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Japanese chicken katsu curry served on a white oval-shaped plate with beige rim, next to a wooden spoon on a black background topdown view

Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice

5 from 1 vote
By Yuto Omura
https://sudachirecipes.com
Japanese chicken katsu curry is the ultimate comfort dish made with tender chicken breast coated in a crispy panko batter and served over a thick, rich and gravy-like curry. Not only is it seriously delicious, but it's also a great dish to make in advance and store for a quick easy meal during the week!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 portions
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4 portions

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Japanese Style Curry (sweet)

  • 300 g boneless chicken thigh(s) or chicken breast
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion(s)
  • 2 potato(s)
  • 1 carrot(s)
  • 4 servings worth curry roux homemade or boxed
  • 600 ml water if using premade curry cubes, check box for water quantity
  • 1 tbsp tsuyu sauce
  • ½ tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1 pinch chili powder optional
  • ½ tsp fenugreek powder
  • 1 tsp tomato ketchup

Chicken Katsu

  • cooking oil for deep frying
  • 2 large chicken breast
  • 2 pinches salt and pepper
  • 6 tbsp cake flour
  • 100 ml water
  • 2 medium egg(s)
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 50 g panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

To Serve

Instructions 

Japanese Chicken Curry

  • Cut 300 g boneless chicken thigh(s) into bitesize pieces and sprinkle with 1 pinch salt and pepper
    bitesize pieces of chicken thigh (skin-on) in a steel bowl sprinkled with salt and pepper
  • Thinly slice 1 yellow onion(s), and peel and cut 2 potato(s) and 1 carrot(s) into rough bite-size pieces.
    chunks of peeled potato, slices of onion and chunks of peeled carrot on a wooden chopping board
  • Heat a large pot on medium and melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Add the chicken pieces and fry until sealed on the outside.
    sealing chicken thigh in oil in a large pot on the stove top
  • Once sealed, add the sliced onion and cook until slightly softened.
    frying chicken thigh pieces with thinly sliced onion in a large pot
  • Next, add the potato and carrot along with 1 tbsp tsuyu sauce. Mix over the heat for about 1 minute.
    carrot and potato added to chicken and fried onion in a large pot
  • Add 600 ml water and bring to a boil. (If using boxed curry, check the instructions for the correct amount of water.)
    chicken and vegetables in cooking liquid in a large pot on the stove top
  • Lower the heat to simmer and add the 4 servings worth curry roux. Mix it until it's completely dissolved.
    curry roux cubes added to Japanese chicken katsu curry in a large pot on the stove top
  • Add ½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sake, ½ tsp fenugreek powder, 1 tsp tomato ketchup and 1 pinch chili powder. Mix well and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches your preferred thickness. Once thickened, turn off the heat and place a lid on top to keep it warm. You can make the katsu while it simmers, but keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally.
    simmering Japanese chicken katsu curry in a large pot on the stove top

Making katsu

  • Heat your cooking oil to 170 °C (338 °F). While it heats, cut 2 large chicken breasts in half horizontally and sprinkle with 2 pinches salt and pepper on both sides.
    chicken breast cut in half and sprinkled with salt and pepper
  • Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound it until it's 1cm thick. (about 1/2 inch)
    chicken breast wrapped with plastic wrap and tenderized
  • In a bowl, mix 100 ml water, 2 medium egg(s) and 100 g all-purpose flour to make a thick batter.
    chicken katsu batter made with eggs
  • Add 50 g panko breadcrumbs and 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese to a plate, and mix them together.
    panko breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese in a rectangular steel container
  • Pour 6 tbsp cake flour onto a plate and coat the surface of the chicken. Brush off any excess to ensure the coat is even.
    chicken breast coated in flour in a rectangular steel container
  • Once the oil is ready, dip your chicken into the batter.
    chicken breast dipped in egg batter to make chicken katsu
  • Cover the chicken in the panko mixture, making sure it's fully covered, before placing it straight in the oil.
    chicken breast coated in panko breadcrumbs to make chicken katsu curry
  • Fry for 6 minutes (or until golden) turning the katsu over halfway through to make sure it's evenly cooked.
    chicken katsu frying in a pot of oil
  • Transfer to a wire rack and allow any excess oil to drip off.
    chicken katsu made with chicken breast resting on a wire rack to drain

Serving

  • Dish up your rice on one side of the plate, and spoon the curry onto the other side.
    Japanese curry rice on a white oval-shaped plate with beige rim
  • Cut the katsu into 1cm strips and place it in the middle of the rice and curry. Garnish with fukujinzuke pickles and a sprinkle of parsley.
    Japanese curry rice topped with a sliced chicken katsu (deep fried cutlet) and orange fukujinzuke pickles
  • Enjoy! 

Notes

If your curry becomes too thick, you can add more water a little at a time.
If your curry is too thin, you'll need to cook it for longer. You can try turning up the heat but make sure to keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Refer to the article above for storing and reheating instructions for both the curry and katsu.