If you feel like making a fakeaway dinner, try this Wagamama-inspired homemade chicken Katsu curry recipe. Crispy breaded chicken smothered in a mildly spiced curry sauce. It’s ready to eat in under 45 minutes and made from everyday store cupboard ingredients!
what is chicken katsu curry?
Chicken Katsu curry is a Japanese dish that consists of breaded and fried chicken cutlets (like a chicken Schnitzel) served with a curry sauce. The chicken is usually coated in panko breadcrumbs, giving it a crispy texture. It’s usually accompanied by a bed of sticky white rice, salad and Japanese pickles.
why you’ll love this recipe
- Budget-friendly to make. There are lots of Katsu curry kits available in the supermarket you can buy, but they are pretty expensive. Creating the dish from scratch at home not only proves to be more economical but is also much tastier!
- easy to prepare. The homemade sauce takes a little time to cook, but it’s very simple to make.
- Fakeaway favourite. If your family enjoys Wagamama Katsu curry, then they’ll definitely love this homemade version!
Origins
Katsu curry, known as “Katsu Kare”, is very popular in Japan. It is believed to have originated in Japan and is considered a fusion of Western and Japanese cuisine.
Wagamama’s chicken Katsu curry has become an iconic and much loved dish with their customers. The combination of crispy chicken, curry sauce and fluffy rice is a taste sensation! You don’t need to visit the restaurant every time you get a craving for Katsu – you can easily make it at home! Let me show you how…
INGREDIENTS
- Chicken breasts. Skinless boneless chicken fillets are flattened with a meat tenderizer – or use the end of a rolling pin! If you have chicken cutlets that are already thin, there is no need to do this.
- panko breadcrumbs. I LOVE Japanese panko! They are blitzed into larger crumbs which gives a really crisp, crunchy coating.
- Egg and flour to help the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken.
For the katsu sauce:
- Onion and carrot gently sautéed over a low heat in a little oil will provide flavour and a little sweetness to the sauce.
- Crushed Garlic and ginger – essential ingredients for a Katsu sauce. You can use fresh or paste from a jar.
- Dried Turmeric adds vibrant colour
- Curry powder. Mild or medium curry powder works best. Katsu isn’t supposed to be blow-your-head-off hot.
- Chicken stock – from a cube or stock pot.
- Light Soy sauce
- Honey adds a little sweetness to the curry sauce.
- Cornflour is used to thicken the sauce
- Salt and pepper to season
how to make homemade katsu curry
Scroll to the bottom of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions!
1.Make the sauce – Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the diced onion and carrot. Cook over low-medium heat for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute. Add the turmeric and curry powder and cook for a further minute. Pour in the chicken stock and stir well. Add the soy sauce and honey. Cover the pan with a lid, turn down the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
To thicken the sauce, place the cornflour and water in a small bowl or dish and stir well until smooth. Stir this slurry into the pan stirring well. Bring the sauce to a boil, then immediately turn the heat right down to low and cook for a couple of minutes. Season the sauce to your taste, then add a little more honey if you prefer a sweeter taste. Blend the sauce to a smooth consistency in a blender.
2. Prepare the chicken – Dip the flattened chicken pieces in the flour and dust off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing the chicken down firmly to make the crumbs stick. Place the breaded chicken on a plate.
3. Cook the chicken – Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Cook the chicken on a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken coating is crunchy and golden and the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
Can I bake the breaded chicken in the oven?
You absolutely can. If you would rather not fry the chicken, you can bake it in the oven. Place the breaded goujons in an oven-proof dish, spray the chicken with some cooking oil and bake in a preheated oven (190C/170Fan) for 15-20 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking time.
You won’t get such a crispy crumb on the chicken in the oven, but I totally appreciate that many people are unable to eat fried food for health reasons.
MAKE it AHEAD OF TIME
The chicken can be breaded and stored in the fridge for up for 2 days (depending on the best before date on the pack).
The sauce can also be made ahead of time. Store in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring often until piping hot.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Chicken Katsu is delicious served on a bed of white rice to soak up all that gorgeous sauce, but here are a few more ideas:
- with crispy chips. Yes, with rice too! I believe this is a Scottish thing. I remember visiting a friend in Manchester a few years ago. I ordered my Chinese with rice and chips. I received a funny look from the guy behind the counter. My friend said it’s unheard of around those parts! Who knew this??? I certainly didn’t!
- noodles
- Pak Choi
- side salad
- pickled ginger
- carrot and cucumber ribbons
more easy fakeaway recipes to try
Homemade Chicken Katsu Curry
How to make homemade chicken Katsu curry. Crunchy breaded chicken with a mildly spiced, slightly sweet curry sauce. Serve on a bed of rice with salad and Japanese pickles.
Ingredients
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (or 3 teaspoons crushed garlic paste)
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or two teaspoons ready made ginger paste)
- 1 teaspoon dried turmeric
- 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons mild or medium curry powder
- 500ml hot chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon honey (add up to 1/2 tbsp more for a sweeter sauce)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
- 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, to thicken the sauce
- 3 large chicken breasts (skinless and boneless) or thin chicken "cutlets"
- 25g plain (all purpose) flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g panko breadcrumbs (you might need a little more)
- Approximately 50ml vegetable oil, for frying the chicken
Instructions
- Make the curry sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the diced onion and carrot. Cook over low-medium heat for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute. Add the turmeric and curry powder and cook for a further minute to release the flavours.
- Pour in the chicken stock and stir well. Add the soy sauce and honey. Cover the pan with a lid, turn down the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- To thicken the sauce, place the cornflour and water in a small bowl or dish and stir well until smooth. Stir this into the sauce, stirring well. Bring the sauce to the boil, then immediately turn the heat down to low and cook for a couple of minutes. Season the sauce to your taste, then add a little more honey if you want more sweetness. Blend the sauce with an electric blender until smooth. Turn the heat off but keep the sauce on the hob to keep it warm while you make the chicken.
- If you aren't using thin chicken cutlets, you'll need to bash the chicken with a mallet or the end of a rolling pin to thin it out. If this is the case, cover a chopping board with cling film, place the chicken breast on top, and then cover with another piece of cling film. Bash the chicken to a thickness of 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
- Prepare your "dredging station" - you'll need three bowls for the flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Season the flour with a little salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the flour and dust off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded chicken on a plate.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking (otherwise the breadcrumbs will burn) add the chicken and cook on medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side or until the coating is crispy and golden and the chicken is cooked through. Place the chicken on a plate and leave to rest for a few minutes. Cut into the chicken - the juices should run clear with no traces of pink meat.
- Arrange the chicken on a plate or bowl with long-grain rice and spoon over the sauce. Add some salad, Japanese pickles or carrot and cucumber ribbons if desired.
Notes
Make it in advance:
The chicken can be breaded and stored in the fridge for up for 2 days (depending on the best before date on the pack). When you're ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it sit for about 15 minutes before cooking to remove the fridge chill.
The curry sauce can also be made ahead of time. Store in the fridge for up to four days and reheat in a saucepan over a low-medium heat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 622Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 1141mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
Would the katsu sauce freeze well? I like to batch cook & freeze my sauces.
Yes, it freezes really well 🙂