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
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
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.
Good Afternoon I am Currently living on what is called a dry island meaning no Alcohol and was wondering what could be used instead of the red wine thanks.
Hi Ethan! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
In this case, you can replace the red wine with broth or water. We hope this helps!
Hello Nami, I spent my morning cooking up a storm! I have my pot of beef curry simmering as I type, ready to finish it up. It smells fabulous! Before putting it on I was able to make a double batch of your Curry Roux…..and a batch of your Teriyaki Steak Rolls. We will have no shortage of meals this week! Thank you, as always!
Hi Marge! Awesome work!
Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoy many recipes from our site.
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipes and for your kind feedback!
Is there a way to make this using the Instant Pot? I had made the chicken one which was great and easy, but this one can you do it with the instant pot?
Hi Nyx, Sure, you can use Instant Pot to shorten the cooking time. Please refer to Nami’s Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry recipe for the instruction. https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-japanese-curry/ We hope this helps!
Quite lots works and patient. But the result are faboulus… We are very happy with it.
Is it possible to make this with a thin slice beef?
Hi Caroline, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Yes! You can use thinly sliced beef as well. Thank you for trying this recipe!
Hi, can I use sirloin steak for this recipe?
Thanks.
Hi Eileen, The sirloin steak, like lean meat, will be tough and chewy when you cook longer. If you like the texture, sure, you can. Thank you for trying this recipe!
My 3 onions (which looks medium to large size) only weights 0.65kg total, not the 1.3kg as in the recipe. Must be super giant onions to weigh over 0.4kg each!! Wondering if this was a mistake, or you really do use 1.3kg of onions?!!
Hi Leo, Thank you very much for trying this recipe. Yes! You need 1.3 kg onions for this recipe!😁 I double-check with my 3 onions, and it was 1.3kg. The onion we get in California must be a lot bigger than your onions.🙂
I didn’t grow up eating beef (mainly chicken and fish) so I’ve always been intimidated by beef. But this recipe was so good- my beef was so tender and I didn’t have to buy an expensive cut of meet.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe and helping me learn how to use a new type of meat.
Hi Kathy, We are so happy to hear you enjoyed beef! Nami has many other beef recipes as well. We hope you enjoy them too! 🙂
//www.justonecookbook.com/tags/beef/
It’s a great recipe and easy to make with the ingredient can be found easily. I was wondering what is the use of milk in this recipe
Hi James!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
The milk is to make curry creamy, but you may skip it or use another ingredient to make your favorite curry!
Enjoy!
Thank you for the recipe! I’ve made it countless times and love the flavor but always run into the same issue – the meat is never even near done when the veggies are done. It’s still super tough! Then if I keep cooking it the veggies seem like they will be mush and the cook time is way beyond what you have, so I feel like I’m doing something wrong. I get chuck roast each time and it’s good quality. Where am I going wrong?
Hi Chelsea!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe many times!
To balance out the texture of meat and veggies, How about cut the meat smaller than you normally cut and cut veggies bigger?
We hope this helps!
Hello, Nami. I am excited to try this recipe, along with your homemade curry roux recipe so I can make it gluten free. I love how glossy this sauce looks, I think it will be a great winter meal. One question, though. I was able to buy some frozen lotus root for the first time recently, and was wondering if this is a suitable vegetable for a slow-cooked dish like this.
Hi Kelly,
We are so glad to hear you are excited to try this recipe! We hope you will like this curry.
As for the Lotus root, Yes, you can add if you wish. But it will add the earthy taste to the curry.
Here are the recipes that Nami has for Lotus root.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/search/?q=lotus%20root
We hope this is helpful!☺️
Fantastic recipe – its one of my boyfriend’s favourite receipes and he grew up with Japanese curry as his comfort dish. Thank you so much for publishing such a detailed recipe.
One tiny change I made from a tip from my Japanese friend is to add a dashi bag to the pot before simmering. I feel like this gives a nice extra umami depth to the whole thing.
Hi Tamara,
Thank you for sharing your tip with us! We are so happy to hear it worked out and you and your boyfriend enjoyed the Curry!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.😊
Love the way you presented your recipes with clear and easy to follow photographs and clear instructions. Can I use mince beef instead of chuck roast? Thank you.
Hi Paula,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed Nami’s blog!
Yes. You may use mince beef as well. I hope you would like them too!
In your recipe instruction below I think you meant to say 2 minutes saute with options for 3 ~ 4 minutes?
“In a large heavy-bottomed pot or large pot, heat 1 Tbsp butter on medium heat and add the onion. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and stir to coat the onion with the oil. Add ¼ tsp salt and sauté the onion until tender and translucent, about 20 minutes. If you have time, you can spend more time until the onions are caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.”
Hi YJ! No, I’m not talking about just quick stir-frying, I really meant 20 minutes. Caramelizing onions takes a long time. 🙂
Best beef curry! Thank you
Hi Ashley! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying it and for your kind feedback. xo
Hi Can you tell me how to make curry beef with the instant pot? I have tried the chicken version but was unsure if it can used the same for beef.
Hi Quynh! You can use the same method, except that I would sear the beef as I did in this recipe. The caramelized and well-seared beef adds so much flavor that you don’t want to miss that. Cooking time should be 15-20 minutes, so make sure the vegetable chunks are slightly larger so they don’t get mushy. You don’t want to cut them too small that they become all mush. So sear the meat in batches (so you won’t “steam” them) and take them out. Add the onion in…saute a bit, and add the rest of veggies and beef. Follow the same way as my IP curry recipe, with beef stock. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-japanese-curry/