Air Fryer Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry (Easy)

Source video by Chef Jack Ovens on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a Japanese-style katsu curry built around panko-coated chicken breast fillets and a from-scratch curry sauce made with onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, curry powder and soy. The source video shallow-chips the chicken in oil; for this air fryer version the crumbed cutlets are cooked in the basket instead. The curry sauce is still made on the hob in a pot, as it relies on simmering liquid. Serve over jasmine rice with the sauce ladled around.

Ingredients

• 2 largechicken breasts, butterflied and sliced into even fillets
• 2 wholeeggs, whisked
• 2 tbspplain flour
• 1 tsponion powder
• 1 tspgarlic powder
• 150 gpanko breadcrumbs
• oil spray

• 1.5 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 small-mediumbrown or yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced thin on an angle
• 3 clovesgarlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 gfresh ginger, peeled and finely diced or grated
• 2 tbspcurry powder
• 0.5 tspred chilli powder
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tsprice vinegar
• 2 tbspplain flour
• 500 mlchicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsphoney (add late)
• salt

• 200 gjasmine rice, washed until water runs clear
• 310 mlcold water
• salt

Method

1. Start the rice. Place a saucepan over high heat with the washed jasmine rice, cold water and a pinch of salt. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes.

   ~12 min

2. Make the curry sauce. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the sliced onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to soften without colouring.

   ~5 min

3. Add the sliced garlic, diced ginger and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until everything is soft.

   ~5 min

4. Stir in the curry powder and red chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes to bloom the spices into the vegetables.

   ~2 min

5. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and plain flour. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and form a thick paste.

   ~2 min

6. Pour in the stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, check for seasoning, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until thickened.

   ~8 min

7. Once the rice has had its 12 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 4 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Keep warm with the lid slightly ajar.

   ~4 min

8. Make the batter for the chicken. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the onion powder, garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of plain flour until you have a smooth, pourable paste.

   ~2 min

9. Tip the panko breadcrumbs into a second bowl. Dip each chicken fillet into the egg batter, wipe off any excess, then press firmly into the panko to coat all over.

   ~5 min

10. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C. Spray or brush both sides of the crumbed fillets generously with oil, this is what helps the panko go golden.

    ~3 min

11. Arrange the fillets in a single layer in the basket, leaving space between them. Cook at 190°C for 12 minutes, flipping at the 6 minute mark and re-spraying any pale patches with oil. The crumb should be deep golden and the chicken cooked through (74°C internal). Work in batches if needed.

    ~12 min

12. Finish the sauce by stirring in the honey and cooking for a final 1 minute. Turn off the heat. For a smoother sauce, blend it; for chunky, leave as is. Thin with a splash more stock if needed.

    ~1 min

13. Rest the chicken on a wire rack for a minute, season lightly with salt, then slice each fillet across into roughly 2.5cm thick strips.

    ~2 min

14. To serve, mound the rice in a bowl, ladle the curry sauce around one side of the rice, and lay the sliced chicken over the top so it overhangs into the sauce.

    ~2 min

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