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A bowl of Chicken Katsu Curry with rice, breaded chicken fillets, sliced carrots and potatoes, shredded cabbage, and chopped spring onions, served with chopsticks.
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Easy Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe

Crispy chicken cutlets in a mild curry sauce with carrots, potato and onion. This classic Japanese Katsu curry uses curry blocks for speed and simplicity.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Any Time Of the year, Fakeaway, Perfect Street Food
Servings: 4 people
Author Nicky Corbishley

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 4 small chicken breasts (about 150g/5.3oz each or 600g/1.3lbs altogether)
  • 2 eggs lightly whisked
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 75 g (1 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
  • Spray oil (I use about 2tbsp/30ml)

Katsu Curry:

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 720 ml (3 cups) water
  • 2 medium potatoes (ideally waxy potatoes) peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 100 g (3.5oz) Katsu curry sauce cubes I use Yutaka or S&B brand (see notes for more info)

To Serve:

  • boiled rice
  • 200 g white cabbage very finely shredded
  • 3 spring onions/scallions chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) and line a baking tray with parchment or a silicon liner.
  • Start with the chicken. Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing into each breast horizontally most of the way through, then opening up the chicken breast – so it looks like an extra-large chicken cutlet.
    4 small chicken breasts
  • Place one of the chicken breasts on top of a large piece of baking parchment and fold the parchment over the top of the chicken. Use a rolling pin or wooden mallet to lightly pound the chicken breast so it's an even thickness all the way through. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
  • Place the eggs in a shallow bowl, the flour, salt and pepper in a second bowl (mix it together) and the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
    2 eggs, 4 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 75 g (1 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
  • Coat one of the chicken cutlets in the flour, then dip in the egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on the prepared baking tray and repeat with the other chicken cutlets.
  • Spray the chicken evenly with spray oil and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
    Spray oil (I use about 2tbsp/30ml)
  • To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
    1 tsp oil, 1 large onion
  • Add the carrots, and water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Then add in the potatoes and simmer for a further 7 minutes - until the carrots and potato are just starting to get tender.
    2 medium carrots, 720 ml (3 cups) water, 2 medium potatoes (ideally waxy potatoes)
  • Break up the katsu cubes and add to the water with the vegetables. Stir together and simmer gently for 7 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should thicken as it simmers.
    100 g (3.5oz) Katsu curry sauce cubes
    A pan of Japanese curry sauce with potatoes, carrots, and onions being stirred with a wooden spoon. Chopped spring onions are in a small dish behind the pan.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven and slices into thick strips.
    Sliced crispy chicken cutlets on a wooden chopping board with a knife.
  • Add boiled rice and shredded cabbage to 4 waiting plates or bowls. Ladle most of the sauce into the bowls, next add the rice to one side (so it's sitting in the sauce). Arrange the crispy chicken on top, and add a drizzle of sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve.
    boiled rice, 200 g white cabbage, 3 spring onions/scallions
    Wide image of Chicken Katsu Curry in a green bowl with rice and shredded cabbage. The chicken is topped with spring onions. A set of chopsticks rests on the bowl. The bowl is on a teal napkin.

Notes

Curry Blocks

The two best brands in my opinion (aff links):
  • Yutaka (mainly UK and parts of europe) - I use 720ml (cups) water for 100g of katsu blocks. This is a mild curry
  • S&B golden curry mild, medium hot, hot or extra hot - these come in 92g blocks. I still use 720ml(cups) water. 

Cooking the chicken in the air fryer

First ensure your air fryer is large enough for 4 butterflied chicken steaks. The chicken can overlap a bit, but you don’t want to stack them in a big pile. If your air fryer is small, you may have to cook in 2 batches - so you may find it actually takes less time overall to cook in the oven.
Cook on the air fry setting 180C/350F for 13-16 minutes, until the chicken is piping hot throughout and no longer pink in the middle. Check a couple of times during cooking, to ensure the coating doesn’t burn. You may need to turn to ensure even cooking.
Nutritional information is approximate, per portion (this recipes serves 4) NOT including rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1453mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g

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