Chicken katsu curry
Golden panko-crusted chicken with a glossy homemade Japanese curry sauce — comforting, crisp and perfect for a midweek feast.
This is the proper comfort-food combo: a crisp, panko‑coated chicken cutlet paired with a smooth, slightly sweet Japanese curry sauce. It’s a weeknight treat that looks like theatre but is utterly achievable.
Make the curry first and blitz it glossy while the chicken gets its crunchy coat. Serve with steamed rice and a quick cabbage salad if you want a classic Japanese plate — but the katsu shines on its own too.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts — about 150–180 g each; trim and butterfly
- 130 g plain flour — 100 g for dredging + 30 g for the curry roux
- 2 eggs — beaten
- 200 g panko breadcrumbs
- 600 ml vegetable oil — for shallow/deep frying and cooking
- 1 brown onion — large, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 carrot — medium, peeled and roughly chopped (about 120–150 g)
- 1 eating apple — peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves — peeled
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled
- 30 ml curry powder
- 5 ml garam masala
- 600 ml chicken stock — hot
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml tomato ketchup
- 15 ml honey
- 5 ml salt — plus extra to taste
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 2 spring onions — finely sliced, to garnish
Equipment
- meat mallet or rolling pin
- deep frying thermometer
- stick blender or blender
Instructions
Make the curry base: heat 15 ml vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion, carrot, eating apple, garlic cloves and fresh ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to caramelise, about 8 minutes.
Add the curry powder, garam masala and 30 g plain flour to the pan and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to cook out the raw flour and bloom the spices.
Gradually pour in the chicken stock, whisking to a smooth sauce. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and cook gently until the veg are completely soft and the sauce has reduced a little, about 20 minutes.
Blitz the sauce smooth with a stick blender or in a blender (careful — hot liquid). Return to the pan, stir in the soy sauce, tomato ketchup and honey and simmer gently for 5 minutes to thicken and balance the flavours. Taste and adjust seasoning.
While the curry simmers, prepare the chicken: place a chicken breast between two sheets of clingfilm and flatten with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even 1 cm thickness. Repeat for each breast.
Season the chicken lightly with half the salt and pepper. Set up a dredging station: shallow dishes with the remaining plain flour, the beaten eggs and the panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each breast in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg, then press into panko so the surface is well coated.
Place the crumbed breasts on a baking tray and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes — this helps the crumb set so it stays on when frying.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan or shallow fryer to 175°C (use a deep frying thermometer). There should be enough oil to come about 1.5–2 cm up the side of the pan.
Fry the chicken in batches (do not overcrowd) for 3–4 minutes per side, about 6–8 minutes total per breast, until golden and cooked through. If frying two batches, expect about 16 minutes total frying time. Use a thermometer — the internal temperature should reach 74°C.
Lift the chicken out and drain on kitchen paper. Rest the cooked breasts for 5 minutes before slicing — this keeps the meat juicy.
Slice the rested katsu into strips, spoon a generous ladle of curry onto warmed plates and place the sliced katsu on top. Scatter with the sliced spring onions and serve immediately.
Tips
- Flatten each breast to an even 1 cm — uneven thickness is the most common reason the crumb is burnt but the meat still raw.
- Use a frying thermometer and keep oil around 170–180°C. If the oil dips too low, the crumb soaks fat; if it’s too high, it burns before the chicken cooks.
- Chill the crumbed chicken for 10 minutes so the coating sets and sticks during frying.
- Make the curry a day ahead — it keeps beautifully and the flavour mellows. Reheat gently and add a splash of stock if it becomes too thick.
- To refresh leftover katsu, reheat in a 200°C fan/220°C conventional oven for 8–10 minutes to regain crispness; avoid the microwave which makes it soggy.
Substitutions
chicken breasts → pork loin steaks (butterfly and flatten to 1 cm), same quantities
Stays closepanko breadcrumbs → plain dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, same quantity
Noticeably differentplain flour → gluten-free plain flour (use a blend suitable for frying), same total weight
Stays closechicken stock → vegetable stock, same quantity (for a slightly lighter flavour)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 670
- Calories
- 45 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use pork instead of chicken?
Yes — pork loin or pork medallions are traditional for tonkatsu. Butterfly and flatten to 1 cm and follow the same coating and frying times.
How can I tell the chicken is cooked without a thermometer?
Cut the thickest part — the juices should run clear and the meat no longer pink. A thermometer set to 74°C is the easiest way to be certain.
Can I make the curry sauce ahead?
Absolutely. The sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and tastes even better after resting. Reheat gently on the hob, adding a little stock if it’s too thick.
How do I keep the crumb crisp when reheating?
Reheat in a hot oven (200°C fan/220°C conventional) for 8–10 minutes. Avoid microwaving as it will make the crumb soggy.
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