Have you ever tried Korokke Japanese beef and potato croquettes? If not you definitely should. The texture is phenomenal and the flavours are delightful. These easy croquettes are a great option for a family dinner or lunch. I love serving them with soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, sesame seeds and a light green leaf salad. Adding them to Miso soup is also a great idea.
I tried Korokke for the first time about 8 years ago during our trip to Japan. We got them in 7-Eleven. They were hot and wrapped in a piece of paper. I was not sure what I was eating at first as the inside was very mushy. We asked the cashier what was inside and he explained that it was mashed potato and minced beef. I really liked the flavour but was not a fan of a texture. I thought that I can try and make my version of Korokke and bring a little bit of Japan to our house. Hope you will enjoy my version of these popular Japanese food as much as we do.
This dish is a little time consuming but the effort is worth it. I would recommend preparing potatoes first and let them cool down. Next prepare the beef and onion and cook it until brown. When all the ingredients are ready and cold, mix them up in a medium bowl, until nicely combined. Divide the mixture into 100g portions (o.22lb) and form logs first and then flatten them.
Prepare a pan, deep enough for deep frying. I would recommend a minimum of 5 cm oil in the pan. Bread each logs and fry each side until golden. Place ready croquettes on a plate lined with a paper towel or on a cooling rack with baking sheet underneath.
TIPS:
If croquettes are done properly, the texture should be very fluffy and airy inside and the coating should be very crispy. The flavour is fantastic, is it very mild and slightly sweet due to presence of onion and potatoes. There isn't any strong spices, which makes Korokke Japanese beef and potato croquettes a perfect dish for kids.
Store these croquettes in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in a fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Use a zip lock bag. Just make sure croquettes are completely cold before freezing.
In order to defrost Korokke, place them at room temperature and let them defrost. Alternatively, you can preheat oven to 180C (356F) and cook from frozen on a baking tray for about 35-45 minutes.
If you are looking for more recipes with minced beef, I can recommend you the following:
Chives and chipotle beef burgers
Beef chili meatballs in tomato broth
Check out the best recipes with beef on my blog
I hope you will make my recipe and if you do, please leave a comment below and let me know your feedback. You can also find me on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Gab and Gettr. Please say hi and do not forget to tag me in if you make my recipe. I love seeing your creations.
Recipe source – my own
Enjoy!
Fluffy and perfectly crispy on the outside, minced beef and mashed potato Japanese Croquettes. Easy dinner idea that everybody will love.
Please read recipe post as well. It includes storage direction and other useful information.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients as it helps to achieve the best results. The US measurements in cups are the estimate and I can not guarantee the best results.
Peel and cook potatoes. Let potatoes cool. Then add butter and mash potatoes.
Brown minced beef on a medium pan, remove the excess liquid.
Add salt and pepper and mix.
Add grinded onion, soy sauce and mirin and mix all ingredients until well combined.
Turn the gas of and let beef to cool completely.
In a large bowl add together cold beef and mashed potatoes. Using a spoon combine it together but do not overmix. You do not want mushy consistency!
Shape the mixture into small logs and put them aside. My logs were 100g each (I used a kitchen scale to weigh each portion, it will help to get consistent size). Then flatten the logs a little bit, so they look like a patty.
Prepare 3 medium deep containers (bowls), one for flour, one for eggs and one for panko breadcrumbs.
Prepare a fryer or a deep pan with oil for deep frying.
Heat up the oil to 180C (356F).
Coat each patty in flour, then is egg and then in panko and deep-fry it. Cook two or three Korokke at the same time. If you cook more the oil temperature will drop and you will end up with soggy Korokke.
Fry each Korokke for around 3 minutes each side.
Place fried Korokke on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.