This is my take on Japanese chicken curry (chicken kare raisu), a simple and comforting meal! Tender chicken in a thick and flavorful Japanese curry sauce, with peas and carrots. There’s a few ways that this recipe deviates from a typical Japanese curry recipe.
Many curry recipes call for a long simmer time, but this recipe is designed to skip that. The most common ingredients added to Japanese curry besides the main protein are peas, carrots, and potatoes. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of potatoes in Japanese curry, because of the long cook time and the fact that it's usually served with rice. I've opted to skip them to help reduce the cook time for my curry and personally I don’t miss them at all.
I do not recommend you add potatoes to this recipe because they will not have time to cook through. If you’d like to make your curry with potatoes, please utilize a different recipe for best results. This recipe uses Japanese curry blocks, with some simple additions to add extra flavor. I like to add soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and ginger. Japanese households typically have their secret ingredients, some other common ideas are worcestershire sauce, chicken stock or beef stock instead of water, honey, black pepper, cayenne pepper, grated apples, tomato paste, and cocoa powder. ,
What is Japanese Curry?
Japanese curry is probably best described to westerners as meat and/or veggies, simmered in a thick and flavorful gravy. Japanese curry is typically served alongside or overtop white rice. The gravy (thick curry sauce) is made with a thickener (typically wheat flour), oil, and a variety of flavorful spices. Curry is one of the most popular home foods in Japan, because it is so easy and delicious! To make Japanese curry, bite-sized pieces of meat and vegtables are braised in a large pot, then water and the curry seasoning is added and the mixture is brought to a gentle simmer. The curry is simmered over low heat until it reaches a stew-like consistency.
While you can make the base for curry from scratch, most people opt for premade curry base because it makes the meal very simple. In the US, you can likely find a variety of options in any Asian grocery store, but Japanese grocery stores will have the best selection. You may be able to find a curry base in the Asian aisle of your standard American grocery store, but the price will be higher.
I like to use curry blocks, but curry paste and curry powder are other options to explore. Typically curry blocks are sold in single or double packs. One batch of this Japanese chicken curry calls for one single pack of curry base. I typically purchase the double packs because they’re a slightly better deal and contain two individually sealed containers inside. Near me, I can often find the double packs on sale for $3, so the curry based use for this recipe cost me only $1.50. I buy S&B brand Golden Curry, but some other popular brands are House Foods Vermont Curry, and Java Curry.
FAQ
Is Japanese curry spicy?
Japanese curry comes in a variety of spice levels, from completely mild to very hot. So no matter what your spice tolerance is, you can find a curry base that’s perfect for you! The main options you are likely to see are “mild”, “medium”, “hot”, and “extra hot”. Keep in mind that Japanese people tend to prefer a lower spice level than some other Asain cultures. I personally prefer a medium spice level for most things, and I purchase the “hot” curry base, which to me tastes like a medium heat. If you are a spice lover, definitely opt for the “extra hot” variety.
Is Japanese curry healthy?
Japanese curry is a somewhat indulgent comfort food. The curry sauce is essentially a thick, flavorful gravy. That being said, its full of nutritious ingredients like chicken breast and veggies, so overall it isn't terribly unhealthy, it's just moderately high in calories. It's typically served as Japanese curry rice (karē raisu), which includes short-grain rice, but it can also be served over noodles, like udon noodles.
How to make velvet chicken with baking soda.
"Velvet" Chicken is chicken that has gone through a process to tenderize the meat, known as "velveting". This process is very common for stir-fry, especially in American-Chinese restaurants, because it prevents the chicken from becoming dry and overcooked. There are a few different methods for velveting chicken, the most common method uses a mixture of corn starch and oil, but the method I prefer uses baking soda.
After slicing the chicken into thin, bite-sized pieces, all you have to do is dust the chicken with some baking soda and let it sit for about 15 minutes. I use a small mesh strainer to dust the baking soda on (similar to how you might dust powdered sugar), but it can easily be done without one as well. Once that's complete, just thoroughly rinse off the baking soda (I do this in a large mesh strainer) and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Then it's ready to be seasoned and used in your stir-fry! You can start this process before you prep the rest of the ingredients, and it shouldn't add too much time to the prep.
There are a few other recipes on the site that also call for velvet chicken. If you enjoy this recipe, you may enjoy them as well!
Key Tips - Japanese Chicken Curry
Use fresh peas, and don’t overcook them.
- The difference between fresh peas vs frozen or canned is significant! Fresh peas are a little crunchy, not mushy, and will maintain that texture if they’re only lightly cooked. They add a little bit of freshness to balance out this heavy dish.
- In this recipe we intentionally add the peas toward the end, this is to keep them from getting too soft.
Stock up on curry base.
- Curry packages typically last a very long time in the pantry, so if you have to go out of your way to purchase them, consider stocking up for later. I typically stock up on boxed curry roux when I see it on sale, and opt for the double size package.
Dissolve the curry base before using.
- For curry recipes with a long simmer time, you can usually drop the chopped up curry base directly in and let it dissolve in the pot. If you do that for this short simmer recipe, the curry may not completely dissolve, leaving chunks behind. To avoid this, follow the optional step to warm the curry in the microwave with a small amount of water.
Use baby carrots for super fast prep.
- To make this recipe even easier, I typically grab a bag of pre-washed baby carrots. To prepare them, I just slice them in half longways. Slicing them in half will help make sure that they get properly cooked. Chopped carrots are a very popular curry ingredient!
If you make a double batch, do not overcrowd the chicken.
- We want the chicken to make direct contact with the pot for best results. If you double this recipe, consider either cooking the chicken in two batches, or pulling out a second pan to cook both batches at once to save a little time.
Curry is great to have as leftovers!
- Leftover curry reheats quite nicely, so consider making extra to save for later! Let the curry cool then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of extra water if needed when reheating.
Dietary Restrictions - Japanese Chicken Curry
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.
Make it Vegan:
- Use tofu instead of chicken. I prepare it similar to my other crispy tofu recipes, see my Soy Garlic Crispy Tofu for an example. Serve the tofu on side so it stays crispy, and dip it in the curry as you eat.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, many people would prefer to have more than one serving. I would typically serve this dish as 2-3 large dinner servings or 4 small lunch servings. The white bowls pictured contain two servings each.
Quick Japanese Chicken Curry (with Golden Curry Roux)
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or sub chicken thigh
- ~3.5 oz Japanese curry roux base I use Golden Curry brand (1 small package or ½ a large package per batch)
- 1 large yellow or white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 8 oz carrots chopped into bite-sized pieces (I use baby carrots halved longways)
- ½ cup fresh peas or sub frozen or canned peas
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or freshly minced ginger
- 2 ½ cups water divided
- baking soda optional, for tenderizing chicken
- olive oil or neutral oil, for cooking
- prepared white rice for serving
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast into ~¼” thick slices and cut into bite-sized pieces. (Season chicken pieces on one side with salt and pepper if you're skipping the tenderizing step)
- Optional, tenderize the chicken: Arrange the sliced chicken on a cutting board or plate, so it’s laying flat. Dust with ~1 teaspoon of baking soda, then flip all the pieces and dust with the other ~1 teaspoon of baking soda. Let sit for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, thoroughly rinse the baking soda off of the chicken with water, then pat dry. Season the chicken on one side with salt and pepper. Prepare the other ingredients while you wait for the chicken.
- Heat a generous swirl of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and toss to coat it in oil, then arrange it so it's laying flat in the pan. Let the chicken cook undisturbed until the bottom is golden and it's mostly cooked through, about 4 minutes. Then flip or toss the chicken and cook for about 1 more minute until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add more oil if needed, and the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, then add the carrots as well. Cook them together for another 5-7 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Optional: as the onions cook, dissolve the curry roux. (This extra step helps avoid clumps since we aren't simmering for too long). Chop the curry block into small pieces and add it to a microwave safe dish with ½ cup of water (per batch). Microwave for 30 seconds, then mix and repeat until the curry is fully dissolved (2-3 times).
- When the onions are ready, add the garlic and cook for about a minute until it's very fragrant. Then add the water and bring the mixture to a simmer. (2 cups of water per batch if you used ½ cup to dissolve the curry, or 2 ½ cups if you did not)
- As the mixture is coming to a simmer, add the ketchup and soy sauce. Once it's simmering, add the curry roux (either already dissolved or chopped into small pieces).
- Once the curry is simmering again, add the chicken, peas, and ginger. Cook until it's warmed through, and your desired thickness is reached, just a few minutes. If you'd like to make the curry thinner, just add a little more water.
- Serve hot with white rice (I use jasmine rice or Japanese short grain rice). It's also delicious over noodles such as udon! I serve this curry with a spoon and chopsticks.
Notes
Nutrition
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