Katsu Curry カツカレー (2024)

Let’s make flavorful Japanese Katsu Curry at home! Serve a crunchy, panko-breaded chicken cutlet or pork cutlet over steamed rice and smother it in a rich curry sauce. I’ll share my tips and tricks to help you put together this ultimate comfort dish fast.

The Japanese absolutely love curry and deep-fried food. So, it only makes sense that we pair the two together for a hearty and scrumptious dish like thisKatsu Curry(カツカレー). Don’t be surprised when I tell you there are so many paths to put this popular curryricetogether!

In thisrecipepost, I’ve included various popular options to enjoy, includingchicken katsu curryandporkkatsu curry. But really, the combination is up to you!

What is Katsu Curry?

Katsu curry(カツカレー) is a combination ofJapanese curryand a crispy cutlet (called katsu in Japanese) coated inpanko breadcrumbsall served over steamed Japaneserice. It’s the ultimate comfort food when you crave a big, hearty meal. At speciality curry restaurants in Japan, you can choose different toppings to go with your curryrice, and katsu is one of them.

When I make curry at home, my husband always prefers to add katsu on top. He just can’t get enough of the crunchy katsu texture that pairs perfectly with the rich sauce and slightly sticky Japaneserice. I don’t blame him!

How to Make Katsu Curry at Home

My family never gets tired of eating this dish because we can switch things up easily. It’s a wonderful mix-and-match meal with many options to pair different kinds of curry and cutlet:

1. Choose YourJapanese Curry

Mycurry recipesbelow feature a main protein plus vegetablessuch asonionslices,carrots, andpotatoes. We make the curry sauce from Japanese curryroux,ginger,garlic,chicken stock, grated apple,honey,soy sauce, ketchup, and black pepper.

On the Stovetop

• Japanese Chicken Curry
• Japanese Beef Curry
• JapanesePorkCurry
• VegetarianJapanese Curry

In the Pressure Cooker

• Instant PotJapanese Curry
• Instant Pot Seafood Curry

Use store-boughtcurry rouxor make it from scratch ahead of time. Myhomemade versionuses ingredients like Japanesecurry powder(I useS&Bbrand), garam masala, all-purpose flour, and butter. See myHomemadeCurry Rouxrecipefor instructions.

2. Choose Your Katsu

Katsu comes in many forms, and you can choose your own protein. Not a fan ofporkor chicken? Use shrimp or fish!

Deep-Fried Katsu

• Tonkatsu(porkcutlet)
• Chicken Katsu(chicken breastcutlet)
• Crispy Tonkatsu(thinpork cutlet)
• Menchi Katsu(minced meat cutlet)
• Ham Katsu(ham cutlet)
• Ebi Fry(fried shrimp)

Baked Katsu

• Baked Tonkatsu
• Baked Chicken Katsu
• Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Katsu
• Baked Fish Katsu– usewhite fishinstead of salmon for katsu curry
• Baked Ebi Katsu– shrimp cutlet

3. Make Your Rice

• Use onlyJapanese short-grainrice for an authentic taste.
• See how to make Japanese rice inaricecooker,pot over the stove,Instant Pot, ordonabe.
• You can use frozen cooked rice! See how to freeze and reheat Japanese rice in my post How to Store Cooked Rice.

How to Make Katsu Curry FAST

While you could make the three components from scratch all at once, it takes more effort and time. To simplify and shorten the cooking process, here’s how I usually put together mykatsu curry recipe:

Option 1:Use the oven and pressure cooker.For hassle-free cooking, I often make freshJapanese curryin the Instant pot and I bake the katsu in the oven.

Option 2: Reheat last night’s leftover curry.It’s easier to reheat the curry than make it from scratch. The flavor is better the next day as well. I usually cook my curry the night before, then warm it up while I cook fresh katsu.

Option 3: Defrost frozen leftovers.I often freeze Japanese curryand katsu for easy and quick meal prep! While yousimmer, stir, and gently warm up the curry in a saucepan, you can reheat the katsu in the oven in 30 minutes or less. You can also reheatfrozen cookedrice.

How To Assemble the Katsu Curry

To serve,place an individual portion of hot steamed rice on one side of a plate or bowl. Layer the sliced cutlet on the side of the rice in the middle of the plate. Pour the curry on the other side of the cutlet. Garnish with half a hard-boiledeggandf*ckujinzuke(red pickled daikon).

Katsu curry is a hefty meal but tastes amazing and immensely satisfying. I hope you give the fabulous combo a try!

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