With tender beef, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and curry roux, this savory and hearty Japanese Beef Curry makes for a fabulous introduction to new curry rice eaters. Adapted to Japanese tastes, it’s mild and sweet with a stew-like consistency. Even children enjoy it thoroughly! You have to give this easy recipe a try.
Japanese Curry Rice or Karē Raisu (カレーライス) is an extremely popular dish for all ages in Japan. We adore our curry so much that it is considered one of the country’s national dishes along with ramen and gyoza! Today, I’m bringing you a most comforting Japanese Beef Curry (ビーフカレー).
This takes a bit of preparation compared to the Japanese Chicken Curry but the end result is totally worth the effort and time. It’s a hearty stew that will satisfy your deepest craving.
Table of Contents
What is Japanese Curry?
In case you’ve never tried Japanese curry, I want to quickly introduce it to you as it is quite different from Indian or Thai curry or any other rendition of curry for that matter.
The dish has a long history in Japan and was in fact introduced by the British Royal Navy during the Meiji Restoration 150 years ago. However, it was not until the early twentieth century that curry became a mainstream staple in Japanese households.
A classic Japanese curry commonly features tender morsels of meat, potatoes, sweet bites of onions and carrots, and a thick brown sauce that whispers in a gentle sweetness.
Although most spice aficionados would describe Japanese curry as mellow, the degree of spiciness varies depending how you’d make it. One can always bring up the chili heat if preferred.
These days you can find many versions of Japanese curry, with some featuring unique local ingredients and produce.
The Key Ingredient: Japanese Curry Roux
To make Japanese curry, the recipes almost always include a box of Japanese curry roux, which can be found at Japanese and Asian supermarkets or in an Asian food aisle at your local grocery stores.
All the curry spices are packed in a form of solid roux resembling a block of baking chocolate. You can find them being labeled according to the spice levels of mild, medium hot, or hot.
Younger children can easily enjoy the “mild” level and now that my kids are older, I mix the mild and the medium-hot for my curries. For those who have toddlers, there is even a Japanese curry roux for toddlers that you may find at Japanese grocery stores.
For those who prefer tingling heat, the “hot” might not be enough for you, but you can certainly punch things up by adding in some cayenne pepper and black pepper.
Adding Flavor Boosters
To avoid “out of the box” taste, it’s very common to mix 2-3 different brands of the Japanese curry roux and add different condiments to enhance the flavor for the curry sauce. We’ll talk more about it in the cooking tip section below.
Homemade Curry Roux
Not a fan of store-bought curry roux? No problem! You can make it from scratch.
You need 4-5 ingredients to make this curry roux: Butter, flour, Japanese curry powder, and garam masala (and cayenne pepper for the spicy version).
When you have time to make curry roux, make a double batch, and store it in the freezer for later use!
How to Make Japanese Beef Curry
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef (My top choice is chuck roast; read more later)
- Veggies: onions, potatoes, carrots
- Mushrooms
- Garlic and ginger
- Wine
- Beef stock/broth
- Seasonings: tomato paste, Japanese curry powder, Japanese curry roux, bay leaf, etc
- Optional add-ins: grated apple, milk, Worcestershire sauce
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Cut the onions and start sautéing them until tender and caramelized.
- Meanwhile, cut all the vegetables and beef.
- Sear the beef and add it to the caramelized onion.
- Add the wine, stock, carrots, mushrooms, and seasonings, and cook for 2 hours (add the potatoes 15 minutes prior to finishing cooking in order to save their shape).
- Add Japanese curry roux and serve with rice!
Read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and more detailed step-by-step instructions.
5 Important Cooking Tips
1. Get Chuck Roast instead of Stew Beef
Butcher counters sell pre-cut stew beef. This cut is more economical because it’s made up of the odds and ends from other different cuts. Chuck roast, on the other hand, is from the shoulder muscles, and while initially quite tough, cubes of chuck roast can break down into tender, succulent, flavorful meat after cooking low and slow.
So, for a delicious Japanese curry (and of course any beef stew recipe), I strongly recommend getting chuck roast.
For really tender meat, it usually takes two hours. Do not rush the cooking process. Otherwise, the beef will be tough and chewy. Make sure there’s enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish.
If you can’t get chuck roast, try round roast, rump roast, or pot roast.
2. Sear the Meat
This is an essential step if you want to make the most flavorful meat. Searing caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat and browns the proteins, forming a bronze crust on the surface that amplifies the savory flavor of the finished dish.
Once the sauce is thickened, you will be rewarded with a delicious curry with tender pieces of meat in a rich, velvety sauce.
3. Caramelize the Onions
When you slow cook the onions over an extended period of time, the natural sugars in the onions caramelize, bringing out their sweetness and making them extremely flavorful. It takes time, but you can always get the other prep work done while sautéing the onions.
4. Personalize Your Curry with Flavor Boosters
The beauty of curry is its room for customization. Every cook has the freedom to enhance and personalize the flavors with different ingredients (some can be unexpected). You can see the full list in my Japanese Chicken Curry recipe, but here are some of my favorite ones:
- Grated apple
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Butter (Add with roux)
- Garlic (Add while sauteeing)
- Ginger (Add while sauteeing)
- Milk
- Red wine
- Soy sauce
- Tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire Sauce
Pair one or two of the above with the main ingredients of your curry. For example, I don’t use red wine unless it’s for a beef curry. Try out different combinations or change up the proportions to see what you like.
5. Add the Potatoes 15 Minutes Before Finishing
Because the beef needs to be simmered for about 2 hours, I like to add the russet potatoes toward the end of simmering. That way, we’ll retain the shape of the potatoes instead of them being dissolved into the curry sauce.
You can use Yukon gold potatoes, which tend to keep their shape. But I like the floury, light, and fluffy texture of russet potatoes for the curry.
How to Serve the Curry
Japanese curry is almost always served with steamed rice. I have detailed instructions on how to cook Japanese short-grain rice in a pot over the stove, a rice cooker, an Instant Pot, or a donabe (Japanese clay pot).
Serve the steamed rice in half of a shallow bowl, and then add piping-hot curry sauce to fill up the other half of the bowl.
Typically, the Japanese curry is garnished with fukujinzuke (red pickled radish) and rakko (pickled shallots). Put the extra pickles in a bowl/plate on the table so you can add more as you eat.
How to Store Japanese Beef Curry
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight glass container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. The texture of the potatoes will change in the freezer, so I recommend removing them before freezing.
Defrost the frozen curry in the refrigerator for 24 hours and reheat in a pot to serve. If needed, add ¼ to ½ cup (60-120 ml) of water to dilute the curry when reheating.
FAQs
I don’t have 3 hours to make curry. Are there any other recipes that are quicker?
If you want to cut down on the simmering time for beef curry, you can make my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry recipe.
Or try my Japanese Chicken Curry or Japanese Seafood Curry!
My broth disappeared while cooking!
When you simmer stews like this for a long period of time, it’s very important to use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. The pot I use is Staub brand and their lid seals perfectly. Le Creuset is okay, but I still see some evaporation from the gap between the lid and the pot.
Can I make a vegetarian version?
Japanese curry usually includes a protein of your choice (usually beef, chicken, pork, or seafood), onions, potatoes, and carrots. For a vegetarian option, you can add firm tofu right before you serve just to heat it through. Or make my Vegetarian Japanese Curry that is packed with a colorful medley of veggies!
Why is my meat tough and chewy after cooking?
First, I recommend getting chuck roast instead of stew beef. Beef stew meat is typically made up of the odds and ends from other different cuts. Chuck roast is a pretty tough cut, but after cooking low and slow, it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Secondly, you do need to cook it for 2 hours as all the beef stew recipes do. Do not rush it. Otherwise, the beef will be tough and chewy. Make sure there’s enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish.
What to Serve with This Japanese Beef Curry Recipe
More Japanese Curry Recipes You’ll Love
- Curry Udon
- Curry Bread (Curry Pan)
- How to Make Japanese Curry Roux
- 15 Japanese Curry Recipes You’ll Love
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Japanese Beef Curry
Video
Ingredients
- 2 onions (large; 1¼ lb, 567 g)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (divided)
- 1 russet potato (11 oz, 309 g)
- 1 carrot (large; 8 oz, 230 g)
- 6 cremini mushrooms (2.6 oz, 80 g)
- ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1¼ lb boneless beef chuck roast
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ cup red wine
For the Curry Sauce
- ½ Tbsp Japanese curry powder
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
- 4 cups beef stock/broth (1 QT; for lower sodium, use water only or half stock and half water)
- ⅛ apple (plus more for sweetness; I use Fuji apple; or substitute 1 Tbsp honey or mango chutney)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 package Japanese curry roux (7–8.4 oz, 200–240 g; or make my Japanese Curry Roux)
For Serving
- 8 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (1–1½ cups, 180–270 g per serving)
- fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables) (optional; make my Homemade Fukujinzuke)
- rakkyo (Japanese pickled scallion) (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut 2 onions into thin slices.
- Preheat a large heavy-bottomed pot (I used a 5.5 QT Staub Dutch oven) on medium heat. When the pot is hot, add half of the 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, half of the 2 Tbsp neutral oil, and the onions to the pot. Stir to coat the onions.
- Sauté the onions, stirring once in a while, for about 20–25 minutes. Meanwhile, move on to the next step (but stir the onions and keep an eye on them). When the onions are wilted, reduce the stove‘s heat to medium low (as they tend to burn quickly). Once the onions are tender, translucent, and a bit caramelized, remove the pot from the heat and set aside until the beef is done searing.
- Peel and cut 1 russet potato in thirds.
- Then, cut each piece in half or quarters. Soak the pieces in water for 15 minutes (or until added to the pot later on) to remove the starch. Drain and set aside.
- Peel and cut 1 carrot diagonally while rotating it a quarter turn between cuts (we call this cutting technique rangiri in Japanese).
- Clean 6 cremini mushrooms and cut them into thin slices. Tip: I use a pastry brush and avoid washing mushrooms as they absorb moisture. However, it‘s okay to quickly rinse them.
- Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and measure ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice). Set aside. Then, mince 1 clove garlic (I skip it here as I use a garlic press later).
- Cut 1¼ lb boneless beef chuck roast into 1½-inch (3.8 cm) cubes. Tip: I recommend chuck roast for its tenderness and higher quality. You could use stew beef since it‘s slightly more economical; however, it‘s made up of bits and pieces leftover from carving the chuck roasts, so the meat is not as tender.
- Lightly sprinkle the beef with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Then, lightly coat the meat with 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour).
To Sear the Beef
- Preheat a carbon steel pan (or cast-iron skillet) on medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the remaining half of the oil and butter. Cook the beef in 2 batches. Add the beef cubes in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the skillet; otherwise, the excess moisture in the pan will end up “steaming“ the meat.
- Sear the beef cubes (do not move them) on one side until brown and crusty, about 3–4 minutes, then turn them over to cook all sides. The meat will release itself from the pan when the surface is seared nicely. Transfer the seared meat to a plate and work on the next batch.
- Once you‘ve seared and transferred all the meat, deglaze the pan. Add ½ cup red wine to the pan and use a wooden blunt-end spatula to release the flavorful browned bits (called the “fond“) that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside this deglazed pan liquid temporarily.
To Cook the Curry
- By now, the onions in the pot should be caramelized and ready for the next step. Reheat the pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the minced garlic (I use a garlic press) and grated ginger.
- Add ½ Tbsp Japanese curry powder and 1 Tbsp tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the seared beef, any juices from the plate, and the deglazed pan liquid to the pot and mix them all together. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, letting the alcohol from the wine evaporate.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms and mix them all together. Add 4 cups beef stock/broth (or half stock/half water) to just cover the ingredients. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring it to a boil. Tip: Compared to Le Creuset, I think Staub has a great seal on the lid and prevents evaporation.
- Once boiling, skim off the scum and fat from the broth. I prepare a 2-cup measuring cup with water in it and clean my fine-mesh skimmer in the water. It’s easy to remove the scum/fat from the skimmer this way.
- Grate ⅛ apple and add it to the broth. Then, add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbsp milk.
- Add 1 bay leaf and cover the pot with the tight-fitting lid. Simmer on low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you do not have a tight-fitting lid, you may need to add more beef stock or water, enough to just cover the ingredients. Tip: To get tender beef, 2 hours of simmering is standard.
- When the beef is tender, add the potatoes, close the lid, and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
- When the potatoes are tender (and a wooden skewer can pierce through the potato), turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf.
- Now, add 1 package Japanese curry roux: Put 1–2 cubes of roux in a ladleful of cooking liquid, slowly let it dissolve with a spoon or chopsticks, and stir it into the broth to incorporate. Repeat with the rest of the roux, 2 cubes at a time. Adjust the amount to your taste. You may not need to use all of it; reserve the extra for another use. After adding the curry roux, simmer on the lowest heat, stirring often, for 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Be careful not to burn the curry sauce! If it‘s too thick, add water to dilute. If it‘s too thin and soupy, uncover the pot and simmer a bit longer.
To Serve
- Serve the curry on individual plates over 8 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice and top with optional fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables) and rakkyo (Japanese pickled scallion).
To Store
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight glass container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. The texture of the potatoes will change in the freezer, so remove them before freezing. Defrost the frozen curry in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you want to reheat it. If you have any extra roux, keep it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer for 1–3 months.
To Reheat
- Leftover curry sauce will thicken into a paste as it cools, so it tends to burn while reheating. To avoid this, stir ½ cup (120 ml) water or more into the leftover sauce until loosened. Then, gently reheat it on low heat. If the sauce seems thin, continue heating with the lid off to reduce the sauce.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 15, 2011. It has been updated with new pictures and video and the recipe instruction was slightly revised on May 15, 2022.
I am new reader from Taiwan. I like your recipe very much and tried several dishes …so great. I just followed recipe to make beef curry..that’s so amazing and wonderful taste. I recommend your website to my friends which we cannot read Japanese but want to learn Japanese dishes.
Hi Iris! So happy to hear you enjoy my recipes and thank you for recommending my blog to your friends! Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback!
What type of red wine do you use for this recipe? Thanks
Hi Nga! ANy red wine is great and will work. We usually pick the one that we’re going to drink afterwards. “)
What kind of red wine did you use?
Hi Matthew! I am so sorry for my late response. Any red wine is good and will work. So pick one that you want to drink later. 🙂
CAN YOU ADAPT THIS RECIPE FOR THE INSTANT POT
You can definitely adapt this curry for instant pot. I have posted 2 Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry recipes. The basic concept is the same, cook the beef first and take out, cook the onion (you don’t have to cook that long for IP), add all the ingredients (except for potatoes), and pressure cook. Add potatoes later and pressure cook again. Let me know if you have a question. 🙂
I was curious how long you should pressure cook before and after adding the potatoes?
Hi Caroline! Stew beef only takes 20 minutes to pressure cook, and potatoes 3 minutes. If you don’t want to pressure cook twice (which takes longer time), I would cut the potatoes into larger chunks (so some parts may dissolve or break but you may see some shapes) and cook for 20 minutes total. 🙂
Nami-San,
ありがとうございました & Thank you so much for sharing recipes that improve our soul! Can you please provide and show an Instapot version of this recipe instead of a few tips in response to specific questions? Unfortunately, I’m learning to cooking and require very explicit, clear, step by step instructions (like you kindly & expertly) provide elsewhere.
Thank You, again for the recipes and tips. Everything always turns out great.
Hi Stephanie! Thank you for your feedback. I’ll add to my list and try it one day. I’m glad my recipes work for you. Thank you for your kind words!
Hello! Instead of English Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins), which I have just run out of, can I use Japanese Worcestershire sauce (Bulldog)?
Yes you can use Japanese Usuta-sosu. 🙂
Hi Namiko-san,
I was wondering if it would affect the dish if I were to cut out the red wine from the recipe. Does it make a difference? Big/small, or not at all?
Hi Irene! Red wine or alcohol always gives depth and so much flavors after alcohol is being evaporated. However, if you have to skip, that’s okay. It is just an extra. The curry will be good without it, but if you add and compare, you might notice. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Never knew it was this complicated… Would you know how many curry roux I will need to cook for 2-4 people? Wondering if its about 2 blocks of curry per person. Thanks!
Hi Terrence! This particular beef curry is a special one – you will need to spend more time caramelizing onions etc, but you’ll notice the taste difference from a regular curry recipe like this. If you want a quick version, try this recipe with beef and beef stock (you can use chicken broth too).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/
Hi Nami-san,
Made your Beef Curry last night. Yummy. I have 2 suggestions though.
1) Beef Broth which can be very salty plus Boxed Curry Roux which has MSG in it create an overly salty flavor. I would suggest either low sodium beef broth or a combination of Beef Broth and water. Homemade roux is pretty easy to make so I will do that in the future. Not a big fan of MSG
2) The beef needs more time to simmer for tenderness. I would simmer the beef for 30-40 minutes before putting in the vegetables. Beef and vegetables should come out similarly in tenderness. Of course you could try the new Instant Pot Method for similar results.
Hi Richard-san! Thank you so much for the suggestion!
1) I use Trader Joe’s beef broth and by far I like that best (in the similar price range beef stock, not one from a gourmet grocery store). If you have a TJ near by, give it a try, it’s not too salty like other brands in my opinion. Otherwise, I think you have a great suggestion! So thank you!
2) True, pressure cooker makes it really easy for cooking the meat part. Thank you very much for your great suggestion! 🙂 Arigato!
Do we use the whole box of curry roax?
Yes, I used 1 box (7-8.4 oz, 200-240g) of Japanese curry roux. 🙂
This was so fantastic. Reminds me of the time I spent in Japan. Great recipe.
Hi Paul! I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Where do I add in the box of curry mix ? I’m wondering if I missed it somewhere but I couldn’t find it.
Hi Henry! At step 13. I edited the recipe and added “curry” in front of the roux. 🙂
Hello Nami,
Thank You So Much for this recipe. I found your website not too long ago and this was my first recipe I decided to make and it was a hit with the whole family 🙂 Looking forward try the other yummy looking foods you post. <3
Hi Susan! I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. And welcome to my blog! 🙂
Hi Nami! I just finished making this recipe (first time even cooking a meal myself!) and it turned out absolutely amazing. My dad, who’s the cook in the family, is pretty critical about other people’s cooking and he loved it a lot! I’m even more surprised everything turned out well because I substituted the red wine for cranberry cocktail juice! Thanks so much for sharing, definitely enjoyed making it and eating it.
Hi Claudia! Aww! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe, and even your dad too!! YAY!!! Great choice for wine sub. 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo p.s. continue cooking more Japanese foods. 😉
This is absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
So happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thanks for trying this recipe! 🙂
I made this today (and homemade roux too). It has rich and spicy flavors, smooth consistence and easy to make it. We love it! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Majacica! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂