Japanese Croquettes (Korokke) お母さんのコロッケ

Soft and creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, Japanese Croquettes or Korokke is my absolute favorite Japanese food. This is my mother’s best recipe and I’m sharing her secrets with you.

If there was one food that I must have when I visit my parents back in Japan, it would be Japanese Croquettes or Korokke (コロッケ). Not any kind of korokke but the ones that my mother makes. I could never resist the crispy panko exterior that breaks away into a luscious potato and meat mixture. It is the most delicious and comforting reminder of home!

Today I’m going to share my mother’s recipe. She often tweaks her korokke as a way to explore new flavors, such as one time she added miso for an extra boost. You too can do the same! Feel free to add a dash of curry powder, incorporate carrot and shiitake mushrooms (see this recipe), or swap the potato and meat with kabocha (see this recipe).

What are Japanese Croquettes?

Japanese croquettes are called Korokke (コロッケ) and the classic style is made of mashed potatoes mixed with sauteed ground beef and onion. The flat oval-shaped patties are breaded with light and airy panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried till golden brown and crispy.

Korokke was introduced in Japan around the late 1800s as a potato filling instead of the traditional French creamy croquettes due to the lack of dairy in Japan. These Japanese potato croquettes became one of the top 3 popular Yoshoku (western-influenced dishes) in the early 1900s (Taisho period) along with beef steak and Tonkatsu.

In Japan, Korokke is a homemade food as well as a street food. You can buy fried korokke to take home at butcher shops, order it at diners and restaurants, and buy it in pre-cooked food (Sozai) and bento section at supermarkets and convenience stores.

Having tasted my mom’s homemade korokke, I just couldn’t bring myself to eat the ones from the stores or restaurants because they are made of mostly potatoes and the taste is rather bland. That’s why you have to make them yourself at home!

Why You’ll Love This Korokke

• More meat for extra flavor – My mother’s recipe includes more meat than most recipes or store-bought. Never too plain.
• Crunchy shell on the outside, and slightly chunky, starchy texture on the inside.
• Great for making ahead (meal prep) and easy to reheat!
• Perfect for packing in bento (make mini sizes!)
• Another delicious panko-breaded dish you can eat with your favorite Tonkatsu sauce.

4 Key Ingredients to Make Korokke

It’s important to get the right quality ingredients, especially for a simple recipe like this. Please read below carefully.

1. Russet Potatoes

In the US, the most common potatoes are Russet potatoes, red potatoes, and Yukon Gold potatoes. For making Korokke, the  Russet potatoes are the ideal choice since the starchy, fluffy, and light texture makes for the perfect bite. They are the best at soaking up the juice and flavor from the meat and onion.

If you’re in Japan, there are “May Queen” (メークイン) and “Danshaku” (男爵) potatoes. For Korokke, use Danshaku or do as my mom who uses roughly 85-90% Danshaku and adds 10-15% May Queen because she likes to be different… She also believes she should boil potatoes with the skin on, and then peel it with fingers while they are hot. Because it could possibly burn fingers, I excuse myself for not following her method 100%.

2. High-Quality Ground Beef

Typically, Japanese croquettes use ground beef but sometimes can use ground pork. I usually use high-quality 85% lean ground beef for more flavor. The korokke sold from the butcher shops are delicious, and you know the reason – high-quality meat!

You can use ground turkey or chicken, but I think the flavor could be a little lacking compared to beef.

For those who want to make a vegan/vegetarian version, you can omit the meat completely. Instead, switch it with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms you have. You can also add dense vegetables such as corn and carrot, which do not have much moisture, but you can also sauté them until the moisture is evaporated.

3. Yellow Onion

I use yellow onions whenever I caramelize or stir fry till golden. The amount of flavor and sweetness you’ll get from cooking those yellow onions, as opposed to other kinds, is significantly higher. The key is to stir-fry until the moisture evaporates so the croquettes do not contain extra moisture. For a nice char, leave the chopped onion for a long stretch of time between stirring.

4. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Try finding Japanese brand breadcrumbs called Panko. The light, airy, larger flakes tend to stay crispier longer than standard breadcrumbs because they don’t absorb as much grease. See the brand I normally use in this post.

5 Important Tips for Making Korokke Patties

Read these tips carefully before you start cooking!

1. Start boiling the potatoes from cold water.

I learned to boil root vegetables from cold water as a method to protect the shapes and textures. That means you add the potatoes and water in the pot at the same time, as opposed to adding them later to the boiling water.

Due to the density of potatoes or any root vegetables for this matter, it takes a long time for the heat to reach the center. Therefore it’s best to start cooking them from water to prevent the skin or outer layer from disintegrating before the inside is cooked.

2. Moisture is a big no-no!

During the cooking process, it’s important to remember not to introduce moisture to the patties. There are 3 cooking steps in this recipe where you should remove excess moisture.

3. Mash and season the potatoes while hot.

While the potatoes are hot, mash and let the steam escape. My mom usually keeps some potato chunks unmashed to create texture. Season the potatoes and add the meat mixture while the potatoes are hot so that they will absorb all the flavor. Do not knead the mixture (you don’t want it mushy!); gently combine well together.

4. Do not include the air.

When you’re shaping the potato and meat mixture into an oval patty shape, try not to include air pockets.

5. Let the patties cool completely before breading.

This step is very important. 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.

Helpful Tips for Deep Frying

The best part of deep frying Korokke, besides how delicious it is, is that the inside gets cooked fully. You do not need to worry about undercooking. This is why I believe Korokke is one of the easiest foods to practice deep frying.

Here are my tips for deep frying Korokke.

• Add enough oil to cover the croquettes completely.
• Use a cooking thermometer to check the oil temperature (no guessing!). Once you are used to it, you can use the chopstick or panko tricks to determine the oil temperature.
• Deep fry 2-3 pieces at a time. When you put too many pieces, the oil temperature will drop too quickly and the Korokke will absorb too much oil.
• Once you add the Korokke in the oil, don’t touch until it turns golden brown on one side.

How to Bake Korokke instead of Deep-Frying

I knew you would ask if you can bake instead of deep-frying! I got you covered. I do have a recipe for Baked Croquette!

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Japanese Croquettes (Mom‘s Korokke)

4.71 from 136 votes

Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, Japanese Croquettes called Korokke are my absolute favorite Japanese food. This is my mother’s best recipe and I’ll share her secrets with you in this recipe.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Chill Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 16 Croquettes

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

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For the Potato and Meat Mixture

• ▢ 2 lb russet potatoes (about 4 potatoes)
• ▢ 1 onion (9.6 oz, 272 g)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• ▢ 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the meat)
• ▢ ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (for the meat)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for the potatoes)
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the potatoes)
• ▢ ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (for the potatoes)

For the Panko Breading

• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• ▢ 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• ▢ 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)

For Deep-Frying

• ▢ 4 cups neutral oil (or enough for 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in the pot)

For Serving

• ▢ tonkatsu sauce (store bought or make my Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  

To Boil the Potatoes

• Wash 2 lb russet potatoes under cold running water. Peel them and remove the eyes. Tip: I use russets for their starchy, fluffy, and light texture. They are the best variety for soaking up the juices and flavor from the meat and onion.
  
• Cut each potato into 4 equal pieces. Tip: Keep the pieces a similar size so they cook evenly.
  
• Put the water and potatoes in a large pot and cover with the lid slightly ajar to prevent boiling over. Turn on the heat to medium and bring it to a boil; this will take about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook until done, about 15–20 minutes.
  

To Cook the Onions and Meat

• Meanwhile, prepare the onion and ground beef. Mince 1 onion finely (called mijingiri in Japanese). Lay an onion half on the cutting board, flat side down. Make ¼-inch vertical slices to within ½ inch of the root end. Then, make ¼-inch horizontal slices, again keeping the root intact.
  
• Make perpendicular cuts down through the vertical slices. If you need to chop the onions finer, run your knife through them using a rocking motion while holding down the tip of the knife.
  
• Preheat a large skillet on medium heat, then add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add the minced onions.
  
• Sauté until translucent and tender, about 12–15 minutes. Leave the onions for a long stretch between stirring to give them a nice char and take care not to burn them. Tip: Make sure to evaporate the moisture in the onions; any extra liquid will make the croquettes soggy.
  
• Add 1 lb ground beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon.
  
• Season with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
  
• Stir and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
  

To Combine the Potatoes and Meat

• To check if the potatoes are cooked, insert a skewer into a bigger piece; it's done if it pierces easily. Remove from the heat and pour off all the water. I use a lid to hold back the potatoes so they don't fall out.
  
• Move the pot back to the stove over low heat. Continuously shake the pot to evaporate the remaining moisture from the potatoes, about 2–3 minutes. The potatoes should look powdery and dry. Transfer them to a large bowl.
  
• Mash the potatoes with a potato masher while they are still hot, allowing the steam to escape. Keep some potato chunks for texture. Then, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter.
  
• Add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and combine gently.
  
• Gently squeeze the liquid from the meat mixture by collecting it to one side of the pan. We do this to avoid adding moisture to the potatoes.
  
• Add the drained meat to the bowl with the potatoes and mix gently to combine.
  

To Make the Patties

• While the mixture is still warm (but not hot), form oval-shaped patties 3 inches (7.5 cm) in length. Try not to create air pockets that can make the patties explode while deep-frying.
  
• Placed the patties on a tray or plate and cover. Rest them in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes. Do not skip this step! Tip: Cooling the patties melds the ingredients and prevents the croquettes from exploding while cooking. Warm patties will get hot inside and create steam that will puncture a hole in the panko coating and explode. Cold patties will not create and release steam.
  

To Bread the Croquettes

• Prepare separate trays for ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). Crack 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) into a small bowl and beat with a fork.
  
• Dredge each patty in flour and shake off the excess.
  
• Dip in the beaten egg, then coat with the panko, pressing to adhere the breadcrumbs.
  

To Deep-Fry

• Next, add 4 cups neutral oil to a medium pot. Make sure there‘s at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in the pot so the croquettes are completely submerged while cooking.
  
• Bring the oil to 340–350ºF (170–180ºC) over medium heat. Use a cooking thermometer to check the oil temperature so there‘s no guessing. Tip: Once you get used to deep-frying, you can use the chopstick or panko tricks to determine if the oil is ready.
  
• Deep-fry 2–3 croquettes at a time until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes. Do not touch or flip the croquettes until one side is golden brown. The inside is already cooked, so you just need to fry the breading. Tip: Do not crowd the pot as the oil temperature will drop quickly and cause the food to absorb more oil.
  
• Transfer to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Continue deep-frying the rest of the patties.
  

To Serve

• Serve with tonkatsu sauce (bottled or Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce). In Japan, we typically serve deep-fried foods with shredded green cabbage. I shred it with a julienne slicer or stainless steel cabbage slicer and serve it with Japanese Sesame Dressing. I also add a few wedges of tomato for color.
  

To Store

• Store the leftovers in an airtight container and freeze up to a month. To reheat, put the defrosted or frozen croquettes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes if defrosted or 45 minutes if frozen. Check if the inside is warm before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 249 kcal · Carbohydrates: 17 g · Protein: 8 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 11 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 44 mg · Sodium: 136 mg · Potassium: 366 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 57 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 28 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: croquette, korokke

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 26, 2012. The post has been updated with a video, new images, and content in July 2020.