Chicken Katsu Curry
Breaded chicken cutlet with Japanese curry
Ingredients
- 2 fillets Chicken breast
- 100 g Panko
- 1 Egg
- 80 g Japanese curry roux
- 1 Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 400 g Japanese short-grain rice
- 200 ml Neutral oil
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Rinse the rice and cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, dice the onion and carrot for the sauce.
- Simmer the onion and carrot in a pot of water until soft, then take the pot off the heat, melt in the curry roux until dissolved, and return to low heat until thick and glossy.
- While the sauce simmers, season the chicken with salt, dip it in beaten egg, then coat all over in panko.
- Heat the neutral oil in a deep pan to 175C and deep-fry the cutlets until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes, then drain on a rack and slice.
- Plate the rice, lay the sliced katsu alongside, and pour the curry over.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Chicken Katsu Curry
Chicken katsu curry is one of Japan's most popular comfort dishes, marrying two yoshoku classics on a single plate: a panko-crumbed, deep-fried cutlet (katsu) and thick Japanese curry sauce, served over short-grain rice. The curry is its own distinct thing — far sweeter, milder and glossier than Indian or Thai curries — built from a solid roux block melted into soft-simmered onion and carrot until it turns rich and pourable. Against that smooth, savoury-sweet sauce sits the katsu: chicken breast dipped in egg, coated in coarse panko and fried until the crumb is deeply golden and audibly crisp.
The contrast is the whole appeal — crunchy, juicy cutlet cutting through velvety curry, with plain rice underneath to soak up the sauce. It's mild enough to be a family favourite and hearty enough to satisfy on its own, usually plated with the sliced cutlet fanned over rice and the curry ladled beside it. This version handles the timing so the elements land together: the rice steams while the sauce simmers, and the chicken is breaded and fried last so the crust stays crisp against the sauce rather than going soft. Coarse panko and oil held at a steady frying temperature are what give the katsu its lasting crunch.
Chicken Katsu Curry: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Chicken Katsu Curry?
A serving has about 1014 calories — 53.2g protein, 119g carbs, 35.5g fat, 6g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 53.2g of protein, roughly 21% of its calories.
Is Chicken Katsu Curry gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Panko, Japanese curry roux. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How many servings does Chicken Katsu Curry make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.