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Crispy, golden, deeply satisfying. This chicken katsu curry never disappoints.

There’s a reason that katsu curry has become such a beloved staple. It’s the kind of meal that feels a little bit special without asking too much of you. Crispy golden chicken, that deeply savoury, gently spiced sauce and fluffy rice. Comfort food at its absolute finest. This is my version, and I’m very proud of it.

Makes 4 generous portions | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

How to make Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients:

For the chicken: 4 chicken breasts, 100g plain flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), 2 eggs (beaten), 150g panko breadcrumbs, olive oil

For the sauce: 1 onion (finely chopped), 2 garlic cloves (minced), thumb of fresh ginger (grated), 2 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp plain flour, 400ml chicken stock, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup

To serve: Fluffy rice, fresh coriander and spring onion

Method

Start with the sauce. Soften the onion, garlic and ginger in a little oil over a medium heat until sweet and translucent. Add the curry powder, garam masala and flour and cook for a minute, stirring so nothing catches. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring as you go to keep it smooth. Add the soy sauce, honey and ketchup, then leave it to simmer for roughly 15 – 20 minutes until it thickens nicely. Blend (a hand blender works great) until completely smooth and set aside. It’ll keep happily while you get on with the chicken.

For the chicken. Flatten the chicken breasts slightly between two sheets of cling film so they cook evenly – a rolling pin works perfectly. Set up your three stations: seasoned flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs. Coat each breast in that order, pressing the panko on firmly so it really adheres. Pop them in the fridge for a little bit if you have some time – it does help to firm up the coating but this isn’t essential. Lay them on a baking tray, drizzle generously with olive oil, and bake at 180°C for 25 – 30 minutes or until deeply golden and cooked through. You can also utilise an airfryer or shallow frying if you’d rather.

To serve. Slice the chicken on the diagonal and arrange over perfectly fluffy basmati rice. Spoon the sauce generously over the top – don’t be shy with it – and finish with fresh coriander and spring onion if you fancy. The perfect chicken katsu curry, ready for a delicious dinner.

A few notes:

The sauce is the star here and it reheats beautifully, so it’s well worth making a double batch and keeping some in the fridge for the week. Don’t skip the panko – regular breadcrumbs just won’t give you that same satisfying crunch. Most supermarkets stock it now and it’s worth having a bag in the cupboard permanently.

Chicken Katsu Curry

A crispy, golden chicken katsu curry with a deeply savoury blended sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the chicken

• 4 whole Chicken breasts
• 100 grams Plain flour
• 1 tsp Salt and pepper
• 2 medium Eggs
• 150 grams Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 drizzle Olive oil

For the sauce

• 1 White onion
• 2 whole Garlic gloves
• 1 thumb Fresh ginger
• 2 tbps Mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp Garam masala
• 1 tbsp Plain flour
• 400 mls Chicken stock
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Runny honey
• 1 tbsp Ketchup

To serve

• Fluffy rice
• Fresh coriander
• Spring onion

Method

 

1. Start with the sauce. Soften the onion, garlic and ginger in a little oil over a medium heat until sweet and translucent. Add the curry powder, garam masala and flour and cook for a minute, stirring so nothing catches. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring as you go to keep it smooth. Add the soy sauce, honey and ketchup, then leave it to simmer for 15–20 minutes until it thickens nicely. Blend until completely smooth and set aside – it'll keep happily while you get on with the chicken.
2. For the chicken. Flatten the breasts slightly between two sheets of cling film so they cook evenly – a rolling pin works perfectly. Set up your three stations: seasoned flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs. Coat each breast in that order, pressing the panko on firmly so it really adheres. Lay them on a baking tray, drizzle generously with olive oil, and bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes until deeply golden and cooked through.
3. To serve. Slice the chicken on the diagonal and arrange over fluffy rice. Spoon the sauce generously over the top – don't be shy with it – and finish with fresh coriander and spring onion if you fancy.

Notes

The sauce is the star here and it reheats beautifully, so it’s well worth making a double batch and keeping some in the fridge for the week. It’s also brilliant with tofu if you want to make it veggie.

Don’t skip the panko – regular breadcrumbs just won’t give you that same satisfying crunch. Most supermarkets stock it now and it’s worth having a bag in the cupboard permanently.