Japanese Katsu Curry

Japanese katsu curry made with crispy panko breaded chicken served with a sweet, savory and satisfying Japanese curry sauce over a bed of warm rice is the ultimate comfort dish.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch & Dinner Recipes, Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword chicken katsu curry, chicken katsu curry recipe, Japanese katsu curry, Japanese katsu curry recipe, katsu curry, katsu curry recipe, katsu curry sauce

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 2095kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken Katsu

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts lightly pounded
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 cups vegetable oil

Japanese Curry

2 oz Japanese Curry Roux
1 yellow onion wedge cut
1 large russet potato peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
1 large carrot peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup red apple peeled and grated about 1 large apple
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Serve

2 cups cooked white rice

Instructions

Chicken Katsu

Butterfly the chicken. Butterfly the chicken by slicing the breast horizontally along the long side of the chicken from one side leaving the other intact.
Tenderize and season the chicken. Fold out the chicken, and lightly pound the chicken to tenderize until it is about ½ inch thick then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Prepare the breading. Prepare three shallow dishes, 1) with flour, 2) with the lightly beaten egg, and 3) with panko bread crumbs.
Coat the chicken. Thoroughly coat both sides of the chicken with flour, then the beaten eggs, and lastly the panko bread crumbs. Shake off any excess between each step and make sure to press on the panko bread crumbs to thoroughly coat the chicken.
Fry. In a medium-sized deep pan, heat up about 1-2 inches of vegetable or any neutral oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 340°F or 170°C. Place one coated chicken katsu into the oil and cook for 3 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Cook the chicken until golden brown. Let the chicken cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing it into strips.

Japanese Curry

Prepare the ingredients. Peel and dice the potato and carrot into diced pieces about 1 inch thick. Soak the potato in water for about 10 min to remove excess starch. Peel and wedge cut the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Using a fine grater, grate the apple. Set aside.
Cook the onion and garlic. In a medium pot over medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned and fragrant.
Cook the carrot. When the onions are translucent, add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and carrot. Mix thoroughly. Cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes.
Cook the potato. Add the add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the potato. Mix thoroughly. Cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes.
Add in the chicken stock, water, soy sauce, honey, and apple. Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, honey, and grated apple. Bring the pot to a boil then turn down the heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.
Add the roux. Add the curry roux back into the pot with the vegetables and stir gently to blend the curry roux. Simmer on medium low heat for 15 more minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stirring occasionally.
Serve. Serve the chicken katsu sliced over a bed of rice and a large scoop of Japanese curry.

Notes

Tenderize the chicken: This ensures even cooking time for your chicken. Tenderizing the chicken creates an even thickness for a more tender and juicy meat.
Bring your chicken breast to room temperature. About 30 minutes before cooking the chicken cutlet, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and bring it for a more even cook.
Use a candy thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. I HIGHLY recommend placing a thermometer inside your skillet to monitor the oil temperature at all times. The oil temperature you want to maintain is 340 ºF (170 ºC).
Scoop up the fallen panko crumbs. In between each batch of katsu chicken, scoop out the dropped breadcrumbs in the oil to prevent them from burning in the oil and changing the flavor of the oil.
Cool on a wire rack. Cool the Japanese chicken cutlet on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes so the excess oil can drip off and prevent the crispy crust from becoming soggy.
Cut the carrot and potato into large pieces. It is important that the carrot and potato are cut in decently sized pieces about 1-inch squares. This prevents the carrot and potato from falling apart too quickly.
Storage Instructions: Chicken katsu curry is best served immediately. However, you can store any leftovers with the chicken and curry in separate air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition