Kushikatsu Recipe: 4 Tips for Making the Deep-Fried Snack

Kushikatsu, or kushiage, refers to deep-fried skewers of fruit, proteins, or vegetables served with a thin, savory dipping sauce. In Japanese, kushi refers to the bamboo skewers, while katsu refers to a cutlet (as in tonkatsu, fried pork cutlets), and age means fried.

Kushikatsu restaurants typically offer a wide variety of bite-sized ingredients. Choose from seasonal vegetables like shiitake mushrooms, slices of yam, squash, and lotus root (renkon), quail eggs, bits of mochi, and various meats and seafood, like beef, chicken, whole shrimp, and scallops. Once you’ve made your selection, the skewers are dunked in batter, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden brown, and enjoyed with a communal dipping sauce.

In Japan, kushikatsu platters are also served with a cabbage slice to use as an additional sauce vessel.

Making kushikatsu at home is an easy and fun way to bring the energy of an Osaka-style kushikatsu restaurant to your table—especially for a larger group.

1. 1. Aim for a thin batter. It might be tempting to aim for corndog levels of fluffy, doughy batter, but kushikatsu is all about a harmony between the ingredient and the deep-fried texture. A thinner batter won’t overwhelm even the most delicate of fillings.
2. 2. Use panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs—fine airy shards made from crustless white bread—absorb less oil as they fry than standard breadcrumbs. This reduced absorption results in a crisper crust without any sogginess.
3. 3. Get creative with skewers. Tokyo-style kushikatsu skewers alternate diced pork with aromatic alliums, like onion or leek, but if you can skewer it, it’s fair game. Some restaurants even offer fresh fruits.
   
4. 4. Make a dipping sauce. Kushikatsu sauce features a savory blend of Worcestershire and soy sauce, with a touch of ketchup or sugar for sweetness. Like tempura dipping sauce, it should be thin enough to coat the skewer without overwhelming the other flavors.