Japanese · Dinner

Chicken katsu curry

Name: Chicken katsu curry
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for breading; 2 tablespoons Japanese curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus 6 cups for frying; 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced; 2 carrots, cut in 3/4-inch pieces; 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces; 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1 tablespoon grated apple; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5 ounces each; 3 large eggs, beaten; 3 cups coarse Japanese panko; 6 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice; 1 cup fukujinzuke Japanese curry pickles

Crisp panko chicken cutlets beside rice and a mild, glossy Japanese curry of deeply cooked onion, carrot, and potato, with bright fukujinzuke pickles.

About 1 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hr 30 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Simple clip-on pick
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907
View at Amazon
For frequent frying and alarms
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100
View at ThermoWorks
Another workable path: Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared continuous readability, clip stability, temperature recovery help, cleaning guidance, and exact model identity. A current independent comparison informed the simple clip-on choice; manufacturer documentation established care and the alarm system's included parts. Kwilt has not calibrated or fried with these thermometers.
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907: Its curved paddle and silicone-coated clip stay close to the pot, giving you a continuous oil reading without another screen or battery. Trade-off: It has no alarm, and KitchenAid says to hand wash rather than submerge it.
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100: High and low alarms make the oil drop between batches hard to miss, and the same system can monitor roasting, bread, and candy. Trade-off: It costs substantially more and brings a cabled probe, case, and controls that are unnecessary for an occasional batch of fish tacos.
Another workable path: If you already own a suitable high-temperature instant-read thermometer, check the oil before and between batches. Do not leave it in the pot unless its maker allows continuous high-temperature use.
Sources
Food Network tested comparison
KitchenAid thermometer care
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for breading
2 tablespoons Japanese curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus 6 cups for frying
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon grated apple
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5 ounces each
3 large eggs, beaten
3 cups coarse Japanese panko
6 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
1 cup fukujinzuke Japanese curry pickles

Instructions

Melt butter over medium-low heat, whisk in 1/3 cup flour, and cook until peanut-butter brown and nutty, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garam masala for 30 seconds; scrape the curry roux into a bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven and cook onions until deeply golden, 15 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, stock, apple, Worcestershire, soy, and 1 teaspoon salt; simmer until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Whisk pieces of curry roux into the simmering broth until completely dissolved. Simmer 8 minutes until glossy and able to coat rice; keep warm without allowing potatoes to disintegrate.
Pound chicken thighs to an even 1/2 inch and season with remaining salt. Coat in the 1 cup flour, egg, then panko, pressing lightly. Fry in in batches until deep gold and 165°F at the center, 4 to 6 minutes; drain on a rack and rest 3 minutes.
Slice katsu crosswise. Plate rice, curry, and cutlet so some crust remains above the sauce rather than becoming submerged; serve with fukujinzuke.

JapanJapanese household and yoshoku cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Katsu curry is Japanese yoshoku: a Western-style panko cutlet paired with mild thick Japanese curry and rice, with sauce placed to preserve part of the crust.

Katsu curry is Japanese yōshoku: a Western-style breaded cutlet paired with Japanese curry rice. Katsu means cutlet, not curry sauce. A homemade brown roux preserves the mild, thick Japanese curry character, while serving sauce beside—not drowning—the chicken protects the reason katsu belongs in the dish. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use the strong Japanese rating signal to preserve component architecture, make curry roux from scratch for an independent recipe, and retain accessible supermarket vegetables and a clear poultry endpoint.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe