Every time we go to the restaurant chain Wagamama, I cannot resist eating their katsu curry chicken. And for years, I have tried to recreate the exact taste. My husband loves katsu sauce, my kids love katsu sauce – and it always feels like a real treat when we have it at home.
There are many variations but I think this katsu sauce recipe is the most authentic to the one that Wagamama serves. In fact, my son has told me it’s even better. High praise indeed!
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What is in this katsu sauce recipe?
The simplicity of the ingredients is what makes this katsu curry sauce so easy. And while some recipes add coconut milk, I don’t like a creamy taste in my katsu sauce. This one combines the sweet taste of onions and carrots, with lots of garlic and chicken stock. With a touch of honey and soy sauce.
That’s it – really! Sweet, tangy and delicious, you won’t ever look back once you’ve tried it at home. Just to recap, all you need is:
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Chicken stock
Curry powder
Flour
Soy sauce
Honey
Is this katsu sauce vegan?
If you substitute chicken stock for vegetable stock, and use sugar or maple syrup instead of honey, then yes, this katsu sauce will be suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Serve it with breaded tofu, sweet potato or aubergine as some recipe idea suggestions.
How to make chicken katsu curry
My favourite combination with katsu curry sauce is chicken katsu curry. Get some chicken breasts in between two pieces of clingfilm, and bash the meat until it’s thin. Coat in seasoned flour, then beaten egg and finally, panko breadcrumbs.
Shallow fry in vegetable oil until crispy on both sides and then bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked.
We also love to breadcrumb salmon in the same way as above. My kids really love katsu salmon and it’s a great way to get children to up their fish intake and Omega 3. However you choose to serve this katsu curry sauce, the whole family will enjoy it.
Can you keep leftover katsu curry sauce?
Absolutely. I like to make a double batch of katsu curry sauce, as it’s great to freeze and then use for another meal. Pour the sauce into a suitable container and you can freeze it for up to three months. Make sure you defrost the sauce thoroughly before reheating it in a pan over a medium heat or in the microwave.
What to serve with this easy katsu curry sauce
Pour over your chosen protein, then add lashings of rice or noodles and green vegetables including pak choi or a side salad. One of my friends even loves pouring this sauce over lots of chips! You decide, but it’s versatile enough to be enjoyed in whichever way you like.
Katsu sauce recipe just like Wagamama’s
This katsu curry is so full of flavour and just like the real deal – except I think, better. Once you make it at home, it will become a family favourite
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 6 cloves of garlic – chopped
- 1 large onion – chopped
- 1 large carrot – chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 600-800 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock for vegan variation
- 1 tbsp curry powder your choice of strength. I use medium
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce or more if needed
- 1-2 tsps of honey or sugar/maple syrup for vegans. Add more if needed
- 3 tbsp of flour
Instructions
Fry the onions in the vegetable oil until soft – around eight minutes, then add the garlic. Stir for a minute or two. Then add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the curry powder and stir well. After cooking through for a few minutes, add the flour a little at a time and continue to combine.
Add the chicken stock a little at a time, whisking well and making sure all the flour is combined and there are no lumps.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally and let the sauce thicken.
Using a stick blender, blitz the ingredients into a smooth sauce. If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a food processor or blender.
Keep stirring the sauce on a low heat and continue to simmer.
Add the soy sauce to season as well as the honey or sugar. You could add salt, but I personally don’t think it needs it as the soy is already salty.
You can add more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Serve with panko breaded chicken, salmon or pork – or aubergine, tofu and sweet potatoes over rice or noodles. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcalFat: 7.6g
Calories: 128kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Please let me know how this katsu curry sauce recipe turned out for you. Leave a comment below and tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. For more recipes do check out my index.
FAQs
The most popular tonkatsu sauce is the Bull-Dog Vegetable & Fruit Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce). It's easy to recognize the signature bulldog logo on the bottle.
What is katsu sauce made of? ›
This sauce is the traditional Japanese accompaniment for tonkatsu — Japanese-style breaded pork cutlets. It's made from a specially balanced blend of applesauce, onion, tomato paste, carrots and traditionally brewed Kikkoman® Soy Sauce that adds flavor to meat and poultry.
Why is katsu sauce so good? ›
Despite its simplicity, katsu sauce has a complex flavor profile that includes the following elements: Sweet: The sweet flavors come from the sugar. Savory: Savory elements come from the Worcestershire sauce. Tangy: The tomato sauce or ketchup gives katsu a tangy flavor.
Is tonkatsu sauce spicy? ›
Tonkatsu sauce has a complex flavor of sweetness, sourness, and pungency. Its sweet taste majorly comes from fruits and vegetables; sour taste from vinegar; and its spicy punch based on spices.
What cut of pork is best for katsu? ›
There are two main cuts of pork used for tonkatsu: hire-katsu meaning “pork fillet”, and rosu-katsu, meaning “pork roast”. Hire-katsu is made with a lean pork tenderloin, while rosu-katsu uses a richer cut of pork that comes with a strip of fat along the side.
What is a substitute for katsu sauce? ›
Tonkatsu sauce is a Japanese version of Worcestershire sauce that is thicker, similar to brown sauce. Although the sauce is typically pretty complex, a nice simple way to make it at home is to simply mix Worcestershire sauce with ketchup along with some soy sauce.
Why is katsu served with cabbage? ›
Shredded cabbage is almost always served with tonkatsu and it goes together nicely. Cabbage also protects your stomach from oily food and you can avoid heartburn. Some people eat the cabbage with dressing but some people put tonkatsu sauce on the cabbage.
Is pork katsu unhealthy? ›
Katsu is a tasty dish but has plenty of calories. You can make small changes to make your meals healthier. For example, instead of using the pork loin to make this dish, use the fillet. This makes it healthier since the fillet has less fat.
Is chicken or pork better for katsu? ›
Katsu is most often made using pork, with chicken coming in a close second, though beef or even ham or hamburger is not uncommon in parts of Japan. I typically stick with pork or chicken, or firm tofu or tempeh if I'm in the mood for a non-meaty version.
What is the difference between tonkatsu and tonkotsu? ›
In brief, tonkatsu is a fried pork cutlet dish. Tonkotsu is the name for the rich pork-bone broth used in ramen. Sound similar, very different. Should one order tonkatsu ramen outside of Japan, however, you will probably get tonkotsu soup and not noodles topped with pork cutlet, though that would probably be great.
In Hawaii it is called "chicken katsu" but the Japanese refer to this dish as "torikatsu." It is referred to as "tonkatsu" when it is made with pork cutlets. The katsu sauce recipe uses ingredients readily available in most Canadian kitchens.
What is the difference between Japanese tonkatsu and Korean tonkatsu? ›
Though Korean donkatsu sprung from Japanese tonkatsu, it has become entirely its own dish over the years. The Japanese version is often served with a thick curry-based sauce or tonkatsu sauce, while the Korean-style cutlet served at Lasung is much thinner, with a slightly sweet tomato-based sauce on top.
What is the most popular sauce in Japan? ›
Shoyu is the most widely used condiment in Japanese cuisine and found in or added to a large number of dishes. The fermented soybean product adds depth to a dish when cooked together or when used as a dipping sauce like for sushi. There are different types of soy sauce, including light and dark ones.
What is the Japanese brand tonkatsu sauce? ›
- Kagome. Kagome Low Sodium Additive Free Organic Tonkatsu Sauce 160ml. ...
- Bull-Dog Sauce. Bull-Dog Japanese Tonkatsu Sauce Regular 500ml. ...
- Bull-Dog Sauce. 4.0. ...
- Japanese Taste. Ikari Japanese Natural Tonkatsu Sauce 500ml. ...
- Bull-Dog Sauce. Bull-Dog Japanese Tonkatsu Sauce Regular 300ml. ...
- Oliver Sauce. 4.0. ...
- Oliver Sauce. 4.0. ...
- Kikkoman.
Koikuchi (Dark) Soy Sauce
The most common type of soy sauce in Japan, koikuchi accounts for 80% of all soy sauces on the market, and it is by far the dominant type in Eastern Japan. Koikuchi adds an elegant reddish-brown coloring to raw and fresh ingredients.
What is the best fish sauce in Japan? ›
Ishiri from Japan
It is one of Japan's three greatest fish sauces, along with Akita's Shottsuru and Kagawa's Ikanago-shoyu (sand lance sauce). It has only two ingredients—salt and the internal organs of squid.
