Chicken Katsu Curry
Katsu curry is a family favourite that I used to make every week until my local supermarket discontinued the curry paste that I used. You can make your own homemade version but for midweek ease, I usually prefer to use a curry paste. This one that I picked up from Marks and Spencer's food has a mild, authentic taste and a minimal ingredients list. Katsu curry is back on the menu!
Katsu curry is one of those dishes that sounds fancy but is honestly so easy to pull off at home - crispy panko-coated chicken, mildly spiced curry sauce, and a mountain of fluffy rice to soak it all up. It's the kind of fakeaway that tastes like it took hours but really doesn't, and it's mild coconutty sauce usually goes down well with kids too.
Serve it like this - sliced so you get that satisfying golden crunch with every bite - and don't skip the spring onion and sesame seed finish, it adds a proper bit of crunch and colour on top of all that rich sauce.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Proper crunch, no deep fryer needed.
The panko coating crisps up beautifully in the air fryer or oven, so you get that satisfying crackle without a pan full of oil to deal with.
- Better than a takeaway.
You'll have this ready in less time than a takeaway can arrive - and it costs a fraction of ordering in.
- Freezer-friendly sauce.
The curry sauce freezes brilliantly on its own, so it's worth doubling the batch for an even quicker midweek win next time.
- Kid-approved flavour.
It's mild, a little sweet, and totally moreish - even fussy eaters tend to come back for seconds.
- Two meals for one
If you have kids that don't like curry, cut their chicken into strips and serve with chips and a side of veg (my kids love breaded chicken strips!).
- Extra rich, extra creamy.
A hit of creamed coconut melted into the sauce takes it up a notch - smoother, richer, and a little sweeter than your standard katsu, with the spice mellowed just enough for little ones.
4 Servings 40 Minutes
Ingredients
- Eggs - 2
- Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Creamed Coconut Block - 100 grams
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 4 tbsp
- Garlic Granules - 1 tsp
- Katsu Curry Paste - 190 grams
- Panko Breadcrumbs - 150 grams
- Plain Flour - 6 tbsp
- Salt - 2 tsp
- Sesame Seeds - 0 tsp
- Water - 850 ml
- Spring Onions - 4
- Chicken Breasts - 4
Method
- Wash the rice: Rinse 300g jasmine rice in a sieve under cold running water, swishing it around, until the water runs clear - this washes off the excess starch so the rice doesn't turn stodgy.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C fan.
- Cook the rice: Add the washed rice to a saucepan with 450ml water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Add the katsu paste: In a saucepan, stir in the contents of a 190g jar of Katsu curry paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Gradually pour in 400ml water and stir until smooth.
- Melt in the coconut: Add 100g creamed coconut block, chopped and stir over gentle heat until fully melted and combined into the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce: Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is glossy, rich and thickened to your liking. Keep sauce on a very low heat whilst you prepare the chicken.
- Flatten the chicken: Place 4 chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin to an even thickness. Season both sides with 1tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Coat the chicken: Set up three shallow dishes: one with the plain flour, one with 2 large beaten eggs and another with the 150g panko breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken breast in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing to coat fully.
- Prep for baking: Place the coated chicken on the tray and drizzle with olive oil, this helps the panko crisp and turn golden in the oven.
- Bake the chicken: Bake for 25 minutes turning halfway through, until golden, crisp and cooked through.
- Rest and slice: Remove from the oven and rest for 2-3 minutes, then slice into strips.
- Serve: Plate up the rice and sliced chicken, spoon the katsu sauce over and around, then scatter with sliced spring onions, and 1tsp sesame seeds, to garnish.
Hints and Tips
- Flatten the chicken first.
Bashing the chicken breast to an even thickness before crumbing means it cooks through at the same rate as the coating turns golden.
- Double dip for extra crunch.
Flour, egg, panko, then back through the egg and panko again - it's a bit more effort but gives you that thick, ultra-crispy shell.
- Rest before slicing.
Let the chicken sit for a couple of minutes after cooking so the juices settle, then slice - it keeps every piece juicy right to the middle.
- Loosen the sauce with a splash of water.
Curry sauce thickens as it sits, so a splash of hot water while reheating brings it right back to that glossy, pourable consistency.
- Don't drown the crunch.
Spoon the sauce around and partially over the chicken rather than fully submerging it, so it keeps some crispy coating on show.