This Cheese Katsu is the ultimate comfort food when youโre looking for something DEEP-FRIED and GREASY. I donโt make it often because it's not super healthy, but when I do, I can't stop eating it. The key is to fry the katsu at a really high heat so that the outside gets crispy before the cheese starts boiling and leaking out.
Can't get enough of Katsu? Try my Chicken Katsu and Ebi Katsu next!
๐ง About This Recipe
The first time I had cheese katsu was at a Japanese katsu restaurant in Vancouver called Saku. It was crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and greasy in all the right ways. You can definitely feel your heart slowing down a bit, but the experience is a 10/10.
Cheese katsu is a very heavy meal so I like to pair it with cabbage salad and a side of sliced tomatoes to help cut through the richness. For the cabbage salad, I thinly slice it on a Mandoline and then mix it with Kewpie sesame dressing and rice vinegar.
The key to this recipe is frying the katsu at a high temperature (around 375-400ยฐF). This will make the outside crispy before the cheese starts boiling and leaking out. You want to cook it for only a short amount of time (around 2 minutes). Any longer, and the cheese may leak out.
๐ฅ Ingredients
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is always my first pick because it melts better than other cheeses. It's important to cut the cheese no thicker than ยฝ inch so that it cooks quickly.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are my favorite type of breadcrumbs for deep-frying. They're larger and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, which gives the outside a lot of texture and makes it crispier.
- Egg Wash: This is made with egg, flour, and salt. I recommend doing at least two layers of breading so you don't have any bald spots for cheese to leak out.
- Oil for frying: Use any neutral-flavored, high-smoke point oil like canola, corn, or vegetable.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: To start, we will prepare our workstation. Combine the egg, flour, and salt in a shallow dish, and whisk until it forms a thin paste. Pour the panko breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl, and place your cheese blocks nearby.
STEP 2: Gently dip a cheese block into the egg wash to coat completely. Let the excess drip off, then transfer it to the panko breadcrumbs. Coat the cheese block in breadcrumbs and then repeat the egg wash and breadcrumbs again for a total of two coatings.
STEP 4: Heat 1 inch of oil to 375-400โ. Gently place the cheese katsu into the oil and fry for 2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and gently pat with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Note: The cheese should not leak out if you cook it for only two minutes. If they do leak, remove them immediately and finish them in a 450โ oven for 4-5 minutes.
Serve immediately with a side of Tonkatsu Sauce, cabbage salad, and sliced tomatoes!
๐ Recipe
Cheese Katsu
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 350 g mozzarella cheese (cut into ยฝ-inch thick slices)
- neutral oil (for frying)
Instructions
- To start, we will prepare our workstation. Combine the egg, flour, and salt in a shallow dish, and whisk until it forms a thin paste. Pour the panko breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl, and place your cheese blocks nearby.
- Gently dip a cheese block into the egg wash to coat completely. Let the excess drip off, then transfer it to the panko breadcrumbs. Coat the cheese block in breadcrumbs and then repeat the egg wash and breadcrumbs again for a total of two coatings.
- Heat 1 inch of oil to 375-400โ. Gently place the cheese katsu into the oil and fry for 2 minutes until golden brown *. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with Tonkatsu Sauce, cabbage salad, and sliced tomatoes!
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