No.58 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Japanese chicken curry

Made famous by Namiko Chen

Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Just One Cookbook. Just One Cookbook is No. 6 on the Hot 100.

Kare raisu is Japan's most eaten home dinner. Namiko Chen's recipe, with homemade roux, is one of the most cooked Japanese recipes online.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• Fine salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 onions, cut into thin wedges
• 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, grated, and 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
• 4 cups (960 ml) chicken stock
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp tonkatsu or Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce
• For the roux: 5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, 6 tbsp (50 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp cayenne
• Steamed short-grain rice, and fukujinzuke pickles, to serve

Steps

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onions until golden and soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the ginger and garlic, then the chicken, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink outside.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, skim, and add the apple, honey, ketchup, tonkatsu sauce and soy. Simmer 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Make the roux: melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Add the flour and stir 15 to 20 minutes until it turns light brown. Stir in the curry powder, garam masala and cayenne and cook 30 seconds. Take off the heat.
5. Ladle a cup of the curry liquid into the roux and whisk until smooth. Pour it into the pot and stir.
6. Simmer gently 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the curry is thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste for salt.
7. Serve over rice with pickles on the side.

Chef's tips

• A boxed roux (Golden Curry, Vermont Curry) works in place of the homemade one.
• Curry is better the next day; add a splash of water when reheating.

← No. 57Char siu→ No. 59Thai green curry