Use Frozen Chicken Tenders For An Easy Japanese-Inspired Meal

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When you're looking in the freezer and trying to decide what to make for dinner, you might find a pizza or two. Some options are superior to others, and you can elevate the average frozen pizza with a few simple add-ons. However, one frozen staple that you may not have thought about taking to the next level is a bag of chicken tenders. You can turn them into a delicious Japanese-inspired meal with just a few ingredients.

Chicken katsu is a Japanese fried dish that most often uses chicken cutlets or pieces of chicken breast breaded in panko and fried, although thighs are also used. However, you can skip all the prep and grab a bag of frozen chicken tenders. All you need is the sauce, and if you're making a traditional tonkatsu sauce — which is often used across various katsu dishes — you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already: a bit of soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes also include oyster sauce, minced ginger and garlic, or mirin — a Japanese rice wine loved for the umami flavor it adds. You can also buy a premade Kikkoman Tonkatsu Sauce or go in another direction with some S&B Medium Hot Japanese Curry, which is equally well-suited to pairing with your fried chicken cutlets.

As for the chicken tenders, simply cook them as you normally would, then slice them and pour the sauce directly over them. They're great served on a bed of white rice, but you can add some grilled bok choy, spicy cucumber salad, or sauteed green beans to get some produce in with the meal. And you don't necessarily have to season the veggies too much because they will soak up the sauce for a wonderful hit of flavor in every bite.

If you don't already have a favorite frozen chicken brand, keep in mind that for katsu, you're better off with a product that isn't too thick (like a full cutlet) or too small (like a nugget). You want a piece you can slice into substantial strips that still catch plenty of sauce.

Although considered a traditional Japanese dish, katsu probably came onto Japanese menus thanks to Western influences. While chicken katsu is a popular one, tonkatsu may have been the original, a breaded and fried pork cutlet that's similar to a German schnitzel. If you want to experiment at home, you can even make a katsu with ground meat patties, fish fillets, or frozen breaded shrimp. The shrimp, in particular, makes a great appetizer because you can just run it through the sauce and pop it in your mouth. But when you want an easy way to make a meal that looks like it's straight out of a Japanese restaurant menu, frozen chicken cutlets are probably the way to go.