This chicken katsu curry is a takeout at home that skips the deep fat fryer. Thin chicken breasts are crumbed in panko, misted with oil and baked crisp in a hot oven, while a mild, golden curry sauce simmers on the stovetop. Sticky rice, green onions and a little chili finish the bowl, all in 30 minutes.
Why this works
Bashing the chicken to an even ½ inch means it cooks through in the time the crumbs take to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes in a hot oven. A preheated tray starts crisping the underside straight away, and a fine mist of oil gives the panko a crunchy, golden finish without a pan of hot oil.
The sauce is a quick roux: onion softened in oil, curry powder and flour cooked for a minute, then stock whisked in. Grated onion softens in 3 minutes and melts into the sauce, so it comes out smooth without blending, and soy sauce and honey bring the savory sweetness of a Japanese curry.
Key ingredients
- Panko. Japanese breadcrumbs are larger and drier than ordinary ones, so they stay crisp in the oven. Ordinary dried breadcrumbs work but bake denser.
- Mild curry powder. Japanese curry is mild and slightly sweet, so a mild or medium powder suits it. A hot one takes over the sauce.
- Chicken breasts. Bashed thin and even, so they cook through quickly. Boneless thighs, opened out flat, stay juicier and take a few minutes longer.
- Rice. Short grain sushi rice is the sticky Japanese choice. Jasmine rice is a fragrant stand in.
Amounts for 1 to 6 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Heat the oven, start the rice
Heat the oven to 425°F with a baking sheet inside. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and cook it as the packet says.
- 02
Flatten the chicken
Lay the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper and bash it with a rolling pin until it's an even ½ inch thick all over.
- 03
Crumb the chicken
Season the flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Put the egg in a shallow bowl and the panko on a second plate. Dip each breast in flour, then egg, then press it firmly into the panko on both sides.
- 04
Spray and bake
Take out the hot tray, spray it with oil and lay the chicken on it. Spray the tops until every crumb looks lightly damp, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning and spraying the second side halfway, until deep golden and 165°F in the thickest part.
Glass Oil Sprayer - 05
Start the sauce
While the chicken bakes, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Grate in the onion on the coarse side of a box grater and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Grate in the garlic and ginger on the rasp, add the curry powder and flour, and stir for 1 minute.
Rasp Zester and Fine Grater - 06
Simmer the sauce
Whisk in the stock a little at a time, then add the soy sauce and honey. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until it coats the back of a spoon. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- 07
Slice and serve
Rest the chicken for a minute, then slice it into strips. Spoon the rice into bowls, pour the sauce alongside and lay the chicken half on the sauce, so the crumb stays crisp. Top with green onions, sesame seeds and chili.
What to serve it with
Serve with shredded white cabbage or a quick pickle of carrot and cucumber in rice vinegar, which cuts through the rich sauce.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Cool quickly and keep the chicken, sauce and rice separately. Eat the chicken and sauce within 2 days and the rice within 1 day.
- Freezer
- The sauce freezes for up to 3 months. The crumbed chicken loses its crunch, so it's better eaten fresh.
- Reheat
- Crisp the chicken in a hot oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes until piping hot. Warm the sauce in a pan with a splash of water, and reheat the rice once only, until piping hot.
Questions
Yes. Spray both sides of the crumbed chicken and cook at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and 165°F in the thickest part.
Onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder, thickened with a little flour and loosened with stock. Soy sauce and honey give it the savory sweetness of a Japanese curry.
It needs more oil or more heat. Spray every patch of crumb, heat the tray with the oven and give the chicken the full time.
Yes. A jar of katsu sauce, or Japanese curry roux blocks made up as the packet says, saves about 10 minutes. Heat it while the chicken bakes.
Recipe
Chicken katsu curry in 30 minutes
Thin chicken in crisp panko, baked with a mist of oil, with a mild golden curry sauce and sticky rice. Ready in 30 minutes. By Tom Reid.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the sauce
To serve
Method
- 01Heat the oven to 425°F with a baking sheet inside. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and cook it as the packet says.
- 02Lay the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper and bash it with a rolling pin until it's an even ½ inch thick all over.
- 03Season the flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Put the egg in a shallow bowl and the panko on a second plate. Dip each breast in flour, then egg, then press it firmly into the panko on both sides.
- 04Take out the hot tray, spray it with oil and lay the chicken on it. Spray the tops until every crumb looks lightly damp, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning and spraying the second side halfway, until deep golden and 165°F in the thickest part.
- 05While the chicken bakes, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Grate in the onion on the coarse side of a box grater and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Grate in the garlic and ginger on the rasp, add the curry powder and flour, and stir for 1 minute.
- 06Whisk in the stock a little at a time, then add the soy sauce and honey. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until it coats the back of a spoon. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- 07Rest the chicken for a minute, then slice it into strips. Spoon the rice into bowls, pour the sauce alongside and lay the chicken half on the sauce, so the crumb stays crisp. Top with green onions, sesame seeds and chili.
