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.
Hello, Nami! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s great and easy to understand! Will cook this for the weekend 😀
I have one question, do you marinade the meat? If not, will it work with marinated meat? Thank you <3
Hi Nami,
Need some professional advice from you. I am new in cooking.
For your Japanese curry chicken, you cooked the onions, ginger and garlic first before putting in the boneless chicken thigh.
For your Japanese curry beef, you cooked the beef first before putting in onions, ginger and garlic.
May I know the differences and reasons? Thanks!
Hi Geoffry! For the beef, it tastes really well when the meat is seared and browned (kind of like steak). So we spend time searing the meat first. You can’t sear the meat with onions and other veggies in it. So it depends on the ingredients. 🙂
Thanks for the good advice. I appreciates.
You’re welcome! 🙂
I made this for the first time for my parents tonight and they absolutely loved it (as did I!). At first, when I told them I was making them curry, they were afraid. I think they were expecting a really spicy Indian one haha. I used the Medium Hot S&B Golden Curry roux, but it wasn’t spicy at all, just had a gentle kick I think with the help of the ginger. I’m also so glad I used this recipe instead of the simpler one on the box. There was really an amazing depth of flavor and it was worth all the extra time and effort. 🙂
Hi Kendra! So happy to hear you and your parents enjoyed this dish. Well, Japanese people don’t eat really spicy food, so even medium hot is probably not spicy for many people. LOL. Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback. I really appreciate it!
Delicious! Mother-in-law is from Japan and husband always wanted curry rice like his mom used to cook. This was a huge hit with both of them!
Hi Tammy! Yay! So happy to hear your curry came out well! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
I’m Hispanic but I love Japanese recipes and they’re culture just finish making this and I love it, I made one recipe when I was 12 but it doesn’t taste as good as this. Made it for dinner it’s so delicious I got the Vermont curry voux the mild one because even though I’m into spice I didn’t want the spice taking over the flavor. Thank you very much Nami will make again.
Hi Wendy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and thank you so much for your kind feedback. Glad you enjoyed the Japanese curry! 🙂
Loved your menchi katsu recipe! I did have a question about this beef curry recipe. Is it anything close to Coco ichibanya’s beef curry? I was stationed in Okinawa for 2 years and needless to say I became addicted to Japanese curry!!!!
Hi Evan! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Menchi Katsu recipe. Thanks for trying it. Now Coco Ichibanya… I’m not too sure how exactly it’s made. I heard their curry is made in the central factory and the recipe is secret! 🙂
Made this twice, my cook time at low heat is 2 hours – this gets the beef really tender.
I would suggest as one other person pointed out, use LOW SODIUM beef broth, the salty flavour is the only complaint I get on this and that change in the broth addresses it. I use a Hachi power roux in a sleeve/foil pack vs the cubes and find it does a richer brown curry and flavor to what I would expect in a beef curry without the intense heat of the Java style roux cubes. If you have the time make your own roux even
Hi Nick! Thanks for trying this recipe, and for your detailed feedback!
When I made this the timing was kind of weird. It tastes good, but was weirdly sweet before I even put the apple in so I decided to add a little bit more Worcestershire sauce and some chili flakes. Toned down the sweetness some but still had the refreshing taste from the apple. This was my first time ever making curry or even tasting it. I think i did alright 😀 This was good for beginners like myself. Super simple and easy to follow, just think the timing needs to be adjusted for how long you are boiling and simmering towards the end. I kinda went with my gut and boiled it for about 35 minutes and simmered for another 20 and low cooked it with the roux for about 20 minutes while the rice cooked.
Hi Fine! Thanks so much for trying my recipe! Japanese curry is probably the “sweet” curry you ever taste among all the curry. Kids eat it growing up and it’s not considered spicy at all compared to Indian or Thai curry. It’s for the Japanese level of spicy-level (pretty much “none”). 🙂 It might be a very strange taste for you if you haven’t tried Japanese curry before. 😅 There are 3 levels of curry roux spice level, in case you are not familiar yet. Mild, Med-Hot, and Hot. You can definitely go for Hot if you’re used to spicy food in general. 🤗
My husband loves this beef curry recipe, He’s part Japanese and loves the bits of ginger, garlic, and veggies. I followed the exact directions but didn’t have red wine. I just added more broth in place of it. Nice and hearty dish. It turned out delicious, even without the red wine. Thank you we loved it!
Hi Matilyn! I’m so happy to hear your husband enjoy this beef curry recipe. Thank you so much for your kind feedback!!! 🙂
The best japanese beef curry I have done. Thank you very much
I am thai but japanese dishes are amazing, I love them.
Hi Withasaya! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve been looking for a recipe that compares to curry I used to order from a restaurant in Kailua and this is it. I made exactly as written, caramelized onions and store bought Golden Curry. Thank you!
Hi Ryan! I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe. Yay! Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback, Ryan!
I came across this recipe when I was looking for how to make Japanese beef curry. Tried it and it turned out very well! I didn’t have apples so didn’t include that, but it was still very good. Much better than the first time I made Japanese curry and only used the boxed roux. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m planning to make it again tonight :).
Hi Redge! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I’ve tried making this just yesterday, it really taste spicier rather than just using the roux only and tossing meat and veggies in it. I ate it with rice and tried pasta as well. It taste better than other Japanese curry I’ve eaten out in some local restaurants in my country. Thanks for the recipe! ❤❤
Hi Bayou! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback and encouraging words! xoxo
Just made this tonight! Great recipe! It tastes exactly like what I’ve had in Japan! Thank you! This will be a staple for my weeknight dinner recipes for my family! Thank you!
P.s. I used the S&B curry brand. I followed the recipe… I didn’t use meat (*we’re pescatarians) no red wine, and used vegetable broth.
Hi Jill! Wonderful! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I’m glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Should I cook the onion on high or medium heat?
Hi Ely! Medium heat would be better. 🙂