of chicken!

Originally I wanted to Use Panko AND cuban galletas or day old Cuban bread but the way Seattle is set up…..that was a no go so I had to stick to Panko. I just added some Sazon to the Panko to add just a little more flavor and you all know I am all about the flavor lol

Step By Step Details:

It's important to butterfly the chicken breast so the meat will be thinner and cook faster To butterfly the chicken breast, using a sharp knife, split it horizontally from the side, stopping before you cut all the way through it, and open it like a book. When you open the breast, the two sides will mirror each other, resembling a butterfly.

Once the chicken is butterflied, you can either split it in half or keep it whole. Once you’ve decided that, place the chicken in a ziplock bag and pound it until you get about 1/4-1/2 thickness. I do not have a mallet or a meat tenderizer so I used my rolling pin :D. I placed it in the ziplock to not make a big mess.

After you’ve butterflied and pounded the chicken, place it back into the ziplock bag marinade it with mojo, salt, pepper, soy sauce, smoked paprika and a little bit of honey. Honey? yes..it adds a slight sweetness to the cats which I personally like, but if you’re not ready for that or are weary, then omit it! let the chicken marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes minimum. I marinated it for 1 hour but its because I wasn’t in a rush to cook so you can definitely leave it for longer or the minimum time. your choice!

While the chicken is marinating, set up your breading station. Add the oil to a medium-size, heavy-bottomed pot. The oil should be 1½-2 inches deep. Start heating the oil to 350 degrees over medium heat- The heat temperature is important because if its too high the breading will burn and the inside won’t cook and if its too low, the breading will fall apart while your frying it so make sure it’s at 350. Prepare three bowls: One with flour, garlic and, one with 3 eggs and one with panko and sazon.

Fry one piece at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot; remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. If you add too much food at once, the temperature of the oil will drop quickly and the chicken will absorb too much oil. For chicken katsu, you will deep-fry for a total of 3-6 minutes until golden brown, turning the chicken once at the halfway point.the reason im saying 3-6 minutes is because the time depends on how big or small your chicken is.

Remove the cutlet from the oil and hold it over the pot for a few seconds to drain the excess oil. Then, transfer it to a wire rack, to avoid the bottom getting soggy. Before you Move on to the next piece of chicken, try to remove excess breading that will definitely burn and make your oil dark and can mess up the look of the Katsu so keep the oil as clean as possible!

After you’ve fried all the pieces, serve it with Tonkatsu sauce, rice and cabbage and top with lime!

If you make this recipe , be sure to leave a comment! I love to hear from you guys and of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram

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Mojo Chicken Katsu

Yield: 2-4

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast, pounded and butterflied
• 1 1/2 cups mojo marinade
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups panko
• 1 1/2 tbsp sazon completo seasoning
• 1 cup flour
• 2-3 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken in a ziplock bag using the mojo, honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Keep in the fridge for 15 minutes minimum.
2. Add the oil to a medium-size, heavy-bottomed pot. The oil should be 1½- 2 inches deep.Start heating the oil to 350 over medium to medium-low heat.
3. Prepare three bowls One with flour and garlic, one with the eggs and 1 tbsp oil the oil and the last one with panko and sazon.
4. Thoroughly coat the chicken with the flour and shake off any excess then dip into the eggs, letting any excess drip off. Lastly, coat completely with the panko.
5. If your oil is not yet heated to 350, place the chicken on a wire rack that's lined with parchment paper. Once its heated fry one piece at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot; If you add too many pieces at once, the temperature of the oil will drop quickly and the chicken will absorb too much oil and the breading will fall off. Deep-fry for a total of 3-6 minutes (depending on how big your chicken is) or until golden brown, making sure to turn the chicken once at the halfway point.
6. To serve, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and serve it with tonkatsu sauce, rice, cabbage and lime. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

577.91

Fat (grams)

7.71

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.96

Carbs (grams)

80.89

Fiber (grams)

3.14

Net carbs

77.73

Sugar (grams)

29.33

Protein (grams)

41.78

Sodium (milligrams)

3197.35

Cholesterol (grams)

174.62

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