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This Japanese chicken curry is the perfect cold weather meal—warm, cozy, and full of hearty root vegetables.
This recipe is perfect for the less food adventurous family that wants something unique, but not too out there. Japanese chicken curry quickly became a favorite of my dad’s when I started making it all the way back in high school during my experimentation phase. Despite his hesitancy towards unfamiliar Asian cuisine, it became something he requested on the regular.
When studying abroad in Japan years later, I was amused to find that the curry I had been making for years was extremely similar to the authentic version. The biggest differences were that those in Japan are typically made with ground pork or katsu. Mine basically tasted like a less processed version of the same thing with a different meat, which I am all for.
This Japanese chicken curry features a bed of rice topped with a thick, rich and savory curry warmly spiced with freshly pureed pear, mild curry powder, and a touch of cayenne. It is the perfect entry-level meal for the adventurous cook, or anyone who wants a new warm, spiced dish for the Fall and Winter seasons.
Why You’ll Want This Recipe
Easy: This is the perfect meal if you want something impressive, but deceptively simple for your family dinner.
Flavorful: Japanese chicken curry simply bursts with flavor. The savoriness of the curry, the sweetness of the pear, and the spice of the cayenne meld into a warm pot of simmering goodness.
Healthy and Hearty: Made from scratch, Japanese curry is actually easy to make quite healthy. Carrots, chicken, fruit, and spices make it full of protein, vitamins, and minerals. You can also easily opt for a bed of brown rice or other alternatives to the traditional white rice.
Ingredients
Asian Pear – This can easily be substituted with a large, sweet apple variety such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala. If using an organic apple, use two to account for the smaller size.
Gold Potatoes – Russet potatoes also work.
Curry Powder – Be sure to get a mild, Japanese variety of curry powder, not an Indian variety. A basic orange “curry powder” from the store should work perfectly.
Tomato Paste – You can substitute this with ketchup.
Tools You May Need
Food Processor
How to Make Japanese Chicken Curry
Making the Curry
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables by thinly slicing the sweet onion and then peeling and roughly chopping your carrots and potatoes into 1-inch chunks. On a separate cutting board, cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes. Finally, peel and puree the Asian pear (or a sweet apple) in a food processor.
Step 2: Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced onion, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add the chicken to the butter and onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is browned on the outside. It will not be fully cooked at this point, so don’t worry about it.
Step 4: Add your carrots, pureed pear, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Add the potatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes while you make the roux. The curry will release more liquid as it cooks, but try to get the potatoes and carrots below the broth as much as you can.
Making the Roux
Step 6: Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt 3 Tbsp. of butter. Add the flour and immediately stir until the flour and butter form a paste. Next, add the curry powder, cayenne, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine everything into a smooth, brown paste. Keep cooking the paste over the heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 7: Once the curry has simmered and the vegetables are tender, ladle 1-2 cups of the liquid from the curry into the saucepan with the roux. Whisk the roux and liquid until smooth. Next, pour the contents of the saucepan into the curry and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8: Serve the curry over a bed of white rice and enjoy!
Tips
- Traditionally, Japanese curry is not spicy like curries in India, but you can adjust the amount of cayenne based on your spice tolerance. If made according to the recipe, it will hardly be spicy at all.
- If you have trouble getting the roux to dissolve in the broth, pour everything into the curry and simmer another 3-5 minutes while stirring.
- This recipe stores and reheats really well. You can always make a double recipe to meal-prep, freeze for later, or eat throughout the week.
Storage
- Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- This chicken curry freezes well. Let it cool completely then store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 5 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight then heat in a pot.
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Japanese Chicken Curry
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Sweet Onion large, sliced
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 lb Chicken Breast
- 3 Carrots large
- 1 Asian Pear See notes
- 1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth or bone broth
- 4 Gold Potatoes medium
- Sea Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
For the Roux
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 3 Tbsp Curry Powder Japanese style, not Indian
- ½ tsp Cayenne Powder
- ½ Tbsp Tomato Paste or 1 Tbsp of ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
Making the Curry
- Thinly slice the onion, then peel and roughly chop the carrots and potatoes into 1-inch chunks. On a separate cutting board, cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes. Finally, peel and puree the Asian pear (or apple) in a food processor.
- Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in a pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken to the pot, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the it is browned on the outside. It will not be fully cooked at this point.
- Add your carrots, pureed pear, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes while you make the roux.
Making the Roux
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt 3 Tbsp. of butter. Add the flour and immediately stir until the flour and butter form a paste. Next, add the curry powder, cayenne, tomato paste, and Worcestershire, stirring to combine everything into a smooth, brown paste. Keep cooking the paste over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Once the curry has simmered and the vegetables are tender, ladle 1-2 cups of the liquid from the curry into the saucepan with the roux. Whisk the roux and liquid until smooth. Next, pour the contents of the saucepan into the curry and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the curry over rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Asian pear can be substituted for a large, sweet apple.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne based on your spice tolerance.
- If you have trouble getting the roux to dissolve in the broth, pour everything into the curry and simmer another 3-5 minutes while stirring.
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