Chicken Katsu Curry at Home (Wagamama-Style Sauce)

Name: Chicken Katsu Curry at Home (Wagamama-Style Sauce)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion, sliced; 2 carrots, sliced thinly; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 tbsp mild curry powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 600ml chicken or vegetable stock; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tsp honey; 1 tsp lemon juice; 4 skinless chicken breasts; 4 tbsp plain flour; 2 eggs, beaten; 120g panko breadcrumbs; 6 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying; Salt and pepper; 300g sticky or jasmine rice; Shredded white cabbage; Pickled red onion or ginger

Panko-crumbed chicken with a smooth, mildly spiced curry sauce built from onion, carrot and curry powder.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves: 4

Easy · Total 1 hr 5 min · Updated 12 September 2026

Why This Recipe Works

The sauce is thickened by its own vegetables rather than by flour. Onion and carrot cooked soft and then blended give a glossy sauce that coats without tasting pasty.
Panko shards are larger and drier than ordinary breadcrumbs, so they fry crisp and stay crisp under sauce for the few minutes it takes to eat.
A spoonful of honey and a little soy at the end balance the turmeric in the curry powder, which is what stops a home katsu sauce tasting dusty.

How to Make It

Soften onion, carrot and garlic, stir in curry powder, add stock and simmer until the vegetables collapse, then blend until smooth and season with soy, honey and a squeeze of lemon. Flatten the chicken breasts slightly, coat them flour-egg-panko, and shallow fry until deep gold. Slice, and pour the sauce alongside rather than over, so the crumb keeps its crunch.

Ingredients

For the sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice

For the katsu

4 skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
120g panko breadcrumbs
6 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
Salt and pepper

To serve

300g sticky or jasmine rice
Shredded white cabbage
Pickled red onion or ginger

Instructions

1
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring, until the onion is translucent and sweet.
2
Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and cook for a minute, until it smells toasted rather than raw.
3
Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the carrot crushes easily against the side of the pan.
4
Blend until completely smooth. A stick blender in the pan is fine. Return to a low heat and stir in the soy, honey and lemon juice. It should coat a spoon; loosen with a splash of stock if it is thicker than that.
5
Lay each chicken breast between two sheets of baking paper and beat gently with a rolling pin until about 1.5cm thick throughout. Season both sides.
6
Set out three plates: flour, beaten egg, panko. Coat each breast in flour, then egg, then press firmly into the panko so it sticks in a thick layer.
7
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes a side until deep golden and cooked through, 70C at the centre. Do it in two batches rather than crowding the pan.
8
Rest on kitchen paper for two minutes, then slice into thick fingers. Serve with rice, cabbage and the sauce poured beside the chicken.

Tips for the Best Results

Medium oil, not hot. Panko browns faster than chicken cooks, and a pan that is too hot gives you a dark crust over raw meat.

An even thickness matters more than it looks. An untouched breast is 4cm at one end and 1cm at the other, and one half will always be wrong.

For a baked version, spray the crumbed chicken with oil and bake at 200C fan for 20 minutes. It is genuinely good, just less golden.

The sauce freezes better than it keeps. Make double and freeze half in a bag, flat.

Make Ahead & Storage

The sauce keeps three days in the fridge and three months frozen, and improves overnight. Crumbed uncooked chicken can be refrigerated for a few hours on a rack. Do not sauce leftovers before storing, crumb and sauce together go soft within minutes.

What to Serve It With

Sticky rice, pressed into a bowl and turned out
Shredded cabbage with a splash of rice vinegar
Pickled ginger or quick pickled red onion
Edamame with flaky salt

Nutrition (Estimated, per serving)

Nutrient	Per serving
Energy	690 kcal
Fat	22g
of which saturates	4g
Carbohydrate	78g
of which sugars	12g
Fibre	5g
Protein	48g
Salt	1.8g

These are our own estimates, calculated from the ingredient quantities above and divided by 4 servings. They are not laboratory figures, and yours will differ with the cut of meat, the brand of each ingredient and how generously you serve it. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Katsu Curry at Home

Is katsu curry spicy?

No. Mild curry powder and no chilli means a warm, savoury sauce rather than a hot one. Add half a teaspoon of chilli powder with the curry powder if you want heat.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes. The sauce is already vegetarian when made with vegetable stock. Crumb thick slices of aubergine, halloumi or firm tofu exactly the same way.

Why is my sauce grainy?

The carrot was not soft enough before blending. Simmer another ten minutes and blend again; it will come smooth.

Is this Wagamama's recipe?

No. Wagamama has not published it, and this is our own sauce and method using standard katsu ingredients.

Curious what it costs to buy instead of make? The Wagamama menu prices are here, with calories beside every item.