Piping hot mashed potato with meat encased in a crunchy golden panko shell, the Japanese Baked Croquette (Korokke) is simply irresistible. This recipe requires no deep frying, making it healthier and easier to prepare at home.
If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know how much I love Korokke (コロッケ), a Japanese croquette. It’s always my first and last homemade meal that I request from my mom whenever I visit my home in Japan.
I have shared my mom’s Korokke recipe on the blog (here) and it’s one of the most popular recipes on Just One Cookbook. Throughout the year, I’ve been requested by many readers if they could bake Korokke instead of deep-frying. So today, I am really excited to share the baked version. The method is very similar to how I make this popular Baked Tonkatsu recipe.
What is a Japanese Croquette?
A culinary import from France, the Japanese adopted these beloved fried potato rolls when French croquette was introduced to Japan in the early 1900s. Japanese croquettes are closely resembled to the French version, but the main difference is we typically serve them with tonkatsu sauce. We call this dish Korokke and write it コロッケ.
Japanese croquette consists of panko-breaded, deep-fried patties, filled with mashed potatoes with ground meat and onions. There are some variations which include curry flavors, cream filling with seafood, and vegetable filling like kabocha squash.
The shape is usually flat oval, although my mom makes her version thicker than store-bought Korokke. In case you wonder why I love my mom’s Korokke so much, it’s because she uses really good quality ground beef and she’s very particular about which potatoes to use too. If you’re in Japan, you want to get 男爵芋. Her Korokke also includes more ground beef, so it is really outstanding.
Baked Croquette vs. Deep-Fried Croquette
My love of Korokke has passed down to both of my children so they often request for it. Like many of you, I love deep-fried food but it’s messy to clean up and the house definitely smells a bit unpleasant. Well, you no longer have to worry because baked croquettes make all those headaches go away.
Your next question is probably, which one tastes better, baked or deep-fried?
As a huge Korokke fan, I have to be honest with you and admit that nothing beats deep-fried Korokke out of the deep fryer. The crispy shell on the outside and the piping hot mashed potatoes mixed with juicy beef on the inside. Croquette, borrow from the French word croquer, “to crunch” says it all. It’s simple, yet amazing comfort food.
However, this BAKED recipe is REALLY REALLY CLOSE to the deep-fried version! And my family agrees.
For those of you (actually many of you — thank you!!) who tried my Baked Tonkatsu recipe can testify how close the baked Tonkatsu is compared to deep-fried Tonkatsu. This version of Korokke is just like that.
If you love Korokke, I highly recommend giving this baked version a try. You are guaranteed with no mess and no oily smell in the kitchen, and a much HEALTHIER Korokke to enjoy. If you do try, please let me know what you think in the comment below.
Great Party Finger Foods!
If you make your Korokke slightly smaller, they can fit perfectly in these Origami Cups (tutorial video here). These crunchy treats are great for appetizers, or even as a main dish for kids’ parties (in that case, make sure the croquettes are cooled slightly).
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Baked Croquette
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet potatoes (about 4 potatoes)
- 1 onion
- 3 Tbsp neutral oil (divided)
- 1 lb ground beef
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the beef)
- 2½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the potatoes)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- tonkatsu sauce (or make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Patties
- Peel and cut 2 lb russet potatoes into thirds or half and place in a large pot. Add water until it covers the potatoes by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring it to a boil and cook the potatoes until a skewer goes through easily, this will take about 20 minutes depending on the amount of water.
- While cooking the potatoes, you can finely dice 1 onion.
- In a large fry pan, heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil on medium-high heat and sauté the onion until soft. Then, add 1 lb ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine 2½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 2 Tbsp neutral oil in a separate frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Transfer the panko into a bowl or shallow dish and allow to cool.
- When a skewer goes through the potatoes easily, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and drain.
- Mash the potatoes and season with freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter.
- Add the meat mixture into the mashed potatoes and combine well. Some onions and meat yield more juice after cooking. In that case, avoid adding any juice into the potatoes. Wet potatoes will make it harder to shape the croquettes.
- While the mixture is still warm, but not hot, make thick oval patties, about ½ inch thick. Let the patties rest in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes.
To Bread the Croquettes
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Coat the patties with ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)and pat off any excess flour.
- Then coat the patties with 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten) and finally the panko.
To Bake
- Place the croquettes on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack (so the bottom of croquettes will be crunchy) or parchment paper. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 10 minutes. Serve immediately with tonkatsu sauce.
To Store
- In order to store the Baked Croquettes, please bake all the croquettes first since you use raw eggs. Let cool completely, put them in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, put half defrosted (or frozen if you didn‘t thaw in advance) croquettes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–45 minutes (based on how defrosted they are) or until the inside is warm. I don‘t recommend microwaving because the croquettes will explode. You can only microwave for a very short time, but finish in the oven for a crispy shell and hot on the inside.
Hi Naomi
I am thinking of them for a party. I had made them with beef and my little one loves them. Can these yummy croquettes be made a few days ahead and freeze uncooked?
Or made a day ahead bake and heat up and serve?
Can I replace with pork?
Thank you 😊
Dorothy
Hi Dorothy! I would make one day before, and reheat in the oven the next day. 🙂
I think you can make it with pork, but usually, it’s made with beef, so I actually never eaten pork croquette… 🙂
Hi Nami, just wondering, why do we need to rest the Croquette in the fridge for 15-30mins before baking? thanks for sharing this great recipe 🙂 I tried the baked tonkatsu recipe and my family loves them.
Hi Baking Scientist! Resting and cooling down the patties prevents the korokke from exploding while deep frying. The cold patties in the hot oil will not release any steam; therefore korokke will not explode in the oil. It also helps the ingredients to meld together.
Hello Nami, so if I used the baking method, do I still need to rest the korokke? I made this last night and did not rest the korokke before baking. It turned out fine but the texture is quite soft, not crunchy, is that right? When I made the baked Tonkatsu, it was somehow crunchy, perhaps cos there’s no mashed potatoes? I got the Bull dog tonkatsu sauce from local supermarket and it complements the korokke nicely 😀 Surprisingly, the supermarket sesame sauce for salad somehow complements with the baked tonkatsu too 😀
Oven temp is pretty high so it applies to the baked korokke too. 🙂 Probably mashed potato contains more moisture? I’m not 100% sure. I’m happy to hear the tonkatsu sauce and sesame dressing complimented the Korokke well! 😀
Hi Nami,
Just wondering if it is possible to add some frozen vegetables (such as peas, carrots, corn) in the mix. I was afraid if I do so, there is going to be more liquid and difficult to shape the croquette.
Hi Crystal! You can, but don’t overdo it because more chunks in the patty, it’s easier to break (not meant to have bulky ingredients in mashed potato mixture). Make sure to drain well.
In this recipe, I included carrot and shiitake mushrooms but try to mince them so it will be easier to make into shpaes: https://www.justonecookbook.com/korokke-croquette/
[…] some of you are wondering if you can make this dish like my Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, or Baked Korokke. Trust me, I did try. But the result is not as good as the deep-fried […]
[…] smell, mess, and oil), so try baking them instead. Use my pre-toasting panko technique found in Baked Croquette, Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, […]
[…] have been making croquettes following Just One Cookbook’s baked croquettes after we got hooked with the delicious croquettes we had during our holidays in Kyushu, Japan (be […]
I enjoy these the usual way, but they were also a good way to use up some aging supplies from our hurricane kit — a few packages of instant potatoes. If you try that way (or while camping), I’d use less water for the instant potatoes. You can always add more.
Hi M! Great idea! Thank you for sharing the idea with us. And thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
[…] the shredded vegetable next to Tonkatsu, Miso Katsu, Ham Katsu, Gluten Free Baked Chicken Katsu, Korokke, and Fried Oyster. It’s actually just shredded cabbage. In Japan, shredded cabbage is often […]
[…] pre-toasting panko before baking. If you have tried my Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, Baked Korokke, Baked Salmon Katsu, etc, you know the […]
[…] you’re not into deep frying, you can definitely enjoy Baked Croquette recipe, but as a REAL Korokke fan, I have to tell you that nothing beats deep-fried […]
Can you use sweet potatoes as a substitute for russet potatoes ?
Hi Newbie! Yes, you can. The texture may be slightly different but you can definitely make sweet potato korokke. 🙂
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I love croquette.
If I want to save them later, do I bake them first then freeze or I could put freeze them after I coated the panko?
Hi Athena! Yes, bake them first, let them cool completely, and then freeze. That’s the best way to preserve the quality of Korokke. 🙂
I love potatoes and meat and when I tried this recipe I absolutely loved it. I am glad that there is one that you can do in the oven as I am not much of a big fan of deep frying much.
They are absolutely delicious.
I am glad that you can freeze the leftovers for at least a month and reheat them but if you were to take them in your lunch how would the best way to go about defrosting them should you do it the night before and then heat them up again in a microwave at work?
Hi Rebecca! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! I usually do not defrost ahead of time and go straight to reheat. When you defrost first, the korokke will be wet and panko coating may be removed due to excess moisture.
Is there a substition for the eggs? I have seen suggestions of applesauce. I realize this isnt traditional, but do you think it will work? Thanks.
Hmm… applesauce is interesting option. But I wonder if that will affect the taste (especially in this recipe). It’s not a bad idea though. But it won’t be the purist choice (but can be delicious). I’m not familiar with egg-less recipes. What do you use for breading normally? Maybe milk helps? Flour, dip in milk and then panko? At least taste is subtle and won’t affect the overall taste of Croquette. 🙂
I use panko breadcrumbs. I ended up using milk and they were delicious. I have seen some Korroke recipes using carrots in addtion to the beef and potatoes. Do you recommend this? Just looking to add more vegetables without ruining the taste.
I have a korokke recipe with carrot and shiitake mushrooms:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/korokke-croquette/
My kids love it. 🙂
Thank you so much!
Hi Nami! I plan on making this dish tonight, so I don’t expect a reply on time, but will still try to make the croquettes! 🙂 I was just wondering, do you bake them in a conventional oven or convection (fan-oven)? I’m assuming you will use a regular oven, so for convection oven I would have to lower the heat perhaps? Thank you kindly and love all your recipes. 🙂
Hi Lauren! Sorry for my late response. Thanks for asking – I have convection (fan) oven, but for everyone who doesn’t have it, I use conventional oven for all my recipes shared on JOC. I do test my recipes with conventional oven, so temperature is correct. 🙂 If you use convection oven, then subtract 25 ºF. Sorry this information is written in my FAQ page, but I know it’s impossible to guess it’s there…
Thank you for your reply! The first batch turned out great (Jan. 23), and tonight I will reheat some of the frozen leftovers.. Already a favorite of mine, will try the baked katsu next time, as before I’ve always fried it, but I’m sure it will taste just as great.
Hi Lauren! Thank you for your kind feedback. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Hope your Baked Katsu came out well too! 🙂