Crispy Panko Chicken Bowls with Broccolini

Served with freshly steamed rice, tender broccolini, and finished with a sweet and spicy hoisin glaze, these crispy panko chicken cutlets are the perfect weeknight dinner!

I first created this recipe for my brother who, even though he had access to a kitchen, hardly ever cooked for himself in college and would call me over to make dinner. Whenever these nights rolled around, I always tried to make something nutritious (preferably with at least one vegetable) but also palatable for the average college boy—one of my go-tos was this panko chicken!

This dish is somewhat inspired by chicken katsu, which is a Japanese-style of fried chicken made from panko-covered chicken cutlets, but my version is a little lighter—instead of deep-frying, I pan sear the chicken and finish it off on top of rice bowls with an umami-sweet sauce (similar to barbecue sauce!) for a delicious and nutrient-dense dinner. It’s super easy to make, but you can easily level up the recipe by brining your chicken or adding a different sauce!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Though the number of ingredients you need isn’t too long, there are a few things you might not have on hand. Here’s what you’ll have to add to the grocery list!

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The leaner meat from chicken breasts will help the panko get a nice, crisp sear, but if you want a more moist and tender cut, go for chicken thighs!
• Kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Tony’s Creole seasoning, smoked paprika. To season the chicken.
• All-purpose flour and eggs. Together, these help the panko stick to the chicken—the flour creates a thin coating for the eggs to stick to, then the egg acts as a glue for the breadcrumbs.
• Panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are larger, drier, and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, which makes them ideal for light and crispy coatings.
• Broccolini. You can easily substitute this with regular broccoli, though keep in mind that broccolini has a milder, sweeter taste.
• Lemon juice. To season the broccolini and brighten the dish.
• Hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and hot honey. For the hoisin sauce glaze. If you don’t have hot honey, it can easily be substituted with regular honey and sriracha (to taste).
• Rice, sesame seeds, and chopped green onions. To serve.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

1. When breading the chicken, use separate hands for the wet and dry ingredients—this will end up in a smaller mess without any clumps of panko sticking to your hands!
2. Make ahead instructions. The sauce can be made up to a week beforehand, but as for the chicken, you can bread the cutlets up to one day in advance. Just follow the breading steps, place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to cook, let the chicken sit at room temperature for around 15 minutes before searing.
3. Storage instructions. If stored in an airtight container, leftovers can keep in the fridge for around 4-5 days. To crisp up the chicken when reheating, I recommend airfrying or baking the cutlets on a wire rack set over a baking sheet—just place them in a 375°F oven for around 10 minutes or until hot (try not to overcook!).

Hope you enjoy this recipe—let me know if you give it a try, and tag me in your recreations!

Crispy Panko Chicken Bowls with Broccolini

Served with freshly steamed rice, tender broccolini, and finished with a sweet and spicy hoisin glaze, these crispy panko chicken cutlets are the perfect weeknight dinner!

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Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4

Author: Mae Martin

Ingredients

For the panko chicken

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon Tony's Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ to 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Olive oil, for cooking

For the broccolini

• 1 bunch broccolini (around ½ pound)
• ½ juiced lemon, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce

• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 clove grated fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon hot honey (optional), can substitute with regular honey and sriracha (to taste)

To serve

• 3-4 cups cooked rice
• Chopped green onions, for garnish
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

• Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl or deli container, stir together all of the sauce ingredients—the hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and hot honey. Set aside or place in the fridge until ready to serve (this step can be done up to 1 week in advance).
• Prepare the chicken. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, then place them into a resealable plastic bag. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to beat the chicken to an even ¼'' thickness, then remove the cutlets and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together the spices—the garlic powder, onion powder, Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Season the chicken breasts all over with the spice blend. Set aside.
• Set up three shallow bowls into an assembly line. Place the flour into one bowl, the beaten eggs into the second bowl, and the panko breadcrumbs into the third bowl, then season each station with salt and pepper (you can also add any remaining seasoning blend from the chicken, if applicable).
• With one hand, dredge the chicken breast in the flour, shaking off the excess until a light coating remains. With your other hand, dip the floured chicken into the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, allowing the excess to drip off. Finally, dredge the chicken in the seasoned breadcrumbs mixture, pressing to coat evenly. Set the breaded chicken onto a plate or cooling rack and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. (see note)*
• Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the first side is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for around 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until done (the internal temperature of the chicken should register to 160℉). Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, then allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
• In the meantime, steam the broccolini for 4-7 minutes, until vibrant green and crisp-tender. Season to taste with salt, butter or olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Assemble. Place the prepared rice into a bowl, then top with the chopped chicken and broccolini. Pour or brush over the prepared sauce—if needed, you may need to thin it out with water—then top with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

• I recommend using one hand for the dry coatings (the flour and breadcrumbs) and one for the eggs to reduce messiness.