Tender chicken simmered in a creamy flavorful curry sauce with carrots, potatoes and onions. This easy 30-minute Japanese chicken curry is made with minimal ingredients and family-friendly. A comforting main best paired with steamed rice.
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My Japanese chicken curry recipe will be your go-to comfort meal when you're looking for something quick, simple and delicious!
You're going to love it because it's:
- easy to make with minimal ingredients.
- comforting, hearty and flavorful!
- great for families or for meal preparation.
- ready in under 30 minutes!
- made in one-pan.
This curry dish originates from Japan, and it's often served over a bed of white rice at many Japanese restaurants. It's beloved among locals and one of my favorite dishes!
In addition, there are several Japanese dishes that involve curry, like Katsu curry which is a fried chicken or pork cutlet over curry sauce with rice.
Curry dishes are found all over the world but what makes this dish Japanese is the use of Japanese curry blocks (see picture below). This type of curry is sweeter in taste and milder in spice, unlike Thai, Malaysian or Indian curry which contain more spices.
If you prefer this recipe spicy, go for the "hot" or "extra hot" Japanese curry blocks. But if you're making this for kids or for those who can't tolerate any spice, choose "mild".
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Chicken Breast: or substitute with de-boned chicken thighs or legs with skin-on or off. Not a fan of chicken? Substitute with beef, pork, white fish, jumbo shrimp or extra-firm tofu.
- Japanese Curry Mix: a Japanese curry mix available at many Asian grocery stores or online, like Amazon. Each package contains two blocks and we're using 1 block for this recipe as pictured above. I like using the brand "Golden Curry" by S&B but feel free to use any Japanese curry blocks by other brands. For a mild version, choose the mild version but if you prefer it spicier, choose "hot" or "extra-hot".
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: or substitute with yellow-fleshed potatoes or russet potatoes.
- Carrots: or substitute with broccoli, cauliflower, or a vegetable that you enjoy that doesn't contain a high-water content or it'll dilute the sauce.
- Onion: or substitute with two shallots.
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil.
- Water: cold or room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Cut the potatoes, carrots and onions into larger pieces so the potatoes and onions don't disintegrate.
- Large dice the chicken into even-sized cubes for a consistent cooking time.
- Brown the chicken for extra flavor, but don't cook it through yet as it will later cook in the sauce.
- Occasionally stir the curry sauce to fully dissolve the curry block by scraping the base of the pan.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Japanese chicken curry:
- In a large bowl, season diced chicken with salt, garlic and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Brown seasoned chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5-6 minutes in total. Do not cook it through yet. Remove and set aside.
- Add onions, carrots and potatoes into the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Break up curry block with your hands and add to the pan. Then add water and mix.
- Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Then reduce to medium heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan to fully dissolve the curry.
- Mix in the chicken and simmer for another 1-2 minutes until meat is cooked through. Serve and enjoy hot with steamed rice.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Japanese chicken curry can be frozen for up to 3 months. To store: let the curry cool down and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag squeezing out any air before sealing it. To reheat: defrost it overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a large pan on the stove on medium heat until hot throughout.
Pairing Suggestions
Japanese chicken curry serves well with:
- steamed white or brown short-grain or long-grain rice.
- steamed or boiled vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, corn, peas or whatever vegetables you enjoy.
- seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo.
- other protein dishes like chicken katsu, tonkatsu, tofu katsu, fish katsu bites, karaage, teriyaki tofu, teriyaki chicken, enoki beef rolls or ginger miso salmon.
- rice dishes like gyudon, oyakodon, katsudon, or omurice
- noodle dishes like ramen, yaki udon, creamy mushroom udon, or udon carbonara.
FAQ
Japanese chicken curry can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat until hot.
Yes, you can substitute with jumbo shrimp, white fish, beef, pork shoulder, or extra-firm tofu.
To ensure best taste, I recommend using Japanese curry blocks as they're properly measured for this recipe. However, you may choose to use Japanese curry powder or liquid curry sauce at your own risk of the recipe not working out.
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Japanese Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb chicken breast or chicken thighs, diced into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 block mild Japanese curry mix each block is 2x2-inches wide or 114 g / 4.02 oz
- 4 cups water cold / room temperature
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes quartered
- 2 cups carrots chopped into 1-inch-long pieces
- ½ cup onion quartered
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, season diced chicken with salt, garlic and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Brown seasoned chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5-6 minutes in total. Do not cook it through yet. Remove and set aside.
- Add onions, carrots and potatoes into the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Break up curry block with your hands and add to the pan. Then add water and mix.
- Cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
- Then reduce to medium heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan to fully dissolve the curry.
- Mix in the chicken and simmer for another 1-2 minutes until meat is cooked through. Serve and enjoy hot with steamed rice.
Notes
Storage & Reheating
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Japanese chicken curry can be frozen for up to 3 months. To store: let the curry cool down and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag squeezing out any air before sealing it. To reheat: defrost it overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a large pan on the stove on medium heat until hot through out.
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