This Chicken Katsu Curry recipe yields crunchy breaded chicken cutlets and sauteed veggies simmered in a rich Japanese curry sauce. Serve chicken katsu curry with steamed rice for a delicious dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes.
Chicken katsu curry is delicious comfort food; crispy panko breaded chicken drizzled with an aromatic curry. I use a medley of potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to stew with the curry cubes. This dish is spicy, saucy and so satisfying!
Want to try more Japanese-inspired recipes? Then try Mongolian Beef Ramen and Crab and Salmon Sushi Bake next!
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Chicken Katsu Curry Ingredients
This easy chicken katsu curry sauce includes a pack of Golden Curry mix (a Japanese curry roux made with curry powder, flour, and other spices) for a delicious foundation of authentic Japanese flavor.
Don't worry; this is commonly used in Japanese curry recipes because it's convenient but also super flavorful.
Check out my Chicken Katsu recipe for details regarding Japanese fried chicken.
Chicken Katsu
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- All purpose seasoning
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- All purpose flour
- Eggs, beaten
- Panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Chicken Katsu Curry Sauce
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Water
- S&B Golden Curry mix
- Salt and pepper to taste
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chicken Katsu Curry
Tenderize the boneless chicken thighs by using a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are thin for even cooking. Then sprinkle seasonings over each thigh, ensuring they're fully coated.
Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil, set up a dredging station with flour, beaten eggs, and panko crumbs, and meticulously coat each thigh before frying until golden brown.
While the chicken is frying, warm a deep skillet or stock pot over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into the skillet, allowing it to heat for one minute.
Gently add the chopped vegetables, sautéing for 2-3 minutes until they become tender. Then pour water over them and cover.
Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until fork-tender.
As the chicken cooks, place the finished breaded chicken on a cooling rack, ensuring a crispy finish. Drain excess oil on a clean rack for an irresistibly crispy crunch.
With the vegetables now tender, break up the curry cubes, adding them to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the cubes completely dissolve into the veggies.
Ensure there's enough liquid to cover the vegetables, adding one cup of water at a time if necessary, as the curry cubes thicken the mixture.
Serve the curry immediately with rice and the crispy chicken katsu for a delightful culinary experience. Finally, enjoy!
Hint: I use medium-hot curry but you can use mild or hot curry, depending on how spicy you want your katsu to be.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken - You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.
- Baked - If you want to save some calories, bake them instead of frying. Add them to parchment paper lined baking sheet and place them in a preheated oven set to 400ºF for about 25 minutes (or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF).
- Homemade Curry Sauce - You can make your own curry sauce from scratch by using butter, flour, minced garlic, soy sauce, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, and chicken stock.
Equipment
This chicken katsu curry recipe requires a meat mallet or rolling pin in order to pound the chicken thighs. Use mixing bowls to hold each component of your coating (flour, egg, and panko bread).
Use a frying pan to cook the katsu chicken. A cooling rack is useful to contain the chicken after it is dredged and to later drain excess grease.
Use a deep skillet or stock pot to saute the vegetables and make the curry sauce.
Storage
Store the curry sauce and katsu chicken separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Both last up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze the katsu sauce and it is good for up to 1 month.
Reheat the chicken air fryer or oven to keep the cutlets crispy. Warm up the sauce in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop. The sauce thickens as it cools so may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up.
Top tip
Start the curry sauce while the katsu chicken cutlets are frying. This recipe tastes best with hot chicken. Otherwise, make the sauce ahead and fry the chicken fresh because it's easy to reheat the sauce.
FAQ
What is chicken katsu curry?
Katsu curry is a Japanese curry served with panko-crusted chicken. It may also be served with white rice and veggies for a hearty, wholesome meal.
What is chicken katsu curry made of?
Make chicken katsu curry sauce using Golden Curry, water, salt, and pepper. Combine this with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion for a thick sauce that doubles as a side to the panko-crusted chicken cutlets.
Is Katsu Curry the same as Japanese curry?
Japanese curry refers to a broad category of curries in Japan whereas katsu curry is a type of Japanese curry. The term "katsu" refers to the crispy, breaded crust of the meat cutlet served with the sauce.
What is the red stuff in katsu curry?
Fukujinzuke is a pickled condiment made with daikon, cucumber, lotus root, and eggplant preserved in a soy-based brine. It adds a crunchy element to katsu curry but it's not included in this recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Katsu:
- 6 boneless skinless Chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon All purpose seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 2 whole Eggs beaten
- 3 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 3 cups Vegetable oil for frying
Curry:
- 2 large Potatoes cut into small cubes
- 3 whole Carrots roughly chopped into large pieces
- 2 stalks Celery cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ yellow Onion cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 4 cups Water
- 1 3.2 ounce pack S&B Golden Curry mix
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken Katsu
- Pound your chicken thighs out using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. You want the thighs to be pounded thin so that they cook evenly. Once they are pounded out, sprinkle the seasonings over each thigh so that they are fully coated (front and back).
- Now heat up a large skillet over medium heat, and add your vegetable oil into it. While the oil is heating up, set up your dredging station.
- Add your flour to a shallow dish, then add your beaten egg mixture into a separate dish, and your panko bread crumbs into another dish.
- Fully coat your chicken thigh with the flour, then dip it into the egg mixture, then into the panko crumbs. Press the panko into each side of the chicken thigh so that it sticks well.
- Then place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack, or a piece of parchment paper to let the breading set while you continue breading the other thighs.
- Once all of the thighs are breaded and have sat for at least 2-3 minutes (to allow the breading to stick to the chicken), gently place them into the hot oil, one at a time. Do not overcrowd your skillet!
- Fry them on each side for about 4-6 minutes, or until they are golden brown. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF when it is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the oil and place it on a clean cooling rack to drain the excess oil. Continue this process until all of the chicken katsu has been cooked.
Making the curry:
- While the chicken is frying, heat up a deep skillet or stock pot over medium heat. Drizzle the olive oil into the skillet and let it heat up for one minute.
- Now gently add all of your chopped vegetables into the skillet and saute for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After a few minutes, pour your water over the vegetables and place a lid on the skillet. Allow the vegetables to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
- Now that the vegetables are fork tender, break up the curry cubes and add them directly into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, and stir the cubes into the vegetables until they are fully dissolved.
- Check to make sure there is enough liquid still in the skillet, the liquid should just cover the vegetables, even after simmering. Add one cup of water at a time if needed. The curry cubes will thicken up the mixture, so keep adding water until you get your desired consistency.
- Serve right away with rice and the chicken katsu. And Enjoy!
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition
Food Safety for Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe
- Cook the chicken katsu to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on the sauce, that previously touched raw chicken.
- Wash hands after touching raw chicken.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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