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air fryer fish katsu
Blog Home | Cooking + Recipes
air fryer fish katsu

Panko-Crusted Pacific Halibut Cheeks with Katsu Sauce

February 24th, 2022

A Crunchy, Golden Comfort Food Classic

This recipe for panko-crusted Pacific Halibut Cheeks is inspired by a Japanese tonkatsu (a deep-fried cutlet), a crunchy, golden comfort food classic. Served alongside a crunchy slaw and a tangy katsu sauce, panko-crusted Pacific Halibut Cheeks are a quick meal to make when you have a little extra free time to prepare a hot weekday lunch, done in under 20 minutes.

Made with pan-fried Pacific Halibut Cheeks, our adaptation of tonkatsu is notably lighter and more delicate than the original, but still has the crusty, savory qualities that make it seem like a guilty pleasure. For an even lighter take on the meal, try air-frying instead of pan-frying! 

Print Recipe

Panko-Crusted Pacific Halibut Cheeks with Katsu Sauce

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total time

20 minutes

Yield

2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (12 oz.) pack Pacific halibut cheeks
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • High-heat cooking oil (such as grapeseed or peanut)
  • Ketchup
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups cabbage, shredded
  • Ginger-miso dressing, or something similar

Instructions

1. Heat about ⅛ inch of high-heat cooking oil in deep-sided skillet over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, set up your dredging station in three dishes: add flour to one, whisk egg in another, and breadcrumbs in the last dish.

3. Pat halibut cheeks dry with a tea towel or paper towel, then season with salt and pepper. Dip each piece into flour, egg, then breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Set breaded halibut cheeks aside.

4. Once oil has reached 350F or is hot enough to sizzle, carefully add halibut cheeks and allow to pan-fry until breadcrumbs are golden, flipping halfway through, about 2 minutes per side. Depending on size of skillet, you may need to do this in batches. Move finished halibut cheeks to a paper bag or paper towels to drain excess oil, then transfer to serving plates.

5. In a small mixing bowl, combine enough ketchup for dipping with a couple dashes of worcestershire sauce and a splash of soy sauce. Adjust to taste, then serve alongside halibut cheeks with cabbage slaw tossed in your choice of salad dressing.


Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

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