What’s one of the most loved Japanese dishes? Chicken katsu curry is definitely one of the top picks if you ask me! Featuring crispy panko-coated chicken, fluffy rice, and a rich, mildly spiced Japanese curry sauce, chicken katsu curry is the ultimate Japanese comfort food. And this easy air fryer chicken katsu curry recipe gives you all that crunch and deliciousness without the mess of deep frying.
The chicken breasts are flattened until tender, coated in panko breadcrumbs and air fried until beautifully golden and crispy. While the chicken cooks, an easy Japanese curry made with curry roux blocks, potatoes, carrots and onions comes together on the stove. It’s an easy way to make Japanese chicken katsu curry at home and, best of all, everything can be ready in around 30 minutes.
Why You’d Love This Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe
With a little help from the air fryer and Japanese curry blocks, making chicken katsu curry at home couldn’t get any easier. You can achieve that crispy and succulent chicken at home effortlessly with just a few air fryer tips and simply pair it with the curry & rice.
- Crispy without deep frying. The air fryer gives the panko coating a lovely golden crunch using considerably less oil than traditional deep-fried katsu.
- Quick and easy. Using Japanese curry roux blocks means there’s no need to make the curry sauce completely from scratch, making this a great option for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Proper comfort food. Crispy chicken, thick Japanese curry and fluffy rice make this one seriously satisfying meal.
- Easy to customise. Adjust the spice level of your Japanese curry, swap chicken breast for thighs or add different vegetables depending on what you have available.
- Great for meal prep. The curry can be prepared ahead of time, while leftover chicken katsu is easy to crisp back up in the air fryer.
What is Japanese Curry?
Japanese curry, or kare, is typically thick, savoury and mildly spiced with a subtle sweetness. It’s quite different from many South Asian curries and is commonly served with rice, vegetables and meat. For this easy chicken katsu curry, I use Japanese curry roux blocks rather than making the sauce completely from scratch. The blocks dissolve into the cooking liquid to create a thick curry sauce in minutes, making them particularly handy for weeknight cooking.
Japanese curry roux is available in different spice levels, from mild to hot. I usually use S&B Golden Curry, but other Japanese curry roux brands work too.
How to Make Chicken Katsu Curry with an Air Fryer
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken Breast Fillets – this is the only time I’d use chicken breast over chicken thighs!
- Panko Breadcrumbs – a must and key ingredient for achieving that ridiculous crunch on the katsu
- Plain Flour / All-purpose Flour, Egg – to gel the panko to the chicken
- Salt, Black Pepper – to season
- Onion, Carrots, Potatoes – the vegetables
- Curry Powder (optional) – to enhance the robust curry flavours
- Japanese Curry Blocks – I use S&B Golden Curry
- Worcestershire sauce – to add a tangy umami to the curry
- Rice – to serve. Ideally Japanese rice or Jasmine rice.
Recipe Notes
- If you’ve been following me, you’d know I’m always team chicken thigh. But making chicken katsu would be an exception where I’d use chicken breast fillets, which is how the Japanese make it. That being said, you are still free to use chicken thighs if you prefer!
- To ensure that the chicken breast remains tender to bite, pound it thin using a meat tenderiser mallet or the back of your chopping knife. Pounding it breaks down muscle fibres, making the chicken more tender and keeping the chicken at a more uniform thickness to ensure even cooking.
- This is a non-traditional step, but I like to marinate the pounded chicken breast fillets for extra flavour. The acidity of the marinade helps to keep the meat succulent as well. We love the extra flavour depth in our household.
- Instant Japanese Curry – ready-made Japanese curries are readily available in either blocks or pouches at Japanese supermarkets. Typical brands include S&B Golden Curry, House Foods Java Curry, etc. They come in different heat levels, so pick whichever suits your taste best!
- Panko coating – panko is key to making katsu. In order to help get the panko breadcrumbs glued to the chicken, you will need both flour and egg. The chicken should already be seasoned, but I like to add a touch of togarashi in the panko coating for extra flavour! You can find panko breadcrumbs at Japanese/Asian supermarkets.
How Long to Cook Chicken Katsu in the Air Fryer
For flattened chicken breast fillets, air fry chicken katsu at 180°C/356°F for approximately 13 minutes, flipping halfway through. I cook mine for 7 minutes on the first side, flip, then air fry for another 6 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken and your air fryer model, so always check that the chicken is completely cooked through before serving.
How to Get Crispy Chicken Katsu in the Air Fryer
- Pound the chicken evenly. Aim for roughly even thickness so the centre cooks before the panko becomes too dark.
- Don’t skip the oil. Lightly brushing/spraying the panko with oil helps it brown. Without enough oil, air-fried panko can remain pale and dry. I always brush oil over both the air fryer basket and the chicken.
- Preheat the air fryer before cooking. This helps to ensure the chicken katsu comes out crispy and prevents it from turning out soggy. It only takes a few minutes to preheat and makes a difference.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. This is to ensure that the chicken can be cooked evenly. The air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food. If you overcrowd the basket, it would hinder the air flow and result in unevenly cooked food. Cook in batches if needed.
- Flip the chicken halfway through. It helps the air fryer chicken to crisp up on all sides. Furthering the first point above, I like to brush another layer of oil on the other side of the chicken after flipping it.
- Cooking times may slightly differ from air fryer to air fryer, as well as depending on the size and thickness of your chicken.
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Easy Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breast Fillets
- 1-2 Eggs beaten
- ½ cup Plain Flour / All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- A pinch of Salt
- A pinch of Black Pepper
- Vegetable Oil for brushing / spraying
- Cooked Japanese rice / Jasmine rice to serve
For Marinating the Chicken (optional)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
For the Japanese Curry
- 1-2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 150 g Carrots chopped
- 200 g Potatoes chopped
- 1 tsp Curry Powder (optional)
- 2½ blocks Japanese Curry Blocks
- 500 ml Water
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breast fillets with a meat tenderiser mallet or the back of your chopping knife until flattened.2 Chicken Breast Fillets
- Optional step: Marinate the pounded chicken breast fillets with all the marinade ingredients for a few hours.1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Chilli Powder, 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar, 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- When ready to cook, preheat the air fryer to 180°C / 356°F.
- Place flour, beaten eggs, and panko into separate shallow bowls. Mix in a pinch of salt and pepper into the panko.1-2 Eggs, 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, A pinch of Salt, A pinch of Black Pepper
- Coat chicken with flour, then drench it into the beaten egg, and lastly, coat it with panko.½ cup Plain Flour / All-purpose Flour
- Brush oil over the air fryer basket. Place the breaded chicken into the basket and brush the chicken with oil. Do not overcrowd the air fryer and cook in batches if needed. Air fry for 7 minutes.Vegetable Oil
- Flip the chicken and brush with more oil if needed. Cook for another 6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden & crispy.
Making the Japanese Curry
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions for about 3-5 minutes until softened.1-2 tbsp Vegetable Oil, 1 medium Onion
- If using, stir in curry powder. Saute for 1 minute till fragrant.1 tsp Curry Powder (optional)
- Add in the carrots and potatoes. Saute for another 5 minutes.150 g Carrots, 200 g Potatoes
- Stir in curry blocks and water. Keep stirring until the curry blocks are dissolved and bring to a boil.2½ blocks Japanese Curry Blocks, 500 ml Water
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the curry sauce has thickened.1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Ladle the curry sauce over cooked rice and top with chicken katsu. Serve immediately.Cooked Japanese rice / Jasmine rice
Notes
- Panko breadcrumbs are key to making chicken katsu. It is the reason for the extra crunch & crispiness and also for the light & non-greasy taste.
- Brushing oil over both the air fryer basket and chicken help to crisp up the chicken and achieve that luscious golden colour for the chicken katsu.
- Preheating the air fryer helps to ensure the chicken katsu comes out crispy and prevent chances of it turning out soggy. It only takes a few minutes to preheat and makes a difference.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. This is to ensure that the chicken can be cooked evenly. The air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food. If you overcrowd the basket, it would hinder the airflow and result in unevenly cooked food. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cooking times may differ from air fryer to air fryer, as well as depending on the size and thickness of the chicken.Â
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