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Chicken Katsu with Curry is one of those cozy recipes you make when you want something warm and filling. Crispy chicken cutlets drizzled in a spiced and slightly sweet curry sauce.
Chicken Katsu with Curry is one of those recipes that lives in my mind rent free. The ultimate comfort food. Warm and cozy in each bite with a crispy, sauce, and fluffy texture.
Think about this. Slightly sweet and spicy curry sauce drizzled over fluffy steamed rice with a crispy chicken cutlet.
Ever since my sister got back from Japan and told me about all the Japanese curry she consumed with Chicken Katsu, I have been craving a homemade version.
And I’ll be honest, this is one of those recipes that stumped me a little. I wanted it to have a from scratch flavor that was easy to attain at home without having to use a Japanese curry roux mix. And though that shouldn’t be very difficult to do, getting the right mix of seasonings like garam masala and curry powder, and balancing them with sweet grated apples and carrots along with brown sugar, proved to be quite tricky.
It also doesn’t help that not all curry powders are created equal. In my experience, using a traditional brand of Madras curry powder vs a store bought brand completely changes the recipe. Sure, they contain a lot of the same ingredients, but the quality and quantity can vary greatly.
Needless to say, we’ve gotten it together and I can’t wait for you to give this one a try!
Ingredients for Chicken Katsu Curry
- Oil and butter: you’ll need oil for frying the chicken cutlets as well as a tablespoon of oil and butter for the curry portion of the recipe. For frying, in my experience, peanut, avocado, or vegetable oil work best.
- Yellow onion: finely chop the onions so that they blend right into the curry
- Carrots: dice your carrots if you want to leave them chunky or finely chop if you plan on blending the curry sauce.
- Apple: chop of grate your apples so that they melt rigs into the sauce
- A few cloves garlic: adds plenty of flavor
- ginger: I use a teaspoon and let it cook down in the curry sauce.
- Seasonings: you’ll need curry powder, garam masala, white pepper (or black pepper) and garlic powder.
- All Purpose Flour: this is what thickens the curry. I haven’t tested the recipe with cornstarch so I’m not sure if you can make this one gluten-free just yet.
- Chicken Broth: this helps add moisture to the ingredients to make a sauce.
- Soy Sauce: adds umami to the dish.
- Brown sugar: helps balance the spices and adds sweetness. Feel free to swap this for honey if you prefer.
- Chicken Breast: I use thinly sliced chicken breasts or your butcher might have them labeled as chicken cutlets. You can also use chicken thighs. Just be sure to pound them down so that they are thinner and cook into a crispy cutlet.
- Eggs: you’ll need a couple of eggs for binding the breadcrumbs.
- Panko breadcrumbs: these are Japanese style of breadcrumbs. I don’t suggest using regular breadcrumbs when making chicken Katsu or pork cutlet.
- Rice for serving: I typically just use my rice cooker to cook fluffy rice.
Substitutions I’ve Tested
I’ve tested this recipe by leaving the sauce as is and not blending it, and I have to say, it’s just not for me. I prefer a smooth sauce here, but feel free to leave the veggies whole if you don’t mind.
I’ve also tested this recipe with potatoes, and though you could use these or other vegetables, I wanted to blend the sauce and it makes it easier if I avoid adding potatoes.
Recipe Tips
- Use a reputable brand of curry powder and garam masala. Using a big-box brand typically means you’ll need to add additional seasoning. These are formulated with fillers and sometimes less potent ingredients. Use a brand that specializes in spices for best results.
- You can dredge chicken cutlets then cover, refrigerate, and use them later. I do this a ton when I’m short on time right before dinner. This makes it quick and easy to fry them up right before you sit down to eat.
- Make sure the temperature of the oil is correct for frying. Chicken cutlets fry best between 340-350ºF. Make sure to check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer, you want to pull the chicken out at 158-165ºF. Don’t worry, carry over cooking will allow the chicken to cook through!
Other Recipes to Try
Chicken Katsu with Curry
Ingredients
Curry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil such as avocado
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large white onion finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup grated apple such as honey crisp
- 4-7 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 3-4 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Chicken Katsu:
- 1 ¼ lb. Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets , thinly sliced chicken (see notes)
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
Bowls:
- 2 cups prepared jasmine rice
- Sliced scallions
- Sesame seeds or Furikake seasoning
Instructions
- SAUTE: Heat a saucepan over medium heat with the oil. Add the onions with a pinch of salt in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, apple, and chopped garlic and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Then add the grated ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and white pepper and continue to cook for 30-60 seconds.
- SAUCE: sprinkle the flour over the ingredients. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Then add the chicken stock slowly while you stir to combine. Add soy sauce and brown sugar. Allow the sauce to come to a boil and allow the curry to cook and thicken. Check to make sure the carrots are tender, with a sharp knife. Then turn off the heat. For a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- ADJUST: Taste and adjust with more salt or curry powder as needed. You may also need another splash of chicken broth to thin it out.
- SET UP: Set up a dredging station for the chicken cutlets. Add the flour, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a bowl and mix with a fork. Add the eggs to another shallow bowl and beat lightly with the fork. Then add the panko to the last bowl.
- DREDGE: Make sure the chicken is patted dry before dipping in flour. Dip the chicken in the flour, egg, and finally the panko. Press down in the panko so that the crumbs adhere to the chicken. Set aside on a plate and continue dredging the remaining chicken pieces the same way.
- COOK: Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saute pan to 350ºF over medium-high heat. Once hot, gently lay the breaded chicken cutlet away from you in the hot pan and let it cook for 2-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness until the exterior is golden brown and a metal thermometer registers to 165ºF.
- REMOVE: Remove chicken cutlets to a wire cook rack set on top of a baking sheet. Cook remaining cutlets the same way. Slice chicken cutlets right before serving.
- SERVE: warm curry in bowls with prepared fluffy rice and sliced chicken on top sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Chicken: feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breast that are thinly sliced and pounded out. You can also use chicken thighs, just be sure to use a mallet to flatten the chicken into a thin cutlet.
- Cutlets: You can dredge chicken cutlets then cover, refrigerate, and use them later. I do this a ton when I’m short on time right before dinner. This makes it quick and easy to fry them up right before you sit down to eat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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