Easy Instant Pot Japanese Curry Chicken with Udon

Japanese curry is the ultimate comfort dish – the juicy chicken and fork-tender carrots cooked in the velvety Japanese curry make for a delicious and healthy meal. Using an Instant Pot makes this recipe super easy to make, complete in just under 20 minutes. Stovetop instructions are also included.

Jump to:

• 💭 What Is Japanese Curry?
• 🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step by Step Instructions 
• 🍽 What To Eat It With 
• 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Substitutions and Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• 🍳 Recipe

💭 What Is Japanese Curry?

Japanese curry is a popular Japanese dish and is often served over rice, with udon, or inside a piece of bread. It typically consists of protein, such as chicken or katsu (fried pork) mixed with fork-tender root vegetables. 

Japanese curry tends to be sweeter, richer, and less spicy compared to other Asian curries.

Japanese Curry vs. Thai Curry

Japanese curry tends to be sweeter and more mild compared to Thai curry. Thai curries tend to be much spicier in flavor and have more distinct herbal ingredients typical of Thai cuisines such as galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Thai curry also uses a coconut milk base while Japanese curry often consists of the curry block mixed with some water or broth. 

If you like Japanese curry, check out the following: 

• Japanese Curry Omelette 
• Vietnamese Curry
• Healthy Udon Recipes 
• Healthy Japanese Food

🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 

A serving of this instant pot Japanese curry is 440 calories with 28 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat, and 56 grams of carbs. Given the high protein content from the chicken, low-calorie content from the seasonings, and a portioned side of carbs, this is a very healthy dish that is well-balanced with macronutrients. 

Here’s what I did to make this healthy:

• Weighed out 4oz of chicken thigh. I used boneless and skinless for maximum calorie and protein optimization (lower calorie, higher protein content)
• Portioned sauce ingredients in the amounts below to make the sauce minimal calories
• I used half a pack of udon (about 150 calories). You're welcome to use the whole pack if you'd like and have the calorie budget for it. This portion was just the right amount for my personal nutrition goals.

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of the instant pot Japanese curry recipe, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

To make the Instant pot Japanese curry, you’ll need the following.

Curry Ingredients

• Garlic, Onion, and Ginger – Aromatics that will enhance the flavor of the curry
• Cooking spray– A lower calorie alternative to oil to saué the aromatics
• Japanese Curry Block – Any brand that you prefer or have access to would work. Each brand has different flavor notes and usually come in different spices levels. I used the Kokumaro brand
• Chicken Broth or Water – This is used to help cook the curry. You can use broth or water.
• Soy Sauce – Used to season the curry to give it a more savory flavor
• Ketchup – Gives the curry another layer of umami
• Sugar – Balanced out the saltiness of the dish and gives it a delicious umami flavor. Traditionally, palm sugar is used, but I used brown sugar given it is harder to find. You can also use granulated sugar.

Chicken and Rice

• Boneless chicken thighs –  I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs since it has enough fat for the flavor but not too much so that it would make the dish unhealthy
• Carrots – Adds a great contrast in texture to the curry with a bit of sweetness
• Udon – I used half a pack of udon. Rice, egg noodles or an omelet would also work
• Salt and Black Pepper – Additional seasoning for the chicken
• Scallions – To garnish

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Instant Pot

The benefit of using an instant pot to make the curry is that it takes the guesswork out of how long to cook the chicken and carrots. The carrots always come out perfectly tender and the chicken is fully cooked and perfectly juicy.

Prepare the ingredients – Mince the garlic, onion, and ginger. Cut the chicken thigh into small, bite-sized pieces, trimming off any excess fat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Prepare the noodles or rice so that it is ready by the time the curry is done cooking.

Sauté the aromatics – Turn on sauté mode on the instant pot and spray cooking spray. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and onions. Also, add in the chicken pieces to brown the outsides by flipping periodically. Sauté until the aromatics smell fragrant and the chicken is browned about 1-2 minutes.

Make the curry – Add in the carrots, curry block, and water and/or chicken broth if using. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.

Season to taste – After the Instant Pot is done cooking, turn the pressure valve to release the remaining pressure carefully. Then take off the lid, turn on sauté mode, and add in the soy sauce, ketchup, and sugar. Mix everything together thoroughly until the curry is at the desired consistency. 

Garnish and serve – Pour the curry over the udon noodles or serve with rice, garnish with scallions, and enjoy!

Stovetop

The good old traditional stovetop method. 

Prepare the ingredients – Mince the garlic, onion, and ginger. Cut the chicken thigh into small, bite-sized pieces, trimming off any excess fat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Prepare the noodles or rice so that it is ready by the time the curry is done cooking.

Sauté the aromatics – In a saucepan or small pot, bring the stove to medium heat and spray cooking spray and sauté the garlic, onions, and ginger. Also, add in the chicken pieces to brown the outsides by flipping periodically. Sauté until the aromatics smell fragrant and the chicken is browned, about 1-2 minutes.

Make the curry – Add in the carrots, curry block, and water and/or chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are fork tender. Add in the chicken stock periodically to deglaze or to reach the right consistency for the curry sauce.

Season to taste – Turn off the heat and add the soy sauce, ketchup, and sugar, adjusting to your liking. Mix everything together thoroughly until the curry is at the desired consistency. 

Garnish and serve – Pour the curry over the udon noodles or serve with rice, garnish with scallions, and enjoy!

🍽 What To Eat It With 

In this curry recipe, I paired it with udon. This is a super versatile dish that can be paired with several other options including the following:

• Rice
• Omelet
• Egg Noodles
• Soba Noodles

💭 Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of Japanese curry should I use?

The two things to decide on when picking your Japanese curry are the brand and the spice level. 

For brands, here are a couple of common ones:

• Kokumaro – My personal favorite. Tends to be on the rich and creamy side.
• S&B Golden Curry – I’ve seen this brand almost everywhere, including Western supermarkets. They have a wide variety of spice levels.
• Vermont Curry – Tends to be on the sweeter side due to its apple and honey notes.

People often like to mix and match blocks to get a more complex flavor. This recipe uses only 1 block as it is a single-portion recipe and a block of curry runs at 90 calories. Mixing up the blocks is a good option if you’re making a bigger batch.

For spice level:

• Sweet and mild (Amakuchi) 
• A slight kick or medium spice (Chuukara)
• Hot and spicy (karakuchi)

It’s worth noting that even at the spiciest level, Japanese curries are very mild compared to other Asian curries, such as Thai curry.

Check out this post to learn more about the different Japanese curry roux cubes.

How long does it take to cook the instant pot Japanese curry?

It takes 15 minutes to cook the Instant Pot Japanese curry. I’ve found that pressure cooking the dish for that amount of time results in beautifully fork-tender carrots and juicy chicken.

How do I make this in advance?

Prepare the curry and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Keep the noodles or rice separate until you’re about to eat the dish.

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Use boneless chicken breast – The chicken won’t be quite as juicy but this is a good substitute.

Make it a noodle soup – Add more chicken stock and serve it with noodles for a delicious curry noodle soup dish

Make it spicy – Sauté a Thai chili or two with the aromatics

Make it sweet with apples – Mince a quarter of an apple and throw it into the instant pot for a delicious sweet and tart flavor

Make it creamy – Add in some greek yogurt to thicken the curry and make it creamy in a low-calorie way

🥡 Storage

You can store the curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Be sure to keep the rice or noodles separate to prevent them from getting overly soggy. Only combine when you’re ready to eat.

🍳 Recipe