Wagamama Katsu Curry Recipe & Price

Craving crisp panko chicken under a pool of golden curry sauce? The Wagamama katsu curry is the dish Wagamama itself calls a legend, and it's £14.90 to eat in. Here's what you get for that, how to make it at home tonight and where to grab the sauce.

It's mild, not fiery. Pay 80p and they'll make it hot, or go for the vegan yasai version with sweet potato and aubergine at £14.50.

Cooking it yourself? With Wagamama's own katsu paste, the recipe below feeds two in about 25 minutes.

Updated Jump to the recipe

Wagamama katsu curry: chicken in panko with sticky rice, curry sauce, salad and pickles

How much is a katsu curry at Wagamama?

The chicken katsu curry is £14.90, while the vegan yasai version is £14.50. You can also add 80p for hot sauce or order extra pots of curry sauce and pickles for £1.20 each. These are dine-in prices for England, Scotland and Wales.

  • Chicken Katsu Curry

    Chicken Katsu Curry

    988 kcal

    Chicken in panko breadcrumbs with sticky white rice, katsu curry sauce, a dressed salad and pickles. The dish Wagamama is best known for.

    Made hot: £15.70, 1,115 kcal

    £14.90
  • Yasai Katsu Curry

    Yasai Katsu Curry vegan

    1,216 kcal

    Sweet potato and aubergine in panko, with sticky rice, katsu curry sauce, salad and pickles.

    Made hot: £15.30, 1,343 kcal

    £14.50
  • Make your katsu hot+80p
  • Extra katsu curry sauce£1.20
  • Katsu pickles£1.20
  • Kids' chicken katsu£6.90
  • Kids' yasai katsu£5.90

What's in a katsu curry?

Every one arrives the same way: chicken in crisp panko breadcrumbs, sticky white rice, the katsu curry sauce, a dressed salad and a little heap of pickles. Five things, nothing fancy, and that's exactly why it works.

The name tells you what to expect. Katsu is short for katsuretsu, the Japanese take on the word cutlet, borrowed from the French côtelette. Tonkatsu is the pork version.

The sauce is a Japanese-style curry, not an Indian one. Wagamama's own recipe thickens it the Japanese way, cooking flour into the spices before the stock and coconut milk go in, so it comes out smooth rather than chunky.

Is it spicy?

Not really. Wagamama itself says katsu curry "isn't known for being particularly spicy", and the jar it sells in supermarkets is described as mildly spiced. Want it to bite back? Ask for it hot, for 80p more.

Yasai katsu curry, the vegan version

Same plate, no meat. The yasai katsu curry swaps the chicken for panko-coated sweet potato and aubergine, keeps the rice, sauce, salad and pickles, and it's vegan, at £14.50.

One surprise: it's the heavier of the two. The yasai comes in at 1,216 kcal against 988 for the chicken, and 1,343 if you make it hot. It isn't gluten free either, because the panko and the sauce both contain gluten.

Wagamama katsu curry recipe

This is Wagamama's own recipe, with the method in our words. It serves two, with 10 minutes of prep and 15 of cooking. Take the shortcut with the katsu paste and coconut milk, or build the sauce from scratch with onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder.

  • Serves2
  • Prep10 min
  • Cook15 min

Ingredients

For the chicken katsu, rice and salad

  • 120g rice
  • 2 skinless chicken breasts
  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 100g panko breadcrumbs
  • 75ml vegetable oil, for frying
  • 40g mixed salad leaves

For the sauce using katsu paste

  • 120g katsu paste
  • 120ml coconut milk

For the sauce from scratch

  • 2 to 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • A 2.5cm piece of ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 heaped tbsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 100ml coconut milk
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar

Method

  1. Get the rice going. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions while you prepare the chicken and sauce.
  2. Prepare the coating. Put the plain flour, beaten eggs and panko breadcrumbs into three separate shallow dishes.
  3. Coat the chicken. Halve each chicken breast, then coat each piece in flour, dip it in egg and cover it thoroughly with panko.
  4. Fry until golden. Heat the vegetable oil in a suitable frying pan and fry the chicken until the coating is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Make the quick sauce. Combine the katsu paste and coconut milk in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until smooth and heated through.
  6. Prepare the plates. Drain the rice if needed and divide it between two plates, alongside the mixed salad leaves.
  7. Slice and serve. Slice the cooked chicken into strips and arrange it over the rice. Spoon the warm curry sauce over the chicken, leaving some of the crisp coating visible if you prefer.

Making the sauce from scratch

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and gently cook the chopped onion until softened. Add the garlic and grated ginger, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Mix in the turmeric and curry powder. Add the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring so it combines with the spices.
  3. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring as you go to prevent lumps. Add the coconut milk and mix until the sauce is smooth.
  4. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar with a pinch of salt. Let the sauce simmer until thickened, then strain it to remove the onion and other pieces for a smooth finish.

Tips

  • Keep the coating crisp: Serve the chicken soon after frying, and add the sauce just before eating.
  • Use gentle heat: Simmer the paste and coconut milk rather than boiling them hard.
  • Check the chicken: Make sure the thickest part is fully cooked before slicing.
  • Adjust the texture: If your sauce is too thick, loosen it with a little stock or water.

Quantities and timings from Wagamama's own recipe.

Want the sauce on its own, with its calories and allergens? Wagamama's katsu sauce has its own page.

Where to buy Wagamama katsu sauce

You can find Wagamama's retail katsu range at UK supermarkets and online shops, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado. Stock varies by shop, so check the retailer's listing before making a special trip.

  • Katsu curry sauce

    A ready-made, mildly spiced vegan sauce with coconut cream and ginger, designed to serve two.

  • Katsu paste

    A more concentrated option: mix 120g of paste with 120ml of coconut milk and simmer until heated through.

  • Katsu curry meal kit

    Serves two and includes salad dressing. You'll need to supply your own protein and rice, so it's a handy starting point rather than a complete ready-to-cook meal.

  • Katsu mayo

    Vegan, too, and works as a creamy accompaniment for sandwiches, wraps or other dishes.

If you're after the restaurant-style curry at home, the sauce or paste is the most direct place to start.

What are the katsu pickles?

Those little pickles on the side come with every katsu curry, chicken or yasai, and they're vegan. Want more? A pot costs £1.20. Wagamama's allergen chart lists gluten and soya in them.

What's actually in them is Wagamama's secret. It doesn't publish the recipe, and we couldn't find them on sale in shops, so the extra pot at the table is your best bet.

Wagamama katsu pickles, served with every katsu curry

Other katsu dishes on the menu

Love the crunch but not in a curry mood? The same idea turns up all over the menu: panko prawns, breaded pork, a tonkatsu bao and even a banana, plus katsu sauce on udon and in two lunchtime wraps.

  • Katsu Udon

    Katsu Udon vegan

    848 kcal

    Udon noodles in katsu sauce with vegetables and crispy sweet potato. Vegan as it comes, or add chicken for £3.50.

    £14.40
  • Ebi Katsu

    Ebi Katsu

    284 kcal

    Panko prawns with a chilli and garlic dipping sauce.

    £9.20
  • Pork Tonkatsu

    Pork Tonkatsu

    716 kcal

    Thick-cut breaded pork with pickled red cabbage and apple slaw, sticky white rice and tonkatsu sauce.

    £20.50
  • Tonkatsu Pork Bao Bun

    Tonkatsu Pork Bao Bun

    797 kcal

    Tonkatsu pork with apple slaw, korean barbecue and okonomiyaki sauce.

    £9.80
  • Katsu Chicken Wrap

    Katsu Chicken Wrap

    481 kcal

    Beetroot wrap with crispy omelette, katsu chicken, asian slaw, pickles and a katsu dipping sauce.

    On the lunch menu, Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm.

    £8.90
  • Yasai Katsu Wrap

    Yasai Katsu Wrap vegetarian

    596 kcal

    Spinach wrap with crispy omelette, panko sweet potato and aubergine, asian slaw, katsu pickles and a katsu curry dipping sauce.

    On the lunch menu, Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm.

    £8.90
  • Banana Katsu

    Banana Katsu vegan

    327 kcal

    Fresh banana in panko, with vegan miso caramel ice cream and toffee sauce.

    £7.90

Katsu curry FAQs

Is Wagamama katsu curry healthy?

It depends what you're counting. The chicken katsu curry is 988 kcal, with 44g of protein and 2.8g of salt, and the yasai is 1,216 kcal. Weigh those against the rest of your day rather than taking anyone's word for "healthy". Compare the calories in every Wagamama dish.

Is Wagamama katsu curry halal?

Wagamama UK doesn't have halal certification, and its chicken isn't advertised as halal. If you require halal meat, don't assume the chicken katsu is suitable. The yasai katsu curry is meat-free and vegan, but check the allergen information and any other dietary requirements before ordering.

Is the katsu curry gluten free?

No. Neither the chicken nor the yasai katsu curry appears on Wagamama's gluten-free menu. Both contain gluten because of the panko coating and the curry sauce. If you need to avoid gluten, check the restaurant's current allergen information before choosing a dish.

Does Wagamama katsu curry contain nuts?

Wagamama's allergen chart lists both the chicken and yasai katsu curry as potentially containing peanuts and tree nuts. These are may-contain warnings, not confirmed ingredients. If you have a nut allergy, don't rely on the standard dish descriptions alone. Check the latest allergen information with Wagamama before ordering.

Does the katsu curry contain dairy?

Milk isn't listed as an allergen in the chicken katsu curry, and the yasai version is vegan. The shop-bought katsu sauce uses coconut cream, while the home recipe uses coconut milk. Coconut isn't dairy, but always check the current allergen information if you have a milk allergy.

What does katsu mean?

Katsu is short for katsuretsu, the Japanese adaptation of the word cutlet, which comes from the French côtelette. Tonkatsu refers specifically to the pork version. Katsu curry pairs a breaded cutlet with Japanese curry sauce and rice, often with pickles on the side. Here's where the rest of Wagamama's dishes come from.

Can you get Wagamama katsu curry delivered?

Yes. You can order through delivery apps such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, depending on your local branch. You can also order click and collect through wagamama.com or eat in at a restaurant. Delivery prices can be higher than dine-in prices and vary by app and branch.

How much is the kids katsu curry at Wagamama?

The kids' chicken katsu costs £6.90, while the yasai version costs £5.90. Both come with rice, carrots, cucumber and sweetcorn, with a choice of katsu curry sauce or sweet amai sauce on the side, and the sweet sauce's recipe and calories are on their own page. These are dine-in prices for England, Scotland and Wales.

So, is it worth ordering?

For a first visit, it's hard to argue with. The Wagamama katsu curry gives you crunch, sticky rice and a gentle curry sauce for £14.90, and if mild isn't your thing, 80p makes it hot. Cooking for two at home instead? The paste and the recipe above get you there in about 25 minutes.

From Wagamama's October 2026 UK menu, its allergen and nutrition guide, its published recipe and its retail range, checked . Prices are dine-in. Browse all Wagamama food and its prices, the £14 weekday lunch deal or the allergen checker.