Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!

Make this Easy Weeknight Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Japanese Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for hearty & comforting sweet-savory Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!

Super easy & quick cure for Japanese Curry cravings, even on a weeknight. Yes please!!

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.

Check out Our Handpicked Instant Pot Accessories

I dream about Japanese Curry…my love at first bite!Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!

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! 🙂

So what about the weekdays?

When my Japanese Curry cravings kick-in and we’re short on time, this Weeknight Japanese Chicken Curry Recipe comes to rescue!!

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!

You’ll Enjoy Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry Because:

  • Super easy & quick to make – great for lunch, weeknight meals, or cooking for a crowd
  • So comforting & satisfying to eat – so yummy!
  • Juicy & tender chicken in flavorful sweet-savory Japanese curry

Time to make Japanese Chicken Curry Rice!!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry 


Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) Ingredients

  • 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.

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Tools for Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry 


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

how to use instant pot - saute 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.

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): saute chicken thighs in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

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).

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): saute onions in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

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.

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): add in Japanese soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce

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

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): layer carrot chunks and potato chunks on top of chicken thighs

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.

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): layer potatoes and carrots on to of chicken, then layer oven-safe bowl of potato chunks on top

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.

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry): stir in Japanese curry roux

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.

Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!

Enjoy the yummy Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry!!

4.98 from 44 votes

Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry

Author: Amy + Jacky
Make Easy Weeknight Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry (Pressure Cooker Japanese Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!
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Servings 6
Total Time 55 minutes
Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 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
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Japanese soy sauce (not low sodium)

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Instructions 

Optional Flavor Enhancing Steps

  • 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).
  • 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 without flipping. Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  • 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).
  • 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.

Make Chicken Curry

  • Pressure Cook Chicken: Place chicken and the flavorful meat juice in the pressure cooker. Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce & 1 tbsp (15ml) Japanese soy sauce. 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.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.
  • 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. For reference, we used 4 - 6 cubes in our tests. Place chicken and potato chunks back in the sauce.
  • Serve: Serve immediately with Calrose rice or short grain sushi rice.

Notes

Japanese Curry Roux: Different brands of Japanese curry roux vary in taste (different levels of sweet, savory, spicy flavors), so be sure to taste & adjust accordingly.
*Rate the Recipe: If you've tried the recipe, don't forget to Rate the Recipe in the Comments Section. Thank you! ?
Calories: 513kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: chicken curry recipe, instant pot curry, instant pot japanese chicken curry, instant pot japanese curry, japanese chicken curry, pressure cooker curry, pressure cooker japanese curry

Nutrition

Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 1202mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 17920IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Make Easy Weeknight Japanese Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry) with simple ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for comforting Japanese Curry Rice in less than an hour!
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