16 Japanese Curry Recipes You'll Love (2024)

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Do you love a good curry? Here, we’ve rounded up our most delicious Japanese curry recipes you’d want to make over and over again.

Many people are most familiar with Thai and Indian-style curries, but did you know there’s also a whole suite of delicious Japanese curry for you to explore? While it’s not native to Japanese cuisine, Japanese curry is considered one of the nation’s most popular convenient, and comfort foods. We even invented a myriad of Japanese curry dishes that are suited to the Japanese lighter palette.

Why you’ll love Japanese curries? Most of Japanese curry dishes are milder in heat and come with a fruity sweetness and a stew-like texture. They are kid-friendly and make a perfect introduction to people who are trying curry for the first time. Did we mention they are also easy to make and freezer-friendly? Let’s cook up some flavor-packed, comforting curries today!

16 Popular Japanese Curry Recipes to Make at Home

1. How To Make Japanese Curry Roux

Instead of coconut milk which is a common ingredient in yellow curry or Thai green curry, Japanese curry roux is made of flour, butter, and a blend of curry powders. You can find readily made Japanese curry sauce mix in a convenient package or make it from scratch. Add more cayenne pepper or leave it out for a milder taste. Once you have this nailed down, you can use the curry roux to flavor a great variety of dishes you can think of.

2. Japanese Chicken Curry

This is probably the most popular chicken curry for all generations in Japan! In this recipe, tender pieces of chicken, carrots, and potatoes cooked in a rich savory curry sauce. It’s hearty and super comforting. Kick it up with some fresh grind of black pepper, if you prefer. This is a must-keep for your family meal.

3. Curry Udon

Thick chewy udon noodles soaked in a rich, fragrant curry sauce, this curry udon will satisfy your noodles craving in an instant. Bonus: it’s simple enough to throw together on a busy weeknight. Grab your chopsticks and slurp away!

4. Soup Curry

A relatively new addition to the popular Japanese curry scene, soup curry hails from Sapporo, Hokkaido. This unique recipe—with influences from Chines/Korean medicinal soups and curries from India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka—is packed with so much flavors! The soup base is made of a mix of curry blends, aromatic ginger, garlic, herbs like basil and bay leaf, tomato paste, and mango chutney. The curry itself features fall-off-the-bone chicken thighs and colorful veggies such as eggplants, carrots, bell peppers, okra, and kabocha squash.

5. Katsu Curry

Ultra crispy oven-baked chicken or pork cutlet slathered in a creamy curry sauce served over a bed of steamed rice. Need we say more?

6. Vegetarian Curry

This vegetarian curry is all about the clever layering of ingredients to bring up the flavors and textures. With meaty slices of king oyster mushrooms, colorful chunky vegetables, and flavorful broth, it’s going to be the most exciting, satisfying meal you’d love for a very long time. To change things up, you could also use sweet potatoes in place of kabocha squash.

7. Curry Ramen

When there are nights that call for emergency meals, reach for a package of instant ramen and leftover curry in the freezer to make this super easy curry ramen.

8. Beef Curry

16 Japanese Curry Recipes You'll Love (9)

Savory and hearty Japanese beef curry made with beef, potatoes, carrots, mushroom, and Japanese curry roux. This is a staple on cold wintry days.

9. Pork Curry Donburi


Looking for a fool-proof and speedy curry? Make this pork curry donburi! With just 5 ingredients, this rice bowl can be put together quicker than you think. No long-simmering needed at all.

10. Curry Doria

Similar to lasagna but made with fluffy rice, curry doria is Japanese rice gratin toppedwith umami-packed curry meat sauce, cheese and baked into perfection in a casserole.

11. Cold Curry Udon

Cold curry udon is chilled udon soaked in acurry soup, topped with sliced pork, boiled egg, sliced onion, julienned cucumber, mizuna leaves, tomatoes, and grilled eggplant. It’s a colorful, nutritious and refreshingly savory summer dish!

12. Pressure Cooker Japanese Seafood Curry

Packedwith amazing flavors from shrimp, squid, scallops, spices, and kombu dashi, this Japanese seafood curry may sound luxurious but totally doable on a weeknight with the help of an Instant Pot! Use frozen seafood mix for an even quicker version.

13. Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry

Dinner is solved on abusy weeknight with this easy yet delicious pressure cooker Japanese curry.I simply add the ingredients in the pot, set up the timer, go out for my kids’ activity, and come home for a fabulous dinner ready to eat.

14. Keema Curry

An Indian curry dish that has been adapted to the Japanese palate, keema curry is a simple curry with ground meat and minced vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. It’s a curry that you can whip up in under 20 minutes. For vegetarians, you can switch out the meat with lentils or cauliflower and the chicken stock with vegetarian broth.

15. Curry Bread

Tired of the same old pastries with sweet fillings? Try this savory bread bun with curry filling instead. The exterior is lightly coated with crispy panko, which makes the bread even more delicious and satisfying.This curry bread (or kare pan) is very popular at Japanese bakery shops, but you can definitely nail the recipe at home with my detailed instructions and video tutorial. What’s hard is to stop yourself from eating more than one when the curry buns are freshly baked out of the oven.

16. Dry Curry

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Dry Curry is a no-gravy version of Japanese curry rice made with ground meat and minced vegetables and often topped with a fried egg. It’s as simple as cooking the onion, ground meat, and veggies in a skillet, then season the mixture and let it simmer. You’ll love this as a quick weeknight dinner!

Key Ingredient for Japanese Curry Dishes

To make authentic Japanese curry dishes that I share above, I recommend theS&B brand curry powder which has a distinctive taste. The curry mix includes turmeric, nutmeg, fennel, anise, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, sage, black pepper, cardamom, and orange peel.

You can use packaged curry powder from an Indian grocery store, but the blend can taste drastically different from Japanese-style curry powder.

16 Japanese Curry Recipes You'll Love (2024)

FAQs

Is Japanese curry junk food? ›

To say it in simpler words, Japanese curry is not a much healthy meal since it is not nutritionally balanced. Depending on the ingredients, it may contain more than 500 calories and more sodium than anyone should consume in a month.

What is the most popular food in Japan curry? ›

The most popular curry dish in Japan, katsu kare, consists of a deep-fried, breaded cutlet (katsu) served over rice with a thick, fragrant sauce. The cutlet is typically made with pork or chicken, and the sauce contains a variety of spices, including turmeric, cumin, and ginger.

What are the ingredients in Japanese curry? ›

How to make Japanese-style curry (6 servings)
  • 1 box Curry roux (115 g, 4 oz.)
  • 250 g/9 oz. Meat.
  • 2 Onions (400 g, 14 oz.)
  • 1 1/2 Potatoes (230 g, 8 oz.)
  • 1/2 Carrots (100 g, 3.5 oz.)
  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil.
  • 850 ml (3 1/2 cups) Water (750 ml (3 cups) if cooking in a covered pot)

Why is Japanese curry so high in calories? ›

The calories primarily come from deep-fried meat and curry sauce. The base of katsu curry sauce is coconut milk. While very creamy and flavorful, one cup of coconut milk includes 445 calories and 48 grams of fat.

Is Japanese food healthier than Chinese food? ›

Generally, Japanese foods are considered healthier and more nutritious than Chinese meals. The reason lies in the use of fats, carbs, and proteins. Japanese cuisine uses a lot of proteins, and the primary source is seafood. Usually, the Japanese serve raw seafood. However, some prefer steaming and stir-frying.

How unhealthy is Katsu Curry? ›

But some of the dishes are deceptively calorific – for example, the chicken and prawn Pad Thai boasts 794 calories, while the ever-popular Katsu Curry is 1149 calories – more than two Big Macs – and contains over half your daily allowance of saturated fat.

Are Japanese curry healthy? ›

Japanese curry with rice and meat, seafood or vegetables is a great choice for a balanced meal! As well as the protein from the meat, the vegetables have so much nutritional value to offer. From growing children to health-conscious adults, Japanese curry is a great choice for all kinds of people.

Why does Japanese curry taste so good? ›

The dish has changed and been adapted so much since its introduction that it stands on its own as uniquely Japanese. The combination of sweet, sticky Japanese short-grain rice with a thickened curry sauce has led to the unique evolution of Japanese curry.

What is Japan's national dish? ›

Curry rice is considered one of Japan's national dishes and loved by Japanese people of all ages. Currently, there are restaurants specializing in Japanese curry outside Japan, for example, the United States and even India, where curry is originally from.

What is the red thing in Japanese curry? ›

Japanese curry is often served alongside with steamed rice and an accompaniment of bright crimson red relish called Fukujinzuke (福神漬け). These pickled vegetables are sweet and tangy, which is perfect to set off the richness of curry.

What is the best potato for Japanese curry? ›

Potatoes: You can use russet or yukon gold potatoes in your curry, although I prefer how russets break down a bit more for this one. Be sure to peel your russets and cut them into large-ish, maybe 1 ½-inch chunks.

What vegetables to put in Japanese curry? ›

The triad of vegetables most commonly found in Japanese curry are onion, potato, and carrots, but you can use almost any combination of vegetables and protein. Here, I've added celery, green beans, and corn to the mix, and use chicken thighs as my protein.

Is Japanese curry inflammatory? ›

If prepared with lean proteins and a low amount of sodium, Japanese curry can be part of a heart-healthy diet. Additionally, research suggests that some spices used in curry powder may have heart-healthy benefits, such as lowering inflammation and preventing plaque buildup in the arteries.

What protein goes with Japanese curry? ›

1. 🍛 Classic Pairing: Enjoy Japanese curry rice with Tonkatsu (breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet) for a perfect combination of flavors and textures. 2. 🍤 Seafood Harmony: Pair with Ebi Fry (crispy fried shrimp) for a delightful fusion of the curry's richness with the seafood's sweetness.

Which is better Indian or Japanese curry? ›

In a way, Japanese curry would be a good introduction to the wonderful world of curry, in a less intimidating way. Japanese curry has the basic flavors of traditional curry. But for a full-on authentic experience, Indian curry would be the one to try for its honest-to-goodness flavors and spices.

Is Japanese style curry healthy? ›

Japanese curry with rice and meat, seafood or vegetables is a great choice for a balanced meal! As well as the protein from the meat, the vegetables have so much nutritional value to offer. From growing children to health-conscious adults, Japanese curry is a great choice for all kinds of people.

Is Japanese food healthy or unhealthy? ›

The traditional Japanese diet is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. The Japanese pride themselves in having one of the lowest rates of obesity in the world, as well as low incidences of certain hormone-dependent cancers. Usually, the Japanese eat three large meals and two snacks each day.

What is the most popular junk food in Japan? ›

Jagariko

One of the most popular snacks in Japan, Jagariko are brittle potato sticks in a cup with a peel-off lid.

Is Japanese Katsu Curry healthy? ›

Some of the dishes are deceptively calorific – for example, the chicken and prawn Pad Thai boasts 794 calories, while the ever-popular Katsu Curry is 1149 calories – more than two Big Macs – and contains over half your daily allowance of saturated fat.

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