Recipe
Naked Chicken Katsu Curry
Crispy panko-coated chicken with a glossy Japanese-style curry sauce, steamed rice and fresh spring onion. This lighter katsu keeps the crunch while skipping a deep-fry, making it practical for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken
Curry sauce
To serve
Method
20 mins prep35 mins cook55 mins total
Heat the oven to 220°C fan. Flatten the chicken thighs to an even thickness, then season both sides with the salt and pepper.
Set out the flour, beaten egg and panko in three shallow bowls. Coat each chicken thigh in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly.
Arrange the coated chicken on an oiled baking tray, drizzle or spray the tops with the oil and bake for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and curry powder for 1 minute.
Stir in the flour, then gradually whisk in the chicken stock. Add the soy sauce and honey, simmer for 8–10 minutes until smooth and lightly thickened, then taste for seasoning.
Rest the chicken for 3 minutes and slice it. Serve with steamed rice, spoon the curry sauce alongside, and finish with spring onion and sesame seeds.
Notes
Flatten the chicken evenly so the coating browns before the meat dries out; keep the sauce separate until serving for the best crunch.
About this recipe
This naked chicken katsu curry keeps the familiar contrast of crisp chicken, softly cooked onion and a warmly spiced curry sauce, but uses a shallow oven-bake rather than a deep fryer. Panko gives the chicken a light, crunchy coating while the sauce is built separately so it stays smooth and savoury.
Serve it over steamed rice with spring onion and sesame for a balanced bowl. Flattening the chicken to an even thickness helps it cook at the same rate, and resting it briefly after baking keeps the coating crisp when the curry is spooned alongside.
