Chicken Katsu Curry is Japanese comfort food - think crispy katsu chicken served with a warm and fragrant curry sauce and rice.
I made this Chicken Katsu Curry for friends who just had a baby and they absolutely loved it. Katsu curry is known as Japanese comfort food for a reason, and this recipe is no exception. We’re going to make our curry sauce from scratch, so you know exactly what’s in it, and bake our chicken katsu in the oven for a healthier version with the added benefit of very little cleanup, unlike when you deep fry it.
The trick to get your chicken katsu crispy, is to oven bake the panko breadcrumbs while the oven is heating up, which means they will be golden, crispy and delicious.
Why should you make this Chicken Katsu Curry?
Chicken Katsu curry is warming, fragrant, hearty and comforting. The curry sauce is full of delicious sauces and spices, and has potatoes and carrots - hearty and satisfying vegetables that are perfect for Autumn and Winter dinners. The Crunchy Chicken katsu is such a lovely contrast to the curry, and I also serve mine with cucumber slices for extra crunch and hit of cool freshness.
This particular version of Chicken Katsu curry has a few things going for it.
- You can make it in half an hour.
- It’s made from scratch - so you know exactly what you’re putting in it.
- The chicken is baked not fried, so it’s healthier and easier to tidy up after.
- It’s always a popular dinner!
Is Katsu Curry very spicy?
Katsu curry doesn’t use any chilli powder or chilli flakes, so it is not spicy at all, rather the ginger and curry powder make it taste “warming” in your mouth. That’s why it’s quite suitable for little kids, or you can also add something to make the curry milder for them, like Greek yoghurt.
What’s in this Chicken Katsu Curry?
- Curry - Olive oil, brown onion, red potatoes (hold their form in the curry), carrot, garlic powder, ginger, curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, Dijon mustard, honey, white wine vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil
- Chicken - Chicken breast, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, egg, olive oil
- Rice - Use white or brown rice.
- Toppings - Sesame seeds and green onion
Wait, I notice you don’t use flour when you bread your chicken?
That’s right! I’ve found that just the egg is enough to hold the panko breadcrumbs onto your chicken breast fillet, especially if you’re baking them (rather than frying them). I also like to add garlic powder to the egg wash, this gives it extra flavour.
What is the difference between chicken katsu and chicken katsu curry?
If you’ve seen plain Chicken Katsu on the menu before, that means just the breaded chicken fillet. Chicken katsu curry includes the curry sauce you can see in the recipe below.
Top tip
When you are heating up your oven, check on the panko breadcrumbs regularly as every oven is different and you don’t want them to burn.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - Swap chicken breast for chicken tenders or pork steaks, just increase oven time to 20 mins.
- Vegetarian - Swap chicken breast for tofu or cauliflower steaks
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free (Kid’s version there is an option to add Greek yoghurt)
- Gluten Free - Use gluten free panko crumbs and swap soy sauce for tamari.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Serve kids each element separately.
- Option to mix Greek yoghurt through curry to make it milder.
Equipment
You will need an oven, a baking tray, a deep frying pan, a stovetop.
More Crumbed Chicken Recipes
Recipe
Chicken Katsu Curry
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking tray
- Deep frying pan
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 sprays olive oil spray
- 1 brown onion
- 400 g potato red
- 2 carrot
- 500 g chicken breast
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 450 g microwave rice
- 1 Lebanese cucumber
- ¼ bunch green onion
- 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon Greek yoghurt opt.
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 180 C. Line a tray, add panko breadcrumbs and spray with olive oil. Place in the oven while it is heating up.1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 sprays olive oil spray
- Peel and slice onion. Peel and dice potato into 1.5 cm cubes. Peel and slice carrot into thin rounds.1 brown onion, 400 g potato, 2 carrot
- Slice chicken breast fillets in half horizontally to make schnitzels.500 g chicken breast
- Remove panko breadcrumbs from the oven when golden and place in a bowl. Crack egg into another bowl and whisk through garlic powder. Dip chicken in egg mixture then panko crumbs, lay on the tray and into the oven for 18 mins.1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 500 g chicken breast
- Place a large, deep frying pan on medium heat. Add oil then cook onion, potato and carrot for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, continue to the next step.1 brown onion, 400 g potato, 1.5 tablespoon olive oil, 2 carrot
- Add spices to a bowl.2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Add mustard, honey, white wine vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and flour and whisk to combine.1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon plain flour
- Add sauce mix and stock to frying pan and bring to the boil, then lower heat to simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.4 cups chicken stock
- Heat rice. Slice cucumber into half moons. Slice the green part of green onion on an angle. Once chicken is ready, slice chicken into strips.450 g microwave rice, 1 Lebanese cucumber, ¼ bunch green onion
- Serve rice on half the plate, and spoon curry on the other half. Place cucumber and chicken down the middle, then top with green onion and black sesame seeds.Serve kids each element separately. Option to mix Greek yoghurt through curry.1 Lebanese cucumber, ¼ bunch green onion, 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon Greek yoghurt
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