Japanese Chicken Curry, also known as Curry Rice (カレーライス - karé raisu), is the ultimate comfort food in Japan. While loaded with a blend of over a dozen different spices, it tends to be milder than its Indian or Thai counterparts, and it has a rich texture and comforting sweetness that makes it a hit with all age groups. Although it has a history dating back over a century, in recent years, many people make it using instant curry cubes, or they buy it premade in vacuum-sealed retort pouches (レトルトカレー). I like making my Japanese curry from scratch, and I've spent the past several decades perfecting this Japanese curry chicken recipe.
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Why My Recipe Works
- The umami and depth of good Japanese restaurant curry come from caramelizing onions and other aromatics. I build layers of flavors in this recipe, first by browning the chicken, then caramelizing garlic and ginger before going in with onions and carrots.
- The characteristic sweetness of Japanese chicken curry is created by adding fruit and sugar in most recipes. In my version, I like to use moderately ripe bananas, which provide a nice sweetness and help thicken the curry sauce.
- Japanese curry is usually thickened with flour and fat roux, but the luxurious texture of this homemade curry rice is developed with a mixture of vegetables and fruit, making it healthier than most. As a result, it's also gluten free.
- Kakushiaji (隠し味) means "hidden taste," and it's a cooking technique that involves adding a tiny quantity of a contrasting ingredient to make subtle improvements to the dish's taste. For this Japanese Chicken Curry recipe, my kakushiaji is cocoa powder. It may sound odd, but it's one of the secrets to get a rich earthy depth of flavor, making it taste like it's been simmering for hours.
Roux Cubes vs. From Scratch
These days, many Japanese households use blocks of instant curry roux that look like a giant chocolate bar. They contain all of the flavorings and seasonings needed to make curry so the idea is that you can add them to a pot along with meat, vegetables and water. The most popular brand names include S&B Golden Curry, House Vermont Curry, and Glico Zeppin, and they come in sweet, medium, and spicy varieties. While convenient, these Japanese curry roux blocks are loaded with questionable ingredients. This recipe does not require making a roux which makes it super easy to make from scratch and tastes much better than instant curry.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil - A neutral oil that doesn't overpower the other flavors. If you're looking for an alternative, canola or sunflower oil work well.
- Boneless Skin-on Chicken Thighs - These offer the perfect balance of meaty richness and juiciness for this Japanese chicken curry recipe. You can check out my post to learn how to debone chicken thighs. You can also use chicken breasts, which tend to be less flavorful and juicy.
- Ginger & Garlic - These two are the backbone of most curry dishes; they provide the base layer of aroma that the spices will build upon to give the curry its quintessential flavor.
- Baking Soda - Baking soda breaks down pectin in the onions, which softens them more quickly. The increase in pH also speeds up the process of caramelization.
- Onions - One of the defining characteristics of Japanese chicken curry is the flavor of caramelized onion. These provide umami and sweetness; in this recipe, they add body to the curry sauce. The key here is caramelization and Maillard browning, which develops a deep, complex flavor, and it's the trick good Japanese restaurants use to make their curry.
- Japanese Curry Powder - Japanese curry powder is a unique blend of spices that includes the usual suspects like turmeric, cumin, and black pepper, but also includes East Asian spices such as mandarin and star anise, as well as Western herbs such as dill and sage. I like using S&B brand which comes in a red (or red and yellow) can.
- Vegetable Stock - Curry requires a liquid to form the sauce, and while you could use water, vegetable or chicken stock will provide more flavor. If you are using a protein other than chicken, you could match the broth with the meat you are using (i.e., beef broth for beef).
- Banana - It may sound odd, but fruit is a common addition to Japanese-style curry to add the trademark sweetness. Apples are the most common, but I don't like the acidity it adds. Glico, a brand of instant curry blocks, uses bananas in theirs. After trying it out, it's my favorite fruit for this because it contributes sweetness while thickening the curry. You want to use a fully ripe banana (yellow), but do not use an overripe banana (brown spots); otherwise, your curry will have a banana flavor.
- Carrots - I like to add carrots in two forms to my curry. First, I add grated carrots, which get caramelized with the onions. This adds a natural sweetness to the curry, and as it breaks down, it helps thicken it. I also add chunks of carrots, which add substance and a pop of color to the finished dish.
- Potatoes - Although curry originates in India, it was brought to Japan by the British, so the ingredients resemble a European stew. Potatoes add substance to Japanese curry while soaking up its flavors. I like to use waxy potatoes (Red Bliss, Fingerling, etc.) in my curry as they don't dissolve as easily as starchy ones (Russet).
- Bay Leaf & Star Anise - Although Japanese curry powder contains both spices, I like adding a little extra to my curry. You can skip these if you don't have any on hand.
- Soy Sauce - Soy sauce seasons the curry while contributing boatloads of umami. It also gives it a dark brown color, which is a hallmark of Japanese Navy Curry.
- Chunou Sauce - Chunou sauce is a fruit-based sauce similar to tonkatsu sauce and okonomiyaki sauce. If you can't find it, a 50:50 mix of Worcestershire sauce and ketchup makes a reasonable alternative.
- Tomato Paste - Tomato paste is essentially a concentrated tomato flavoring. It adds fruity sweetness and umami to the curry. Ketchup will work in a pinch.
- Cocoa Powder - This is my kakushiaji, or "hidden taste." It brings a nutty and earthy depth to this homemade Japanese curry without making it taste overtly of chocolate. Some people add instant coffee granules to their curry for a similar effect, but I don't want my curry caffeinated, and cocoa powder provides a more subtle flavor.
How to Make Japanese Chicken Curry from Scratch
Start by mixing the salt and baking soda into the water until they're evenly dissolved.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the boneless, skin-on chicken thighs that have been cut into large bite-sized pieces. I like using chicken thighs because they have more flavor and tend to hold up better in stews due to their fat and collagen content. Brown the chicken on one side before flipping the pieces over to brown the other side. The high temperature of the oil creates Maillard browning, which is how we build the layers of flavors in traditional Japanese chicken curry.
When the chicken is nicely browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Then, add the grated ginger and garlic to the pot and sauté them until they're fragrant and starting to brown. This builds the second layer of flavor. Now add in the onions and stir in the baking soda solution. Cover the pot with a lid and turn down the heat to steam the onions for about 10 minutes.
When the timer is up, remove the lid and turn up the heat to boil off the excess liquid. Add the grated carrots and saute the mixture until golden brown and caramelized. Take your time here, as this is where the curry will get the bulk of its flavor.
When the onion mixture has carmelized into a thick paste, add the curry powder and quickly stir it into the onions so that it doesn't burn to the pan. The idea is to get the spices bloom, releasing their fragrant oils.
When the curry powder is fragrant, add the vegetable stock and banana and use a stick blender to puree the mixture. You could also do this in a regular blender, but be careful when blending hot liquids, as the sudden release of steam can cause the lid to blow off.
Next, return the chicken to the pot along with the potatoes, carrots, soy sauce, chunou sauce, tomato paste, bay leaf, star anise, and cocoa powder. Bring your curry to a gentle simmer and let it cook until the vegetables are tender and the curry roux has thickened up. This should take about an hour. Be sure to stir your curry regularly to prevent it from burning to the bottom of the pot.
Once the vegetables are tender and your Japanese chicken curry is nice and thick, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed with salt and cayenne pepper (if you want some more heat).
How to Serve It
Over the past century, Japanese-style curry has become one of the most popular meals in Japan, and as a result, people have come up with creative ways to serve it. The classic way is to serve it alongside a generous mound of short-grain rice to make Japanese curry rice. Variations of this include serving it topped with shredded cheese or topping it with a hot spring egg. The curry can also be served as a sauce over a chicken katsu or tonkatsu (pork cutlet) to make Katsu Curry.
Variations of Japanese Curry
Japanese curry is a whole sub-genre of Japanese cuisine so in addition to the various serving possibilities listed above there are many variations of the dish here. Keema curry is a popular dry curry made from ground meat that comes together in minutes. Then there are regional variations like Soup Curry, which originated in Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido. If you find yourself craving Japanese Curry, but you're pressed for time, check out my Quick Japanese Curry, which comes together in about the time it takes to cook a batch of rice. If you're more of a noodle person, Curry Udon is a hearty noodle soup that's perfect for a cold winter day. For a more portable option, Currypan or curry stuffed bread is a popular snack item in Japan.
Want to learn more about Japanese home cooking? Check out my list of recipes here: Japanese Modern Home Cooking.
Recipe
Japanese Chicken Curry From Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 800 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs (cut into large bite-size pieces)
- 30 grams ginger (grated)
- 20 grams garlic (grated)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 600 grams onions (2 large minced)
- 70 grams carrot (grated)
- 24 grams Japanese Curry Powder (~3 tablespoons)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 banana
- 400 grams potatoes
- 300 grams carrots
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chunou sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
Instructions
Why it works- Add 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda to ¼ cup water and mix until dissolved.
- Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering (but not smoking).
- Add 800 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs in a single layer with the skin-side down and fry undisturbed until the skin is browned and crisp (about 3 minutes). Flip the chicken over and brown the second side.
- When the chicken is browned on both sides, remove it from the pan and add grated 30 grams ginger and 20 grams garlic. Saute until you have a thick layer of brown fond on the bottom of the pot and the mixture is caramelized.
- Add 600 grams onions along with the baking soda solution and quickly stir to coat the onions evenly with the mixture. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low, allowing the onions to steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and turn up the heat to medium-high, boiling the mixture until very little liquid is left.
- Add the grated 70 grams carrot and fry the mixture by stirring, then spreading the vegetables into an even layer and then stirring again until the onions are fully caramelized and the mixture is cinnamon brown.
- Add 24 grams Japanese Curry Powder and stir until it is very fragrant (about 1 minute). Be careful not to burn it.
- Add the4 cups vegetable stock and 1 banana, and then use a stick blender to puree the mixture until smooth.
- Now, you want to return the chicken to the pot with 400 grams potatoes, 300 grams carrots, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon chunou sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, and 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.
- Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and then let this cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender (about 1 hour). You'll want to mix the curry every 10 minutes to ensure it is not burning to the bottom of the pot.
- The Japanese curry is done when the vegetables and chicken are tender, and the sauce is like a thick gravy. Taste the curry and adjust the seasonings with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. If you like a looser curry, add water or stock to thin it out.
- To make Japanese curry rice, just serve your homemade chicken curry over Japanese short-grain rice.
Notes
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FAQs
Japanese Curry is a roux thickened stew that typically includes a protein, onions, carrots, and potatoes. The sauce is sweet and packed with umami, and the luxuriously thick texture serves as a gravy that can be mixed into white rice to form curry rice.
Because many Japanese people are not used to eating spicy foods, curry in Japan has a balancing sweetness that's added using ingredients such as fruit, honey, or even sugar. Japanese curry is more viscous than most, and the sauce resembles a thick gravy. Finally, since the Japanese version of curry originally came from Europe, the ingredients (such as potatoes and carrots) are more like a stew than other Asian curries. You can check out all of my curry recipes here, which include variations of Japanese curry and curries from around the world.
You may be surprised to learn that Japan has its own version of curry since Japanese food is known for its subtle flavors. Curry in Japan dates back about 150 years to the early Meiji era when military advisors from the British Empire introduced the concept of curry (taken from India) as an efficient means to feed many hungry troops. These young men would take their newly acquired taste for curry home, and by 1906, at least one company produced an "instant" curry mix.
House Foods followed with their version in 1926, and in 1954, SB Foods released the first solid curry roux. Its popularity has only grown since then. House Foods introduced its "Vermont Curry" in 1963, becoming the top-selling brand. These days, the shelves of every convenience store and supermarket are lined with reheatable packets of premade curry, as well as a myriad of curry-flavored foods such as chips, crackers, noodles, and fried rice.
Japanese curry blocks (a.k.a. curry roux) include wheat flour, so it is not gluten-free. Since this recipe doesn't use curry blocks, it can easily be made gluten-free by substituting tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
Most Japanese curry, including curry cubes are not vegan friendly. Because this recipe is made from scratch, you can easily substitute the chicken for your favorite plant-based protein. I also have a vegan Japanese curry recipe that's loaded with mushrooms and chickpeas.
Curry Rice is pronounced Karé Raisu in Japanese and is pronounced as follows (read the italicized parts).
ka like copy
re the "re" sound does not exist in the English language, and the best way to make it is to say the word "rain" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth.
ra the "ra" sound does not exist in the English language, and the best way to make it is to say the word "romp" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth.
i like even
su like soup
Matt says
Hi Marc, I was gonna be hosting a dinner party and thought of making Japanese curry from scratch as we try to avoid processed ingredients as much as possible. Found your video on YouTube and I also went as far as making my own curry powder blend based on your other video.
I was making a batch for nine people but only had a single ripe banana. So instead of just a banana, I also used some Fuji apples and they turned out great in the end! Initially, they were quite overpowering. The acidity from the apples together with the "banana taste" was getting to me and I went to get some storebought curry roux as backup. But after letting the curry simmer over low heat for a couple hours, everything mellowed out and it tastes EXACTLY like what you'd get if you use the storebought roux.
Everything was genuinely impressed and I should've trusted the process! But now I know. Thank you once again.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Matt, I'm happy to hear it all turned out well and you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to give me the full rundown.
M says
This was really delicious, even though I burned some of the onions while trying to caramelize them... The sauce is very bold, it's unlike roux curry but it still has that comforting flavor. My only qualm is that it was quite acidic, but that's on me. I was missing some spices for the curry powder, I used A1 steak sauce instead of chunou sauce, and my cocoa was undutched. Will definitely make again when I'm more prepared.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this! Yea, those two changes would definitely make it more acidic. One hack you can use when that happens is to add a very small pinch of baking soda to the mixture. Mix it in and it will fizz like crazy and you can taste it after it subsides to see if it's less acidic. If it's still too sour you can add a bit more. The key is to do it a little at a time as a small amount goes a long way and if you overdo it, it will make your food taste soapy and bitter.
Dylan says
This is my second time making this dish and it's amazing! I was on a trip in Bellevue, WA and tried some Japanese curry with Royce chocolate at Tendon Kohaku so I had to make some for myself. It's close but I think this recipe might be better than the restaurant's!
This latest time making it I decided to triple the recipe and I feel like the flavors aren't quite as "rich" as when I made the 1x recipe. I think it could be due to the 12 cups of broth making the curry more runny but I'm not sure. It took a lot longer to cook too so I wasn't wanting to wait for it to reduce any longer. Any ideas on how to make the triple recipe a little richer?
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this. As for increasing the batch size, I'd say the most likely culprit is that your aromatics did not fully caramelize (the more you make the longer it takes). one way to speed it up is to puree the aromatics and boil them until most of the liquid is gone, then you can add oil and sautee until they become a thick brown paste. It's the method I use for my quick curry. https://norecipes.com/ground-beef-japanese-curry/ It will still take a while but it should be faster than using sliced onions.
Ash says
I've cooked your Japanese curry from scratch recipe for many years, and just cooked this one for the first time. Wow. I am very blown away by the taste of this recipe, and also appreciate that the consistency came out the way it did without needing any roux. The caramelizing of the carrots and onions together took a little longer than I had anticipated, even with the baking soda trick (which I also use in other recipes calling for caramelized onions), but I believe those both had helped with developing one of the many layers of flavor of this curry. I also used a whole grated apple, as I don't have any bananas at the moment, and that turned out well in this recipe. I'll definitely have this recipe on rotation!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ash, I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying my curry recipes. Thank you taking the time to let me know!
Brian Grover says
It's not really "from scratch" if you're using prepackaged curry powder
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Brian, Japanese curry powder is a blend of about 20 different spices (it is not the same as curry roux which has a bunch of other ingredients). If you click on the ingredient name "Japanese Curry Powder" in the recipe card it will take you to my recipe for blending your own curry powder.
Jo says
Marc, you are a food genius 👏
My curry is currently simmering and it smells and tastes amazing 😋
I was initially concerned about the amount of onion, but not now!
I love curries from around the world, but this has to be one of the best!
Thank you so much for great recipes!
Jo
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jo, I'm so happy to hear it turned out well! Thanks for taking the time let me know how it went!
Jo says
Is 600g of onion correct? That's a lot of onion!
I've got it cooking now, so I hope it's right lol
Marc Matsumoto says
Sorry I'm late with my response, but yet 600g is correct, it reduces significantly when you caramelize it.
Alex Kazerooni says
Loved the recipe, and the banana's (without brown spots) really worked!
A cohabitant business of our food hub tried a sample and he loved it; he's well versed in curries, he looks for layers of flavor, and suggested a Red Thai Curry with Eggplant as the next challenge - I can see the challenge of bitter, fibrous eggplant, that I once accepted as a vegetarian staple but avoid now as a night shade. Your article and Japanese Curry recipe taught me ALOT re: umami through cooking methods and value for grating and browning carrots, apples, bananas, ginger, combining two at a time for flavors ,i.e. carrots and ginger. so THANK YOU. My business neighbor usually only eats 1 spoon of a sample, but he said that 'one bite' of "japanese curry' was "ADDICTING!" and couldn't stop eating the entire small, and generous sample dish in exchange for the extra candied walnuts he gave us, that we luckily used as a garnish for this Japanese Curry, as the nuttiness matched the umami, and the candied met the sweetness. Our owner's desire to have a genuine Japanese Curry where he mixed in or garnished with honey and grated apple was achieved. Put a zig-zag of honey as garnish, and BAM! Even Emeril would pass out from joy ! Very informative article and formative recipe for those beginning their world of Asian foods and pursuing Umami flavors to capture that unique taste sense of the world's fastest growing flavor in the sweet and savory word of Korean BBQ . This recipe joins my top 5 of my past 20 years, right up there with a Russian Peach Dill Salmon leveraging a drop of white vinegar in the glaze, salt rubbing ribeye steaks for 7 days, 7 layer Cointreau cake, Persian family parsley & cilantro, British family Yorkshire pudding, and former employer's Dal Curry, that also uses signature sweets and heat from India for flavor, texture, thickness, sweet heat control, health benefits. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Manuel says
As a fellow Chef, your recipe is excellent.
Proud to use it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Chef, glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Hiroko says
Wonderful recipe!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thank you!
Phillip says
I have made this almost a dozen times now. I follow the recipe to make my own home made Japanese curry powder too. I try a little something different every time too. I’ve lived in Japan and have had some pretty amazing curry there and this recipe is high on my list.
I also recently finished persona 5 which gives you some other options during the banana phase like adding in wine, yogurt, honey, dark chocolate etc.
Recently I started grinding my spices in with some left over coffee beans grounds in my grinder. Adds depth imho.
Thanks for posting this. It’s been a great learning experience and has helped me develop some things that I enjoy.
Marc Matsumoto says
Happy to hear you've been enjoying this! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Also, great idea adding some coffee as kakushiaji!
Abdullah says
Nothing turned out right and I did everything right
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Abdullah, I'm sorry to hear this didn't go well for you. Can you tell me what the problems were and maybe I can help you work past them?
www.mywaytocook.com says
Your Japanese curry recipe is a game-changer. Can’t wait to try it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
Kathy Stroup says
I love this recipe, but I've never used a roux block, or eaten this at a restaurant, so I don't have a frame of reference for it. That's okay; it's phenomenally delicious! And making my own Japanese curry powder educated me on what this dish should taste like. The addition of bay leaf, star anise, and cocoa powder really does make this shine, and I wouldn't have thought that they'd make as much difference as they do.
As for the banana, I don't keep those in my kitchen, so I always substitute apple. I use a Cosmic Crisp or Fuji and it's not too sour. And my sauce is plenty thick. I would use a bit of potato starch and water if I felt it needed it.
As a huge fan of Indian cuisine, this dish fascinates me. It's always interesting to see how dishes get adapted to suit the tastes of different people. That's really what almost all American food is. But curry has reached the US through many different immigrant groups, including Japanese Americans. And they're all spectacular dishes in their own right.
By the way, National Curry Day in Japan is January 22, according to this article.https://yokosonews.com/food/secret-curry-day-japan#:~:text=January%2022%20is%20Curry%20Day,rice%20on%20every%20January%2022.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for sharing your experience and substitutions for this recipe! I used fuji and honeycrisp apples in earlier versions of my curry recipe so those are both great calls. As for national curry day, I had no idea! Japanese people love assigning days to things based on wordplay or numberplay. For instance 11/11 is national Pocky day because the four 1s look like pocky sticks, and the 29th of every month is "meat day" because two nine in Japanese is "ni ku" (niku means meat in Japanese).