A Spicy Perspective

Chicken Katsu Ramen

Chicken Katsu Ramen – This easy recipe features a rich and savory noodle soup loaded with crispy pan-fried chicken pieces, plus your favorite toppings. It’s a complete meal in a bowl that’s ready to enjoy in less than an hour!

Close view chicken katsu in a bowl of ramen.

Why We Love This Ramen Recipe

Chicken Katsu is traditionally served as a simple home-cooked meal with Tonkatsu sauce and a side of cabbage salad. However, it is used in all sorts of Japanese dishes… such as topping curry dishes or rice bowls.

But our favorite way to enjoy crunchy, crisp, and juicy fried chicken is as a topping for Katsu Chicken Ramen. These bowls have everything you need for a complete meal: delicious chicken, tender noodles in a savory bacon broth, plus fresh spinach, and all kinds of yummy toppings!

What is Chicken Katsu

Chicken Katsu is simply crispy breaded pan-fried chicken cutlets, similar to fried chicken cutlets seen in Italian and Mexican cuisine often referred to as Chicken Milanese. The only major difference is that sesame seeds are added to the breading to give the crust a rich nutty flavor.

Bowls of ramen noodle soup topped with crispy fried chicken.

Ingredients You Need

For the Chicken Katsu

  • Chicken cutlets
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Sesame seeds
  • Salt
  • Egg
  • Fry oil

Pro Tip: To make this recipe as simple as possible, buy pre-sliced thin chicken cutlets at the butcher counter.

To Make the Ramen

  • Bacon
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Instant chicken ramen noodles
  • Unsweetened coconut milk
  • White miso paste
  • Water
  • Fresh spinach leaves

Optional Toppings

  • Ramen eggs
  • Fried onions
  • Scallions
  • Furikake
  • Nori sheets
  • Sriracha
  • Gochujang
Minced garlic, ginger, sliced onion, and chicken pieces on a wood cutting board.

How to Make Chicken Katsu

Set a large skillet and a large 6-quart sauce pot on the stovetop. Then set out two shallow bowls to bread the chicken. 

Prep the ingredients for the Chicken Katsu recipe: Crack the egg into one bowl and whisk the egg with a fork. Then place the chicken cutlets into the egg mixture and coat on all sides. Allow that chicken to rest in the egg while you prepare the breading.

In the second bowl combine the Panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, and salt. Mix well.

Pour 1 inch of cooking oil into the skillet to fry the cutlets.

Bowl with Panko breadcrumbs, spices.

Prep the ingredients for the Ramen: Slice the bacon and shallots into thin strips. Then mince the garlic and grate the ginger.

Once all the ingredients are prepped, turn both burners for the skillet and the sauce pot on medium heat.

Place the bacon in the sauce pot. Stir and brown the bacon until it is fully cooked. Then add in the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes to soften.

Pan with crispy bacon and onions frying.

Meanwhile, take the egg-coated chicken cutlets and place them, one at a time, in the breading mixture. Coat well on all sides.

Hand dredging chicken breasts in Panko breading mixture.

Lower the breaded chicken cutlets into the hot oil in the skillet.

Fry the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Then remove and place on a paper towel-lined resting plate.

Crisp pieces of katsu chicken on paper towels.

Meanwhile, once the onions are soft in the large pot, pour in the coconut milk, miso paste, and 10 cups of water.

Add all three ramen chicken seasoning packets to the broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Hand holding 3 pieces of packaged Ramen noodles over soup broth in a pot.

Once the broth is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add the instant Ramen noodles. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles are loose and soft. Then stir in the fresh spinach leaves.

Get the Complete (Printable) Chicken Katsu Ramen Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Wooden spoon stirring spinach leaves into chicken Ramen noodle soup.

Move the chicken katsu to a cutting board. Cut each cutlet into thin strips.

Fried chicken katsu cutlets sliced into thin pieces.

Ladle the Ramen into soup bowls. Arrange Katsu chicken strips over the top, followed by any additional garnishes you like.

Top down view chicken katsu ramen recipe finished in bowls.

Suggestions for Ramen Toppings

We highly recommend making our easy Ramen eggs to go along with this chicken katsu recipe! The rich, egg-y flavor is delicious with the broth and crunchy fried chicken.

Then add your favorite toppings like crispy fried onions, sliced fresh scallions, furikake seasoning mix, nori sheets (seaweed), or other goodies you like. We also suggest serving it with Sriracha and/or gochujang sauce on the side.

Side view of katsu chicken Ramen bowls loaded with goodies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What oil is best for frying katsu?

A high-heat and neutral-flavored oil is best. We suggest canola, sunflower, safflower, or peanut oil.

Is chicken katsu the same as fried chicken?

Yes, it is a type of fried chicken. But katsu is specifically an Asian recipe, and includes sesame seeds in the breading.

How long do leftovers last?

Store the chicken katsu separately from any other leftovers. Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat briefly in the oven or air fryer to get it crispy again.

The soup and noodles will keep well overnight stored in an airtight container in the fridge. However, the noodles will begin to soften the longer they sit in the soup.

Hand with chopsticks, pulling noodles out of a soup bowl.

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Chicken Katsu Ramen Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This easy chicken katsu Ramen recipe features a rich and savory noodle soup loaded with crispy pan-fried chicken pieces, plus your favorite toppings.
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken Katsu –

For the Chicken Katsu Ramen –

Instructions

  • Set a large skillet and a large 6-quart sauce pot on the stovetop. Then set out two shallow bowls to bread the chicken.
  • Prep the ingredients for the Chicken Katsu: Crack the egg into one bowl and whisk the egg with a fork. Then place the chicken cutlets into the egg mixture and coat on all sides. Allow that chicken to rest in the egg while you prepare the breading.
  • In the second bowl combine the Panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, and salt. Mix well.
  • Pour 1 inch of cooking oil into the skillet to fry the cutlets.
  • Prep the ingredients for the Ramen: Slice the bacon and shallots into thin strips. Then minced the garlic and grate the ginger.
  • Once all the ingredients are prepped, turn both burners for the skillet and the sauce pot on medium heat.
  • Place the bacon in the sauce pot. Stir and brown the bacon until it is fully cooked, then add in the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes to soften.
  • Meanwhile, take the egg-coated chicken cutlets and place them, one at a time, in the breading mixture. Coat well on all sides. Lower the breaded chicken cutlets into the hot oil in the skillet.
  • Fry the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Then remove and place on a paper towel lined resting plate.
  • Meanwhile, once the onions are soft in the large pot, pour in the coconut milk, miso paste, and 10 cups of water. Add all three ramen chicken seasoning packets to the broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.
  • Once the broth is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add the instant Ramen noodles. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles are loose and soft. Then stir in the fresh spinach leaves.
  • Move the chicken Katsu to a cutting board. Cut each cutlet into thin strips.
  • To serve: Ladle the Ramen into soup bowls. Arrange Katsu chicken strips over the top, followed by any additional garnishes you like.

Notes

We suggest making our easy Ramen eggs to go along with this recipe!
To make this recipe as simple as possible, buy pre-sliced thin chicken cutlets at the butcher counter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 462kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 1258mg, Potassium: 755mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1030IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 4mg
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Japanese
Author: Sommer Collier

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5 comments on “Chicken Katsu Ramen”

  1. I love ramen, but don’t know where to start to make it at home, so this definitely helps, thank you, and really appreciate the step by step pictures, better for me than a video!

  2. I love this ramen recipe with the mixture of this chicken makes this dish amazing

  3. Yall! I made this for lunch, OMG! So good! This is going to be my go to lunch option from now on! Surprisingly simple to make and doesn’t take long at all! It’s a must try for sure!

  4. This was incredible! My husband and I agreed that it was one of the best meals that we had in a while. The chicken crust was absolutely amazing, thank you for sharing!

  5. I’ve been looking for a recipe to make this at home! This looks delicious!