Today’s recipe is a rich and flavorful Japanese katsu curry. Here, crunchy chicken cutlet or pork cutlet is served over rice and smothered in a creamy curry sauce. It is the ultimate comfort dish!
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 this Katsu Curry (カツカレー). Don’t be surprised when I tell you there are so many paths to put this popular curry dish together!
What is Katsu Curry?
Katsu Curry (カツカレー) is a combination of Japanese Curry and a panko-breaded cutlet. It is the ultimate comfort dish when you have a craving for a big meal. When I make curry at home, Mr. JOC always prefers adding katsu on top. He just loves the crunchy texture of katsu mixed with the flavorful curry sauce, and I don’t blame him.
At Japanese curry restaurants, you get to choose different toppings to go with your curry over rice, and katsu is one of them.
How to Make Katsu Curry at Home
We never get tired of making katsu curry at home because you get to switch things up easily. It’s essentially a mix and match dish, where you can pair a leftover curry with some fresh out of the fryer pork cutlet (tonkatsu) or baked chicken cutlet or fried fish cutlet.
1. Choose Which Japanese Curry You Want to Make
Stovetop
Pressure Cooker
Watch How to Make Beef Curry
Savory and hearty beef curry made with beef, potatoes, carrots, mushroom, and Japanese curry roux.
2. Pick Your Choice of Katsu
You can literally make your protein choice with different options! Not a big fan of pork or chicken? You can also enjoy Katsu Curry with shrimp or fish (See below).
Deep-Fried Katsu
- Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet)
- Chicken Katsu (Chicken Cutlet)
- Crispy Tonkatsu (Thin Pork Cutlet)
Baked Katsu
- Baked Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet)
- Baked Chicken Katsu (Chicken Cutlet)
- Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Katsu (Chicken Cutlet)
- Baked Salmon Katsu (Salmon Cutlet) – Use a white fish instead of salmon for Katsu Curry.
Other Options
- Menchi Katsu (Minced Meat Cutlet)
- Baked Ebi Katsu (Shrimp Cutlet)
- Ham Katsu (Ham Cutlet)
- Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp)
Watch How to Make Baked Tonkatsu
Tender and juicy pork loin wrapped in a crispy golden panko crust, serve with tonkatsu sauce and ground sesame seeds.
Make Speedy Katsu Curry with Leftovers
There are 3 parts that make up the dish: curry, katsu (panko-breaded cutlet), and the rice. You can cook the curry from scratch, frying the katsu, and cooking the rice all at the same time. To simplify and shorten the cooking process, here are what I usually do:
Option 1: Make the curry on the stovetop or instant pot and prepare the katsu in the oven.
Option 2: Speed it up by using leftovers! I usually cook my choice of curry the night before, then warm it up and serve it with a fresh make katsu. If I happened to have both Japanese curry and katsu in the freezer, I could just defrost them and put this together instantly. While you warm up the curry in a saucepan on low heat, you can reheat the katsu in the oven, which takes less than 30 minutes.
It is a hefty meal but immensely satisfying. I hope you give the fabulous combo a try!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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This recipe shows you how to assemble Japanese Katsu Curry. Rich and flavorful, this curry dish is the ultimate comfort dish! Please read the blog post to see how you can customize your own.
- Your choice of Japanese curry (Read the post for choices)
- Your choice of katsu (cutlet) (Read the post for choices)
- Cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- Furkujinzuke (red pickled daikon)
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Make your choice of curry: Beef Curry, Chicken Curry, Instant Pot Curry, Pork Curry, Instant Pot Seafood Curry, Vegetarian Curry, and more on the blog post. If you have time, I recommend making the curry one day before you serve Katsu Curry. It's easier to reheat the curry (and the flavor is better the next day!) while you prepare Katsu.
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Make your choice of katsu: Tonkatsu, Baked Tonkatsu, Chicken Katsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, Gluten-Free Baked Katsu, Fried Shrimp, Baked Ebi Katsu, Baked Fish Katsu, Menchi Katsu, and more on the blog post.
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Make steamed rice (I recommend Japanese short-grain rice for Japanese curry) using a rice cooker, a pot over the stovetop, or a pressure cooker (Instant Pot).
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Serve steamed rice and Japanese curry in a plate/bowl. Place Katsu on the top. Garnish it with Fukujinzuke on the side.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Drools! I love the smell of curry much more the taste! Plain rice is its best match!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Thank you for this nice post and these nice recipes!
Everytime I stop here i your blog or watch your lovely videos.. I get hungry!
Have a nice weekend!
Thank you so much for checking my posts and videos! Hope you have a nice weekend too! 🙂
I like curry so much, but I don’t know why my kids don’t. I think I have to cook more dishes with it so they start to be familiar with it.
Fabulous looking dish Nami, my mouth waters..yummm!!!
Both the dishes that contribute to this meal are winners, Nami. I look forward to the next time I make a Japanese meal. I’m glad I was reminded that you can make fish katsu as well especially as I have some sole fillets in my freezer.
I’ve never met a curry I didn’t like! I like mine on the spicy side, but even mild curry has a lot of flavor. This looks wonderful — thanks.
Sounds like you’re having a wonderful trip! I’m still intrigued by Japanese curry. It sounds like an oxymoron every time I see it. 🙂 This looks so good with the contrasting crispiness combined with the gravy and mushrooms. Excellent dish!
Oh I love ordering Katsu Curry when we go out to restaurants. So glad you have a good recipe which I can cook at home. Thanks for sharing, Nami. Hope your week ahead goes well!
I had Japanese curry on my first visit to Tokyo and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve never tried to make it at home but you can bet I’m going to make this one very soon!
I’m enjoying your photos from your travels in Japan. It looks like you are very busy and having a great time. I still have to make your Beef Curry. I promised Boy #2 I would but I think if he saw this Katsu Curry I might have to make this one instead! This looks wonderful, Nami. We love curry!
This is definitely one of my favourite dishes! I’d love to try make my own Jap curry from scratch sometime.
Last night I’ve been to a local Japanese Restaurant.. every time I go there I think of your blog. Next time I will try the Japanese Curry 🙂
I had dinner.. but I think I would be able to have this dish again 😀
This looks incredible! I shouldn’t be surprised anymore but the crunch is just screaming off the screen. We used to order katsu curry all the time when we shopped at Mitsuwa but I haven’t had it in a long time. You’ve reminded me of how much we all loved it. Yours looks far better than the ones we’ve had!
I love curries a lot too and pairing it with katsu chicken sounds brilliant! I can imagine biting into a crispy piece dipped into the curry sauce…yum!
I remember this baked chicken recipe and I’ve been meaning to make it for my family. It’s clearly a versatile dish seeing as it can also be turned into a curry. I love how crispy and crunchy the chicken looks. Interesting how the curry sauce is inspired by British curry powder xx
ok.. now i am craving for this… just wanna put my hands into the monitor screen and steal a piece of the katsu
カツカレーはやはり男性的な食事ですわ。。。しかし、この女性もこっそりで食べたことがありますが。。日本旅行は本当に楽しそうですね。京都で素敵な和菓子と伝統的なおみやげを購入できますでしょう。
This is one of my daughter’s favourite dish when we visit Japanese restaurant, I might try your recipe to surprise her one day!
I love both tonkatsu and chicken katsu and paired with Japanese curry is just bliss. This dish looks so comforting and delicious! Yum, and thank you. 🙂
One of my favorite cities – and one of my favorite dishes!
Thanks for sharing this easy recipe! Sometimes when I have curry sitting in the fridge in the summertime, I eat it cold—every season can be a good fit for curry. =) It looks like you and your family had a great time in Kyoto. Can’t wait to hear more about it and the rest of your trip.
Also, I made tsubuan for my parents just last weekend, and both of them loved it!
Hi Kimmi! It’s true, I can eat curry in any season too! I should try cold curry. I think I’ve tried it years and years ago when I was a child…but kind of forgot how it was like. 🙂 Thank you for following my trips in Japan. Hope to share my trips in the future. 🙂 Thank you so much for trying the Tsubuan recipe too! So glad your parents enjoyed it. xo
I have had a look at your Instagram photos. Your trip seems to be a particularly amazing one! I suppose children are already big enough to make travelling around Japan easier and more pleasant. I’m sure we will all profit from your trips soon from your future blog posts…
I still have to try tonkatsu in the oven, so thank you so much for reminding me. Your curry looks amazing. No wonder it’s your husband’s favourite version!
Have fun in Hokkaido!
This looks so mouthwatering! I love curry, but I don’t know why I don’t use it that often. Thanks for reminding with this amazing recipe!
Nice to see a combination of some of my favourite Japanese dishes.
Love the crunchy texture of tonkatsu as well as the saucy mildly spicy curry in rice, yum!
This looks amazing! Katsu curry is my all-time favourite Japanese food! Love the flavours!
Hi Nami, I’m a new member here and so happy to find your site. and love all your recipes! This katsu looks absolutely delish, just like the one I used to have in Japan years ago. Anyway, I have been looking for this Japanese recipe… I used to buy it from a grocery in Tokyo. it’s a sauce mix for an eggplant and it comes in a pack. I have been craving for it for years, I hope you know what this product is called or what I’m talking about, and hope you know the recipe and share it, Thanks in advance.
Hi May! Welcome to Just One Cookbook! I think I know what you’re talking about. Is it this one?
http://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/cookdo/lineup/awase_001.html
I like this dish too! Maybe I’ll study this recipe and share it on the site one day. 🙂
Oh my gosh, this is mouthwatering! I always love a good katsu curry.
My daughter loves Japanese curry. I am tired of using the instant curry pack. Now i can make my own curry sauce with your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. Don’t need to take in perseratives from now on. Btw i just returned from Kyoto last night，my kitchen is now full of Japanese kithenwares and condiments that i couldn’t get them from my home town. I took image of the cooking utensils from your blog and show to the grocers. Just to let know that your blog is very helpful for a non Japanese speaking person like me. ：) It saves me a lot of time from looking around.
Any suggestion of where to get valued stuff，Nami？ I only went to Kiyomizu Temple , Gion area and 錦market in Karasuma. I spent most of the time shopping in Osaka. Wanna go to Kyoto again！
Hi Emily! We were in Kyoto at the same time! So glad to hear my blog was helpful! 😀
What do you mean by “valued stuff”? Like plates etc? You can spend a whole week looking around Kyoto… we were there for 4 nights, but felt that we wish we have 1-2 more days just to cover most parts of Kyoto. Hoping to write about our trip to Kyoto in the future. 🙂
Hi Nami, I referred to tablewares and cooking utensils in Kyoto. I saw plenty of stonewares along the hillside of Kiyomizu Temple but for items with better quality the price is slightly higher than i expect. I was told by a waitress in Osaka, she suggested me to go to wholesalers market but i have no idea where it is. I only spent 2 nights in Kyoto, i didn’t have time to visit most of the famous temples and castles. I am planning to go again.：)
Emily, there are famous kitchen gadget street in Osaka and Tokyo.
Osaka: Doguya Suji
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4013.html
Tokyo: Kappabashi
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3020.html
Hope this helps for your next trip! 🙂
Wonderful！I spent a few days in Namba but didn’t see large shops selling cooking acessories. Your information is very helpful for my next trip to Osaka. I will definitely take a visit to Doguya Suji. Thank you, Nami. ；)
You’re welcome! Hope you find some good cooking utensils and tableware there next time you visit Japan! 🙂
deep fried cutlets- now that is something amazing! Wow and with the flavor of curry. AMAZING!
This is one of my most favorite dishes! Have fun in Japan!
I bought thin chicken breast recently and said I’m making Katsu with curry because one of my friends asked me for a recipe. You must have read my mind and posted this recipe. 🙂 Now I’m going to follow your recipe.. I will share it with you on your FB page sometime soon. 🙂 Hope you are having a fabulous time in Japan. 🙂
Not only that I always loved your pictorials but your videos are so helpful! This meal is drop death and gone to heaven good…I love katsu first of all, combined with your delicious curry which I tried before and rice equal to perfect meal! Delicious pictures too!
That curry looks really scrumptious and ever so comforting!
Cheers,
Rosa
That looks so irresistible and so yummy. I wanna taste that too.. The ingredients and instructions you gave would be very helpful, Thanks for the share..
I love the sound of katsu curry! My husband is a huge fan of chicken katsu so I know he would love if I made this for him. Thanks again for another amazing recipe Nami 🙂
Ahhh, katsu curry. Without a doubt, my favorite type of Japanese curry. It`s something I always order whenever I order curry!
Definitely Nami! These are two of my favourite dishes. When I was in Japan (years ago!), I was looking out for Tonkatsu restaurants there coz I couldn’t find good ones when I was in Malaysia as most of them served Chicken Katsu (due to Halal restaurants) and if there was pork, the meat was usually too tough or not the right cut of meat. I really love those in I ate in Tokyo. Even those served in restaurants around Tokyo train stations tasted yummy, to me. 😛
Hi Marguerite! I’m happy to hear you enjoy Tonkatsu! The quality of Japanese restaurants is pretty amazing throughout Japan. 🙂 I hope you enjoy making it at home too. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes. I made Chicken katsu curry last night for a dinner party (following your instructions for everything including the homemade curry sauce and the rice) and it came out amazing; everyone loved it.
I can’t wait to try all your other recipes!
Hi Michelle! I”m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for trying the recipe! Hope you like other recipes from my blog as well. 🙂
I love katsu curry! Next time you’re in Kobe, you HAVE to try the restaurant Najarou?! That was our favorite restaurant when we lived there!
Also, we’re having curry for dinner tonight! 🙂
Hi Caitlyn! Me too! I just looked it up (http://tabelog.com/hyogo/A2801/A280103/28004152/)! It’s a small diner and looks like they have a great yoshoku! Thank you so much for letting me know. I have friends in Kobe too, and I hope to give it a try one day. Hope you enjoyed your curry… now I’m craving. 😀
This video literally made my mouth water..and that was after I’d eaten dinner! Thanks for another great recipe. Love you videos and photography with great lighting and a steady hand and of course the music choice was super. And thanks for giving me a great curry option without the ubiquitous coconut found everywhere these days, cant wait to try it and share with my facebook fans over at Good, Cheap and Healthy Eats.
Hi Tanya! Aww thanks so much for watching my videos! We spend a lot of time filing videos and your comment make me and Mr. JOC very happy! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Awsome! Incredably tastey. Our kids love this dishes!
Thank you so much for the great recipe, and FREE!
Hi しおみ！ I’m so glad to hear you and your children enjoyed this dish. Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂
Nami, this recipe is spot-on. I made this for my lunch last week and it was amazing. Everyone at my office looked at me with envy haha. Thank you for the lovely recipe, I love how it’s always illustrated !
Hi Chi! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Haha I’d be drooling next to you too. 😉
p.s. I’m also hungry after reading your Ippudo post. 😀
Oh that was heaven, I was thinking of going there again this weekend. Say, are you gonna have a deco roll cake recipe up any time soon? I’m waiting 🙂
Hope you enjoy the ramen this weekend! I’m planning on roll cake, but not sure if I can pull off “deco”…… 😀 I’m going to get a new kitchen after the summer and I will need to start learning my new oven. Will be working on baking more. 🙂
That’s exciting, I saw your new kitchen on instagram *definitely envious* ! I hate having to switch ovens once you’ve already learned the tips and tricks of your old one, it takes forever 🙂 About deco rolls, I know Junko has some really amazing deco cake roll recipes, but there’re all in Japanese so it would be great if you can have an English adaptation of those!
Hi Chi! It’s exciting to get more space for video making, but I worry about my baking recipes too. But it’s good reason to become a reader myself and start making my baking recipes and testing the oven again. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know about Junko. I didn’t know about her and her book. 🙂 I’ll work on it soon!
Hi Nami,
When making the curry, should I be omitting the chicken or beef from the recipe, as it will then be served with the katsu?
Hi De! I usually add some kind of protein in the curry for good flavor. If I serve Tonkatsu or Chicken Katsu, I usually make beef curry (or chicken/pork which is not same as katsu). 🙂
Looks delicious and can’t believe how simple it is. I saw one which had a list of ingredients the length of my arm (and I’m pretty gangly =) ). Also saw this one which uses peanut butter – https://www.recipestroupe.com/recipe-chicken-katsu-curry-with-peanut-butter-50998.html – have you ever tried it? I don’t want to buy expensive peanut butter if it’s not going to add much flavor…
Hi Barca! Hmmm no, I’ve never tried it or heard of using peanut butter in Japanese curry. It looks/sounds more like Thai curry? Maybe fusion style? 🙂
Yes, sounds like might have more of a Thai influence. Anyway, I added some and it was pretty good, I can recommend it!
I MADE THIS TODAY AND IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! I also added the “fond” (little bits of stuff in the pan after I cooked the beef?) into the curry right after adding the red wine and it was yumm. I also learned a new thing about food organization. Putting the katsu between the curry and the rice makes for such great presentation because it doesn’t get mixed up!
Hi Keenan! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying my recipe! xoxo
Comment on Katsu Curry recipe
I don’t understand. Why would I make Beef Curry and then put Tonkatsu with it? for that matter why would make Chicken Curry and put Tonkatsu with it? Meat on meat? I just want to know whow to make the curry sauce. I followed your recipe to make the Roux, but I need to know how to turn that into a curry I can use.
Please help, I have a serious craving for Katsu curry.
Hi Martin! Here is the chicken curry recipe – https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/ Hope you enjoy!