Ebi Katsu (Shrimp cutlet)

Ebi Katsu is basically a deep-fried shrimp cutlet. Most places in Japan sell it as a burger or you can eat it like a regular katsu dish. I’m going to show you how to make the regular katsu version, but you can easily turn it into a burger by making tartar sauce and wrapping it between two buns.

Can't get enough of katsu recipes? Try my Fish Katsu next!

🍤 About This Recipe

I first had Ebi Katsu on my trip to Japan, and it quickly became one of my favorite katsu dishes. The filling is very similar to har gow, which is a type of Chinese shrimp dumpling. It's tender, bouncy, and super addictive, especially with the crispy panko.

For the filling, you'll need to make a shrimp paste. I usually use my food processor for this, but if you want to copy the Japanese chefs, you can use a heavy cleaver to mince the shrimp instead.

There are usually two routes you can go with the filling: either blend everything into a really smooth paste or leave it on the chunkier side. I like having some chunks, so I use about ⅔ of the shrimp to make a paste, and then I roughly chop the rest.

🦐 What Type Of Shrimp To Use?

It doesn't really matter too much since we'll be blending everything into a fine paste. But I would recommend smaller ones since I like to save the big ones for dishes where they are eaten whole, like my coconut shrimp recipe.

🍱 Ingredients

• Shrimp filling: You will need shrimp, soy sauce, sake, sugar, egg white, and cornstarch. The sake can be substituted with water, but I like the flavor it adds. You can also use Chinese cooking wine.
• Breading: You'll need three separate bowls for the all-purpose flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs.
• For serving: I love serving this with a side of homemade tonkatsu sauce, rice, and cabbage salad. For the cabbage salad, I just slice cabbage really thinly on a Mandoline and then mix it with Kewpie sesame dressing and rice vinegar.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: Roughly chop the shrimp into ⅓-inch thick pieces. Transfer ⅔ of the chopped shrimp, soy sauce, and sake to a food processor. Pulse the mixture 5-6 times until it becomes smooth and well combined.

STEP 2: Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining chopped shrimp, egg white, sugar, and cornstarch.

STEP 3: Divide the mixture into three balls and shape them into patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes to stiffen them up, which will make them easier to bread later on.

STEP 4: In three separate dishes, add the flour, beaten egg, and panko.

STEP 4: For each patty, coat in flour first, then the egg wash, and then finally in the panko. Make sure to press the patty gently into the breadcrumbs so they stick properly. Transfer to baking sheet or plate.

STEP 5: Heat about 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Gently lower 2-3 ebi katsu into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. The inside should register 145℉ on an instant-read thermometer and the outside should be crispy.

Transfer to a wire rack and gently pat with paper towels to remove any excess oil. Serve with rice, cabbage salad, and a side of Tonkatsu Sauce!

If you want to make an ebi katsu burger, just add shredded cabbage and tartar sauce between two brioche buns. You can use regular hamburger buns but brioche buns are my favorite for katsu sandwiches.

📋 Recipe

🍽 More Recipes You'll Love