Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry

Some of you might know I have an obsession with Japanese Curry. hehe~ There’s just something really satisfying & comforting about the sweet-savory-spicy curry sauce packed with depths of flavors and fragrant aroma that linger.

I dream about Japanese Curry…my love at first bite!

Ever since we’ve published our beloved Japanese Beef Curry Recipe: Pressure Cooker Beef Curry (that took us 7 months to test & recreate from one of Tokyo’s most highly rated Japanese Curry Beef Stew), we’ve been overwhelmed with your love & rave reviews. Thank you!!

But we must admit: the amazing Japanese Beef Curry requires love & nurture, especially with making the secret ingredient. Definitely more of a weekend treat! 🙂

Time to make Japanese Chicken Curry Rice!!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry 

• 2 pounds (907g) bone-in chicken thighs or bone-in drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil
• 2 (240g) small onions, sliced
• 2 (640g) medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 – 3 (725g) russet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 (9g) garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (3g) thin ginger slice, minced
• 1/2 cup (125ml) cold water
• 4 – 6 cubes Japanese curry roux cubes*
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) Japanese soy sauce (not low sodium)

*Pro Tip: Different brands of Japanese Curry Roux will vary in taste (different levels of sweet, savory, spicy flavors), so be sure to taste & adjust accordingly.

Tools for Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry 

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Large mixing bowl
• Oven safe bowl

Instructions for Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry 

A. Optional Flavor Enhancing Steps

Section A (Step 1 – Step 4) Browning the chicken pieces & onions are optional flavor enhancing steps.

Step 1
Prepare Pressure Cooker

Heat up your pressure cooker over medium high heat.

• Instant Pot: press Sauté button, then Adjust button to go to Sauté More function

Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be.

• Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT

Step 2
Brown Chicken Pieces

Lightly season the skin side of chicken thighs or drumsticks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add 1 tbsp (15ml) peanut oil in pressure cooker. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot.

Carefully place the chicken thighs skin side down (or drumsticks) in pressure cooker.

Lightly season the other side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Brown for 3.5 – 4 mins on each side – don’t need to constantly flip the chicken.

Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

*Pro Tip: You can prep the remaining ingredients while the chicken pieces are browning in the pressure cooker (you have ~18 minutes including heat up time).

Step 3
Saute Onions & Garlic

Add onion slices in pressure cooker and saute until soften (~ 2 minutes).

Add in minced garlic and ginger, then saute until fragrant (~30 seconds).

Step 4
Add Water to Deglaze

Pour in ½ cup (125ml) cold water and completely deglaze the pot by scrubbing all flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.

B. Make Chicken Curry

Step 5
Pressure Cook Chicken

Place chicken and the flavorful meat juice in the pressure cooker.

Add 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce & 1 tbsp (15ml) Japanese soy sauce in the pressure cooker.

Layer carrot chunks & half of the potato chunks on top.

Place the remaining potato chunks in an oven-safe bowl (to avoid them from going mushy), then layer it on top of the carrots.

*Pro Tip: Half batch of potatoes (photo above) is layered on top of chicken thighs to enhance flavor and acts as a natural thickener for the chicken curry; while the remaining half batch (photo below) will add texture for the final dish.

Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure:

• Chicken Thighs – 5 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural Release
• Chicken Drumsticks – 6 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural Release
• Chicken Cubes – 2 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural Release

After the pressure cooker finished cooking, wait 10 minutes then carefully release the remaining pressure.

Turn off the heat. Open the lid carefully.

Step 6
Create Japanese Curry

Remove and set aside the oven-safe bowl with potato chunks and chicken.

Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce.

Stir-in Japanese curry roux one cube at a time to thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce after each curry roux has melted, then determine if more cubes are necessary.

*Pro Tip: For reference, we used 4 – 6 cubes in our tests.

Place chicken and potato chunks back in the sauce.

Step 7
Serve Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry

itadakimasu!!

Serve the delicious Japanese Chicken Curry immediately with medium grain Calrose rice or short grain sushi rice.

Enjoy the yummy Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry!!