This Fish Katsu is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The panko breadcrumbs give it an amazing texture and it is unbelievable paired with some tartar sauce and lemon juice. You can also eat it like a regular katsu dish and throw in some curry, tonkatsu sauce, and rice.
Can't get enough of Katsu? Try my Chicken Katsu Curry and Shrimp Katsu next!
๐ฏ๐ต About This Recipe
Fish Katsu is like the Japanese version of Fish n Chips except it uses panko breadcrumbs instead of only a wet batter. The crust has a lot more texture, and I find it crispier than regular fish and chips. Panko is like a hack for crispy food. I have never made anything with panko that was not crispy.
๐งโ๐ณ Frying Temperature
The frying temperature is very important to get the crispy fish. Any time you are deep-frying, it is a balancing act between cooking the inside and getting a golden brown color on the outside. You don't want either of them to overcook before the other.
I recommend cooking fish at a temperature around 350ยฐF. You will want to bring the initial oil temperature to 375ยฐF though, as the temperature drops by about 25ยฐF when you first add the fish.
๐ A Note On Frozen Fish
Make sure your fish is fully defrosted before starting this recipe, otherwise you are much more likely to end up with a soggy crust.
The reason is that frozen fish releases A LOT of moisture when it defrosts. I don't know when this started but fish companies are starting to inject their fish with water to increase its weight so that it sells for more money.
This is great for them but terrible for crispy fish. If you don't defrost your fish, that water gets released during the cooking process and softens the crust.
๐ง Ingredients
- Fish: The beauty of this recipe is you can use any type of fish. I recommend thick, white-fleshed, like cod or halibut, but you can use any type of fish you want. Some popular choices are salmon, haddock, and mahi mahi.
- Panko: These are much flakier than regular breadcrumbs and end up way crispier when fried. If you're wondering why your katsu doesn't taste like the restaurants, it's probably this.
- Dredge: I'm using a combination of eggs, flour, salt, and black pepper. I used to do the eggs and flour separately but recently I combined them into a single dredge and it is just as good and saves a step.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg, flour, salt, and black pepper together to form a wet batter. The consistency should be slightly looser than pancake batter. If this is not the case, add extra flour or water as needed.
STEP 2: Dip the fish in the wet batter and shake off the excess. Transfer to a shallow dish with panko breadcrumbs and coat evenly, pressing gently so they stick to the fish. Try to leave no bald spots or else the area around it won't get crispy.
STEP 3: Heat 1 inch of oil to 375ยฐF. Carefully add 1 or 2 pieces of fish. The oil's temperature will drop to 350ยฐF. Try to maintain that temperature during the rest of the cooking. Fry for 4-6 minutes until golden brown or the flesh reaches 145ยฐF. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and drain excess oil.
My favorite way to serve these is with tartar sauce and lemon juice. If you want a more traditional Japanese meal, you can make curry, rice, and tonkatsu sauce.
๐ Recipe
Fish Katsu (Panko Fried Fish)
Ingredients
- 1 pound white fish fillets (any white fish like cod, halibut, pollock, haddock, catfish, perch, or mahi-mahi)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- neutral oil (for frying)
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg, flour, salt, and black pepper together to form a wet batter. The consistency should be slightly looser than pancake batter. If this is not the case, add extra flour or water as needed.
- Dip the fish in the wet batter and shake off the excess. Transfer to a shallow dish with panko breadcrumbs and coat evenly, pressing gently so they stick to the fish. Try to leave no bald spots or else the area around it won't get crispy.
- Heat 1 inch of oil to 375ยฐF. Carefully add 1 or 2 pieces of fish. The oil's temperature will drop to 350ยฐF. Try to maintain that temperature during the rest of the cooking. Fry for 4-6 minutes until golden brown or the flesh reaches 145ยฐF. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and drain excess oil.
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