How about trying a dish that's a staple in many Japanese households—a sweet and slightly tangy chicken dish made with ketchup? Japanese-Style Ketchup Chicken is easy to make, and its rich flavor will keep you coming back for more!
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What is Japanese-Style Ketchup Chicken?
Japanese-Style Ketchup Chicken is a dish made by seasoning chicken primarily with ketchup and then pan-frying it. Using ketchup allows you to add sweetness, tanginess, and richness all at once, making it easy to achieve a well-balanced sweet-and-sour flavor. For this reason, it has become a popular dish in Japanese households. As the acidity of ketchup mellows when heated, it is especially popular with children.
Some of you might be unfamiliar with using ketchup in cooking, but in Japan, it is a common method used in yoshoku (Western-style Japanese) dishes like Ketchup Fried Rice (the filling for Omurice) and Spaghetti Napolitan. The tangy flavor of ketchup, once softened through cooking, adds a rich, savory depth to the dish.
This flavor pairs exceptionally well with rice, and the dish remains tasty even when cold, which makes it perfect for bento (lunch boxes). The flavor complements chicken wonderfully, so be sure to try it and see for yourself!
Seasonings and cooking tips
The seasonings used for Japanese-style ketchup chicken are as follows:
Ketchup
Japanese mayonnaise
Garlic
Sugar
Soy sauce
Salt
Black pepper
You can simply marinate the chicken with these ingredients, then cook it in a pan, and the dish will be ready. However, doing so makes it harder to get a good sear on the chicken, and the ketchup and mayonnaise may burn.
For this reason, it is recommended to add the ketchup and mayonnaise after the chicken has been browned. Adding them later helps retain some of the ketchup’s moisture and gives the dish a nice, glossy finish. This is a small trick, but it can make a big difference in the final result, so you should definitely try incorporating it into your cooking.
Optional vegetable additions
Although I don't include them in the recipe, you can add vegetables to the dish if you like.
Onions and green bell peppers are commonly used, which may be influenced by Spaghetti Napolitan, a popular Japanese dish made by stir-frying spaghetti with these vegetables and ketchup (for more about Spaghetti Napolitan, please see the linked page). That said, you are not limited to these; feel free to add any vegetables that can be stir-fried. It might also be fun to experiment with vegetables from your local area.
Please note that since the main focus of the dish is chicken, adding too many vegetables can dilute the sauce’s flavor, so it is best to keep the amount of vegetables to less than half the amount of chicken.
📋Step-by-step recipe
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp ketchup (0.6 oz/17 g per Tbsp)
- ½ Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie Mayo; 0.53 oz/15 g per Tbsp. For a homemade version, please refer to the linked article.)
Instructions
🕒 Total: 25 mins
Step 1
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2
Place the chicken in a bowl and add garlic, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes so the flavors can soak into the chicken (refrigerate if necessary).
Step 3
Heat oil in a pan. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken skin-side down and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Then, flip the chicken over and cook the other side until lightly browned as well.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to low and add ketchup and Japanese mayonnaise. Toss to coat the chicken evenly and cook for 2 minutes.
To store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please consider leaving a review and star rating in the comments below. If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.
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Recipe card
Japanese-Style Ketchup Chicken
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp ketchup (0.6 oz/17 g per Tbsp)
- ½ Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie Mayo; 0.53 oz/15 g per Tbsp. For a homemade version, please refer to the linked article.)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the chicken in a bowl and add garlic, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes so the flavors can soak into the chicken (refrigerate if necessary).
- Heat oil in a pan. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken skin-side down and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Then, flip the chicken over and cook the other side until lightly browned as well.
- Reduce the heat to low and add ketchup and Japanese mayonnaise. Toss to coat the chicken evenly and cook for 2 minutes.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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