Japanese curry has always been deeply nostalgic for me. My mom would make it almost every week growing up. It’s a dish that many Japanese households eat regularly, whether it’s served with rice on a busy weeknight or cooked with udon. The warm, gently spiced flavor is comforting, and it’s a flavor I always crave!
That love for Japanese curry is what inspired this dish, but this isn’t curry. Instead of a saucy, roux-based curry served over rice, I wanted to explore the flavors in a different way. The idea was to make a kind of “dry” Japanese curry, using Japanese curry powder to season the dish rather than turning it into a gravy. The spices coat the rice and chicken directly, infusing everything with a curry aroma without becoming a stew.
The best part of the dish? Everything cooks together in one pot! Rice, chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions. Because of this, the flavors really envelop every aspect of the dish as it simmers. The vegetables soften perfectly and the chicken stays tender, and the rice absorbs all of the curry-spiced broth. Plus the chicken has this perfectly charred skin that is delish!
If you love Japanese curry, this one-pot version hits the same nostalgic notes while feeling fresh and unfussy. And it’s a lot less intimidating for people to try that aren’t as familiar with Japanese cuisine. It’s comforting and flavorful. What more could you ask for?
Ingredients:
Most of these ingredients are what you’d typically find in a classic Japanese curry, because I wanted this dish to feel familiar and reminiscent of that comforting flavor profile. It’s just reimagined in a one-pot, “dry” curry-style format. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken Thighs: Provide rich, juicy flavor and stay tender as they cook with the rice and vegetables.
- Japanese Curry Powder: Brings warm curry aromatics and mild sweetness.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds a subtle, gentle heat that brightens the curry spices without overpowering them. Feel free to omit if you don’t want this to have any heat!
- Salt: Enhances and balances all of the flavors throughout the dish.
- Black Pepper: Adds subtle warmth.
- Garlic: Contributes savory depth and aromatic richness to the base of the dish.
- Ginger: Adds freshness and a slight zing.
- Yellow Onion: Creates a sweet, savory foundation as it softens and cooks down.
- Potatoes: Add heartiness and absorb the curry-spiced broth, making the dish extra comforting.
- Carrots: Bring natural sweetness and color, balancing the savory and spiced elements.
- Basmati Rice: Soaks up all the flavors while staying fluffy and fragrant. You can use other types of rice as well, but I like basmati the most. I’ll touch more on this in the next section.
- Beef Broth: Gives the rice a savory backbone. I like to use one that’s protein-packed!
- Soy Sauce: Adds umami and saltiness, tying all the flavors together in a distinctly Japanese-inspired way.
What Type of Rice to Use
You can absolutely use other types of rice in this dish, but basmati is my personal favorite for this recipe. Its long grains cook up light and fluffy rather than sticky. This works especially well for a “dry” curry-style dish where you want the rice to absorb flavor without turning mushy.
That said, other rice varieties will work too. Just be sure to adjust the liquid (in this recipe, the liquid is the beef broth and soy sauce – I do a 7:1 ratio) amount for the type of rice you are using. Japanese short-grain rice will give you a softer, slightly stickier texture that feels closer to traditional curry rice. Jasmine rice adds a gentle floral aroma and stays tender, though it can be a bit softer. Feel free to adjust to what’s in your pantry!
About Japanese Curry Powder
Japanese curry powder is a fragrant blend of spices designed to be warm, mild, and comforting rather than spicy. While exact recipes vary by brand, it’s typically built around turmeric for color and earthiness, coriander and cumin for a gentle savory backbone, and fenugreek for subtle bitterness and depth. Many blends also include citrus peel for brightness, along with small amounts of cinnamon, clove, or star anise to add warmth and a faint sweetness.
One-Pot Japanese Curry-Flavored Chicken and Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Description
A comforting one-pot chicken and rice dish inspired by Japanese curry, where fragrant curry spices coat tender chicken, rice, potatoes, and carrots for a cozy, savory meal without the traditional curry sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tbsp Japanese curry powder, plus 1 teaspoon for rice
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup potatoes (diced into ~1-inch/2.5 cm chunks)
- 1 cup carrots, (diced into ~1/2 to 1-inch (1-2.5 cm) chunks)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Soak it in fresh water for 20 – 30 minutes, then drain and set aside. This is optional, but soaking the basmati rice before cooking will help it cook more evenly and stay fluffy.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and rub with 1 ½ tbsp Japanese curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat a large pot or deep skillet over high-medium heat with a little neutral oil. Add the chicken skin-down and sear for about 6 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove and set aside (it does not need to be fully cooked). Leave the chicken’s juices and remaining oil.
- In the same pot, add the diced onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Stir in the grated garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the basmati rice and 1 tsp of curry powder, stirring briefly to lightly toast the spices.
- Pour in the beef broth and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the pot, followed by the carrots and potatoes. You want them to be slightly submerged in the liquids to ensure that they cook – they don’t need to be completely submerged!
- Cover the pot with a lid and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently and mix everything together before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
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