Crispy hen cutlets in a gentle curry sauce with carrots, potato and onion. This basic Japanese Katsu curry makes use of curry blocks for pace and ease. We love this curry a lot and eat it on repeat. Each of my youngsters make it for themselves too.

Nicky’s Notes

Not solely is that this meal on our common recipe rotation at dwelling, nevertheless it’s additionally my go-to backup dinner once I haven’t deliberate something.
I’ve at all times bought some Katsu curry cubes within the cabinet. They make a critically flavourful curry sauce.
Is utilizing curry cubes dishonest? You would possibly ask….
No approach! The truth is curry cubes are a standard staple in Japanese households.
You possibly can after all make a katsu curry sauce from scratch, however you’ll be able to’t beat the cubes for a easy, persistently nice curry.
The hen
The crispy hen cutlets are an all-important a part of the curry too. I prefer to coat butterflied hen in a panko combination and bake within the oven or air fryer.
If you happen to’re additional quick on time although, ready-coated hen from the grocery store works nice!
📋 Components for Katsu Curry
***Full recipe with detailed portions within the recipe card beneath***


The Curry Blocks
You should purchase Japanese curry blocks at most bigger supermarkets, Asian markets and on-line from locations like Sous Chef and Amazon (the hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks for Amazon).
- S&B Golden Curry blocks are extra frequent in all places else. They’re additionally very flavourful. I exploit the ‘medium-hot’ blocks. They’re nonetheless very delicate although (solely a tiny bit hotter than the delicate Yutaka model). S&B additionally do a gentle, scorching and very popular model.


Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card beneath***
Coat butterflied hen with flour, egg and panko. Bake or air-fry till golden and cooked via. Fry the onion in a bit oil. Add water, carrots and potato and simmer till tender, then add damaged up katsu cubes and simmer till thick. Serve the sauce with the sliced up crispy hen, rice and shredded cabbage.
Recipe Ideas
- Minimize the dimensions of your greens pretty evenly for a pleasant uniform look. This implies the carrots will take a bit longer to cook dinner than the potatoes, so add the carrots in first. If you would like the carrots and potatoes to cook dinner on the similar time, lower the carrots smaller than the potatoes.
- If you happen to don’t wish to coat the hen your self, you should utilize ready-coated hen from the grocery store. Breaded hen steaks, goujons or mini fillets work nicely.


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🍽️ What to serve it with
Historically Hen katsu is served with steamed or boiled rice and shredded cabbage. It’s also possible to serve with pickles (pickled ginger or pickled radish) and/or cucumber for a recent crunch.


Make forward information
- The sauce (with greens) could be made forward, then rapidly cooled, coated and refrigerated (for as much as 2 days). Reheat on the stovetop over a medium warmth, stirring usually, till piping scorching. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce because it heats.
- I’d advocate maintaining the crispy hen separate, if making forward (to cease the coating going soggy within the sauce.
– Coat and bake the hen, then cool, cowl and refrigerate (for as much as 2 days). Reheat the hen uncovered, in a single layer, on a baking tray, within the oven at 180C/350F (fan) for 10-Quarter-hour, till piping scorching all through. Alternatively, reheat within the air fryer at 180C/350F for 8-10 minutes, till piping scorching all through. If air frying, examine a few occasions throughout cooking, to make sure the coating doesn’t burn.
📺 Watch learn how to make it
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) and line a baking tray with parchment or a silicon liner.
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Begin with the hen. Butterfly the hen breasts by slicing into every breast horizontally many of the approach via, then opening up the hen breast – so it seems to be like an extra-large hen cutlet.
4 small hen breasts
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Place one of many hen breasts on high of a giant piece of baking parchment and fold the parchment excessive of the hen. Use a rolling pin or wood mallet to calmly pound the hen breast so it is a fair thickness all through. Repeat with the remaining hen breasts.
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Place the eggs in a shallow bowl, the flour, salt and pepper in a second bowl (combine it collectively) and the panko breadcrumbs in a 3rd bowl.
2 eggs, 4 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 75 g (1 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
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Coat one of many hen cutlets within the flour, then dip within the egg and at last coat within the breadcrumbs. Place on the ready baking tray and repeat with the opposite hen cutlets.
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Spray the hen evenly with spray oil and place within the oven for 25-Half-hour, till cooked via and not pink within the center.
Spray oil (I exploit about 2tbsp/30ml)
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To make the sauce, warmth the oil in a big saucepan. Add the onion and cook dinner for five minutes, till beginning to soften.
1 tsp oil, 1 giant onion
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Add the carrots, and water and produce to the boil. Simmer for five minutes. Then add within the potatoes and simmer for an extra 7 minutes – till the carrots and potato are simply beginning to get tender.
2 medium carrots, 720 ml (3 cups) water, 2 medium potatoes (ideally waxy potatoes)
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Break up the katsu cubes and add to the water with the greens. Stir collectively and simmer gently for 7 minutes, stirring usually. The sauce ought to thicken because it simmers.
100 g (3.5oz) Katsu curry sauce cubes
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Take away the hen from the oven and slices into thick strips.
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Add boiled rice and shredded cabbage to 4 ready plates or bowls. Ladle many of the sauce into the bowls, subsequent add the rice to at least one aspect (so it is sitting within the sauce). Organize the crispy hen on high, and add a drizzle of sauce over the hen. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve.
boiled rice, 200 g white cabbage, 3 spring onions/scallions
Curry Blocks
The 2 finest manufacturers in my view (aff hyperlinks):
- Yutaka (primarily UK and components of europe) – I exploit 720ml (cups) water for 100g of katsu blocks. It is a delicate curry
- S&B golden curry delicate, medium scorching, scorching or additional scorching – these are available in 92g blocks. I nonetheless use 720ml(cups) water.
Cooking the hen within the air fryer
First guarantee your air fryer is giant sufficient for 4 butterflied hen steaks. The hen can overlap a bit, however you don’t wish to stack them in a giant pile. In case your air fryer is small, you will have to cook dinner in 2 batches – so it’s possible you’ll discover it really takes much less time total to cook dinner within the oven.
Cook dinner on the air fry setting 180C/350F for 13-16 minutes, till the hen is piping scorching all through and not pink within the center. Verify a few occasions throughout cooking, to make sure the coating doesn’t burn. It’s possible you’ll want to show to make sure even cooking.
Dietary data is approximate, per portion (this recipes serves 4) NOT together with rice.
Energy: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 43g | Fats: 24g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.03g | Ldl cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1453mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g
Diet data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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