Rich, aromatic, and packed with complex flavors, this Japanese Bone-In Chicken Curry is delicious right out of the gate! It’s extra comforting to serve it Japanese style over steamed rice. Since the spices are on the milder side, this curry is a favorite even among children.

A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

Japanese curry or Kare (カレー) is one of the nation’s most popular comfort foods. To satisfy the frequent cravings, we have a decent array of curry menus – from Curry Udon and Curry Doria, to Curry Bread and Katsu Curry – all delicious in their own right.

Today’s recipe is Bone-In Chicken Curry (骨付きチキンカレー). It takes slightly longer to cook because of the bone-in meat, but you get super tender chicken and mega flavorful thick curry sauce that reign supreme.

A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

How to Cook Bone-In Chicken Curry

Ingredients You’ll Need

You will only need simple pantry ingredients to make this dish.

  • Bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (for the best flavor!)
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Yukon gold potato (You can also use Russet potato, but it dissolves more easily)
  • Green peas
  • Garlic
  • Chicken stock (You can use less-sodium one, and add salt if necessary)
  • Sake
  • Japanese curry roux (store-bought or homemade)
  • Soy sauce
  • Mirin
A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

5 Easy Cooking Steps

  1. Cut ingredients and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Brown the chicken first, then take it out, and saute the onion till tender.
  3. Add the chicken back along with sake and stock, and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
  4. Add the carrot and potato and cook for another 15 minutes.
  5. Add curry roux, seasonings, and green peas. Serve and enjoy!
A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

Helpful Cooking Tips

  • Prick the chicken skin with a knife/fork – This technique will cook the chicken from the inside out keeping it moist and flavorsome, while the fat oozes out to crisp up the skin.
  • Cut the onion into wedges for texture – I love sweet, tender, caramelized onion in the curry. I cut the onion into thick wedges, which add some texture to the curry.
  • Cut the carrot and potato in similar size – Cut these two veggies into bite-size, small pieces, as we will only cook for 15 minutes. We do not want to overcook them.
  • Brown the skin side first until the skin releases itself – Chicken skin releases fat which equals to flavors. The skin will first stick to the pan, but once it’s crisp up, you can easily flip the chicken.
  • Saute the onion till tender and caramelized – For extra flavor boost!
  • Turn off the heat while you dissolve curry roux – Once curry is in, keep the heat at the lowest. Curry will burn too easily.
  • Use two different brands of curry roux (sometimes mix the spice level, like mild and medium spicy) – Store-bought curry doesn’t have to be boring! Mix it up so it’s not always same old flavor.
  • Adjust the consistency of the curry – You can always adjust the thickness of the curry with stock/water. If your chicken stock is salty, use water.
  • Add soy sauce and mirin – Why? Read the next section.
A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

Personalize Store-bought Curry with Additional Seasonings

Many home cooks in Japan add some kind of condiments/seasonings to give additional layers of flavors to the store-bought curry. Today I added mirin for mild sweetness and soy sauce for umami, but you can add different seasonings. Here are the common add-ons.

  • Butter
  • Chocolate
  • Coffee
  • Grated apple
  • Honey
  • Ketchup
  • Mirin
  • Oyster sauce
  • Red wine
  • Sake
  • Soy sauce
  • Tonkatsu sauce
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Yogurt

Have you tried any of the flavor add-ons? If so, what are some of your favorites?

A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

What to Serve with Bone-In Chicken Curry

Typically, Japanese curry is served with steamed rice, along with Pickled Rakkyo (Shallots) and Fukujinzuke and a bowl of salad.

Fukujinzuke
  • Fukujinzuke (福神漬) – It is lightly brined in a sweet soy sauce and does not undergo fermentation. The crunchy condiment is more like a chunky chutney, served with Japanese curry. It features seven vegetables as the name inspired by the Seven Lucky Gods (七福神).
  • Rakkyo (ラッキョウ) – A pickle of the bulb of Chinese onions/shallots, Rakkyo can be pickled in salt, soy sauce, or sweet vinegar. It resembles a garlic clove but with a taste similar to shallots.
Japanese Salad Dressings - Shoyu Dressing | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Check out our various salad recipes and salad dressings on the blog!

Other Curry Recipes You May Enjoy

A white oval-shaped plate containing Japanese Chicken Curry topped with egg and pickles.
A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

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A white ceramic bowl containing steamed rice and Japanese bone-in chicken curry garnished with fukujinzuke.

Bone-In Chicken Curry

4.67 from 33 votes
Rich, aromatic, and packed with complex flavors, this Japanese Bone-In Chicken Curry is delicious right out of the gate! It‘s extra comforting to serve it Japanese style over steamed rice. Since the spices are on the milder side, this curry is a favorite even among children.

Video

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (1.8 lb, 800 g)
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 onions (1 lb, 454 g)
  • 1 Yukon gold potato (6.5 oz, 184 g)
  • 2 carrots (4 oz, 113 g)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
  • ¼ cup green peas (1.3 oz, 36 g)
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)

For the Curry Sauce

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Bone-in Chicken Curry Ingredients

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Prick skin of 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with the tip of your knife (so the flavors will penetrate the skin). Cut off the excess fat with a pair of scissors (or knife).
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 1
  • Season the chicken with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 2
  • Cut 2 onions into wedges. The wedge cut adds more texture; however, you can also thinly slice or dice.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 4
  • Peel and cut 1 Yukon gold potato into 8 pieces.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 5
  • Peel and cut 2 carrots into bite-size pieces. Here, I use the Japanese rangiri cutting technique. Set aside the vegetables on a tray or plate.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 6

To Cook the Curry

  • In a large pot (I use a Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil on medium-high heat. When it’s hot, sear the chicken on the skin side first. Do not crowd the pan to avoid steaming the chicken and cook in batches if necessary.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 3
  • Flip the chicken and cook the other side for 2 minutes and then transfer to a plate until the rest is done.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 7
  • Add the onion to the pot and coat with the oil using a wooden spoon/spatula. If there is not enough oil, add ½–1 Tbsp more oil.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 8
  • Add the minced/crushed 3 cloves garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender. If the burnt spots on the bottom of the pot need some scraping, you can add sake here (instead of the next step) to loosen them up.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 9
  • Add the chicken back into the pot and add ¼ cup sake.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 10
  • Add 2 cups chicken stock/broth and ½ cup water, just enough to almost cover the chicken. If you use a larger pot, it may not cover, so please adjust the amount of stock/water. This is not a soupy curry, so we do not need much liquid.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 11
  • Cover the lid and bring it to a simmer. When simmering, skim the scum and foam with a fine-mesh skimmer.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 12
  • Cook covered on low heat for 45 minutes.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 13
  • Add the carrots and potatoes and make sure they are submerged in the cooking liquid.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 14
  • Cook covered until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 15
  • Turn off the heat and dissolve ½ package Japanese curry roux, one cube at a time in a ladleful of hot broth. When the first cube is dissolved, release it to the broth and mix gently without breaking the tender vegetables. Repeat the process until you finish dissolving all the roux.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 16
  • Add 1 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix all together and check the taste. You can add water to loosen the curry if it's too thick. I added 2 Tbsp water here. If your pot does not have a tight-fitting lid, your cooking liquid might have evaporated more than mine. Then add more water, if necessary. You can control the consistency of the curry here. This Bone-in Chicken Curry should have a thicker sauce than my other regular curry, but please adjust the consistency to your liking.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 17
  • Add ¼ cup green peas and cook for another minute. Serve the curry with steamed rice.
    Bone-In Chicken Curry 18

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Remove the potatoes as they change texture once frozen. Defrost the frozen curry in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you want to reheat it.

To Reheat

  • Leftover curry sauce will thicken into a paste as it cools, so it tends to burn while reheating. To avoid this, stir ½ cup (120 ml) water or more into the leftover sauce to loosen. Then, gently reheat it on low heat. If the sauce seems thin, continue heating with the lid off to reduce the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 614 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 32 g · Fat: 35 g · Saturated Fat: 12 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 167 mg · Sodium: 1054 mg · Potassium: 840 mg · Fiber: 5 g · Sugar: 11 g · Vitamin A: 4939 IU · Vitamin C: 24 mg · Calcium: 92 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: chicken, curry
©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on May 6, 2011. The images have been updated in May 2, 2021 and a new video has been added.

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4.67 from 33 votes (23 ratings without comment)
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I see two different curry roux types in the pictures. May not seem like it to casual Japanese curry fans, but I would love to know which brands you are mixing (kinda looks like Java / Vermont). Heck, I see so much back and forth over which roux is the best, I would subscribe just for a comprehensive curry roux post (I don’t subscribe to anything, ever, usually, but I just found your recipes and I’m crushing hard). Like, I would love to know which rouxs go well together and which rouxs work best with different meats and which add-ons (coffee, apple, honey, etc.) work best with which rouxs/combos.

Sorry for the huge geek out, but seeing the two curry rouxs really got me LOL. Love your recipes. Have a nice day!5 stars

This was really good, and I kept wondering why I’ve never made this before, as it’s the sort of thing I enjoy in a restaurant or when we’re travelling. It did take a bit longer than I expected, but perhaps that’s because it was my first time making it. I added a lot more peas, and next time would likely add a lot more vegetables generally, just to make a more substantial serving with just one chicken thigh per person. I think I might also brown the chicken in a non-stick pan first, as the skin always sticks to my enameled casserole. I’ll also try adding grated apple as I think it would be nice.4 stars

Hi Ann, We are so happy that you tried this recipe.
Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience.
Happy Cooking! 🤗

For years I made Japanese curry using only water to cook the browned meat and cut-up veggies then adding packaged (Vermont House or S & B) curry roux towards the end of simmering. I had NO IDEA it could be made so much better! Thank you for ‘educating’ me on the most favorable way to enjoy Japanese style curry. You have taken it over the top! xo5 stars

Hi Lynn! We are so happy to hear Nami’s post was helpful.
Thank you for trying her recipe and for your kind feedback.🤗

Thank you for this. I’ve been wanting to make Japanese curry for a long time and had the curry packet already bought. I did have to cook the dish a lot longer due to large chicken legs and to get the potatoes and carrots soft. Served with a nice brown Jasmine rice. Added several of the add-ons suggested. It was so good! I love the more delicate and sweet quality of Japanese curry over Indian.4 stars

Hi Linda! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Japanese curry!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback! Happy Cooking!

Where did you get your slotted spoon? It’s just perfect for dissolving cubes and such. Love this recipe.5 stars

Made the chicken thigh curry with yam, carrots and chayote. Doubled the recipe because we like to put the sauce over rice for leftovers. This recipe is delicious. Thank you.

Hi Marie! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Homemade Curry!

I just made this and it’s amazing!! I would love an instant pot version though!

Hi Sylvia! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! To make this in an instant pot, you can refer to this pressure cooker recipe and cook on high pressure for about 15 minutes. https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-japanese-curry/
We hope this helps!