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Soft creamy potato with ground meat inside a crunchy panko shell, Japanese Croquettes (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-shape 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 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 known to be homemade food as well as 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 and 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. The Korokke should be made with Danshaku, but my mom uses roughly 85-90% Danshaku and adds 10-15% May Queen because she likes to be different… She also believes that potatoes should be boiled with skin on, and then peeled 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 it can be made with 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 sautee 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 moisture is evaporated 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.
Watch How to Make Japanese Croquettes (Korokke)
Soft creamy potato with ground meat inside a crunchy panko shell, Japanese Croquettes (Korokke) is my absolute favorite Japanese food! This is my mother’s best recipe and I’m sharing her secrets with you.
5 Important Tips for Making Korokke Patties
Read these tips carefully before you start cooking!
1. Boil the potatoes from water.
I learned to boil root vegetables from 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. Which is why I believe Korokke is one of the easiest foods to practice deep frying.
Here are my tips for deep frying Korokke.
- Use 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!
Japanese baked croquette piping hot mashed potato mixed with juicy meat wrapped around a crispy panko shell, no deep frying required!
How About Air Frying?
I don’t own an air fryer; so I can’t share my own experience. However, the croquettes are already cooked inside and you can just air fry the outer Panko coating till golden brown.
What to Serve with Japanese Croquettes
Japanese croquettes are delicious as they are, but we typically drizzle Tonkatsu Sauce to enjoy them. The most popular Tonkatsu sauce is Bull-Dog Vegetable & Fruit Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce).
If you can’t get a Tonkatsu Sauce, you can certainly make one at home with this quick Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe. Worcestershire sauce is the key, and it can’t be substituted.
Deep-fried foods in Japan are commonly served with shredded cabbage as you see here. I also served with a few slices of tomatoes to add color, but it’s optional. You can serve salad dressing of your choice, like my homemade Sesame Dressing, or drizzle Tonkatsu sauce to enjoy.
How to thinly shred cabbage like that? You can cut it thinly with a sharp knife or use this cabbage slicer. We eat a mountain of shredded cabbage as the slicer makes such thin slices that we feel like we can eat more and more!
Make-Ahead and Leftover Korokke
Korokke can be made ahead of time as they reheat so well. I usually double the recipe and deep fry all the Korokke. Whatever we did not finish eating goes to the freezer. With the leftover Korokke, I make:
- Korokke Bento
- Korokke Sandwich
- Lunch or dinner another day
Itadakimasu!
I never get tired of my mom’s croquettes, and I always request her to make for us on our first and last day during our stay at her house. It became a sort of tradition. I hope you enjoy making her Korroke recipe.
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Soft creamy potato with ground meat inside a tasty crunchy shell, Japanese Croquettes or Korokke is my favorite Japanese food. This is my mother’s recipe.
- 2 lb russet potatoes (900 g, about 4 potatoes; please use Russet potatoes)
- 1 onion (9.6 oz, 272 g)
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 1 lb ground beef (454 g; 85% lean)
- ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt) (for meat)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (for meat)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for potato)
- ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt) (for potatoes)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (for potatoes)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (60 g)
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (120 g)
- 4 cups neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc) (946 ml; for deep frying)
- Tonkatsu Sauce (or make my homemade recipe)
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Gather all the ingredients.
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Wash the potatoes under cold running water. Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler and remove the eyes.
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Cut each potato into equal 4 pieces. Tip: To cook evenly, it's important that they are in a similar size.
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In a large pot, put water and potatoes and bring it to a boil covered on medium heat, leaving the lid slightly ajar to prevent from boiling over. It will take about 15 minutes to a boil. Cook potatoes until a skewer goes through the potato easily, about 15-20 minutes.
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Meanwhile (you have about 30 minutes till the potatoes are ready), chop the onion finely. With the knife tip pointing toward the root, slice the onion to within ½ inch of the base. Make about ¼ inch parallel cuts. Then slice the onion horizontally about ¼ inch parallel cuts.
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Then cut perpendicular to the first slices you made. If the onions need to be chopped finer, you can run your knife through them in a rocking motion. Be sure to hold down the tip of the knife; otherwise, the onions are going to go flying around the room.
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In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat and add the chopped onion.
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Saute the onion until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Tip: It's important to remove moisture from the onion so that croquette mixture won't be soggy. To cook faster and give nice char, leave the chopped onion for a long stretch of time between stirring so the onion has direct heat contact.
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Add the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon.
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Season the mixture with salt and black pepper.
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Stir to combine, turn off the heat when the meat is no longer pink. Remove from heat to let cool slightly.
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Once in a while, you have to check if the potatoes are done cooking. Insert a skewer to a bigger piece of the potatoes and if it goes through the potato easily, it's done. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain the water completely. When you do so, use a lid to cover so the potatoes don’t fall out from the pot.
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Move the pot back to the stove. Shake the pot over low heat and let the remaining moisture completely evaporate (but don’t burn the potatoes), about 2-3 minutes. Then transfer to a large bowl.
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With a potato masher, mash the potatoes while they are still hot and let the steam escape. Add the butter. Tip: keeps some potato chunks unmashed to create a texture.
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Add salt and pepper and combine well together.
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To avoid adding excess cooking liquid from the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes, gently squeeze the liquid out from the mixture by collecting it to one side of the pan.
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Add the meat mixture into the mashed potatoes in the bowl and combine together.
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While the mixture is still warm, but not hot, start making the patties (traditionally, oval shape, roughly 3-inch in length), without including air pockets.
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Cover and let the Korokke patties rest in the fridge for 15-30 minutes (Do not skip!). TIP: Resting and cooling down the patties prevents the croquettes from exploding while deep frying. The cold patties in the hot oil will not release any steam; therefore, croquettes will not explode in the oil. If you skip this process and the patties are still warm, the temperature of the patties will go up and start to steam, which will then puncture a hole in the panko coating and explode. It also helps the ingredients to meld together.
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Prepare a tray for each flour and panko and crack eggs into a small bowl.
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Coat each patty in flour and shake off excess.
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Then dredge in egg and coat with panko.
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Once you finish coating the patties, add the oil a medium pot. Make sure the oil is at least 2 inches in the pot so the entire croquette will be covered.
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Bring the oil to 340-350 ºF (171-178 ºC) over medium heat. 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.
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Deep fry 2-3 croquettes at a time until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Tip: Do not touch the croquettes until one side is golden brown. The inside is already cooked, so all you need to do is to fry until golden brown!
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Transfer the croquettes to a wire rack or paper towel to drain excess oil.
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Serve the croquettes with Tonkatsu sauce (my homemade recipe). Typically, deep-fried foods are served with shredded cabbage in Japan.
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You can store the leftover 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 350 ºF (180 ºC) for 15-20 minutes for defrosted ones or 45 minutes for frozen ones. Check if the inside is warm before serving.
Tonkatsu Sauce: Homemade recipe, click here.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
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.
Hi Nami,
For the Croquette recipe, can i replace potato with pumpkin and can i omit the meat? Without the meat, how much more of potato (or pumpkin) should i add? Thanks.
Cheers,
Esther
Hi Esther! Sure, there is Kabocha Korokke (pumpkin korokke) in Japan too. 🙂 I make Kabocha Korokke but haven’t written up a recipe. I usually add meat and 1/4 or 1/2 kabocha for my family.
Hope this helps!
I cooked this recipe perfectly for the first time and it was so good! I will cook it again. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rosemarie! Yay I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for your feedback. 🙂
I’ve only been able to make these once because they take time and I have a toddler who doesn’t like when I focus on anything other than her lol. I unfortunately made mine a little too thick ^^; . But they were yummy anyway!! I can’t wait to be able to make them again! (Maybe during a daddy daughter trip day lol)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂 love!
Hi Tarin! I went through the similar stage too, and that time it was very hard for me to deep fry… I just couldn’t focus. Now that the kids are older, I got busier and have less time to make this, but my kids and I love love love korokke… I actually bought a bag of potatoes thinking of making this. 🙂 Thank you so much for trying this recipe!!
Hi Nami,
These look soooo good! I had one question though: if I make these over night can I eat them in my bento the next day (no reheat)?
Also, is it possible to store these after making them? Like, refrigerating and then reheating later?
Thanks in advance, and great recipes as always!
Hi Tom! I love these korokke and thanks for your interest in making these. 🙂
When I make korokke for dinner and try to pack next day for kids’ lunch, I usually use a toaster oven to reheat (for food safety reason) and make the panko crunchy for better texture.
Then I cool it down on wire rack completely (so bottom side don’t get soggy) before packing into bento so that condensation won’t make the korokke soggy..
It looks complicated, but it’s not that hard or time consuming. I usually reheat before kids wake up and then let cool while they are eating breakfast. 🙂
For storing, I keep (already fried) korooke in air tight container and freeze it (even if you are eating that same week – taste better). Then defrost and bake in toaster oven.
Hope that helps!
Hi Nami,
Thank you so much for sharing this.
I cooked this the other day and they are awesome. My family loves it very much.
From now on this dish will appear on our dinning table very often. 😀
I have just post my korokke in my blog too 🙂
Thanks again.
mui
Hi Doreen! Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I just saw your post – they look so delicious! Now it’ll be my turn to make this. It’s hard to just look at them and not being able to eat. 😉 Thank you for your feedback!
A great way to use up left over mashed potatoes. Thank you 🙂
Hi Mark! That’s true! Maybe I should promote this recipe before Thanksgiving. 😀
Hi Nami, I’m fairly new to your website stumbling upon it by chance and I couldn’t resist making these delicious looking treats! I cooked them for lunch today and my family and I weren’t disappointed, they were delicious 🙂 I haven’t had much Japanese food before, but I’ll definitely try cooking it more often now with the help of your recipes. Keep up the great work with the blog!
Hi Jeana! Thank you for trying out my recipe and I’m so glad you liked Korokke (my favorite food!). Thanks so much for your kind words. 🙂
My mom makes these identically! And she is the same way about deep fried food; always perfect tempura, french fries, korokke, shrimp balls…honestly I do not even try because it can never compare to Mom’s!
oh and we never made korokke sandwiches with leftovers, what a great idea.
Hi Julie! I’m so happy to hear your mom make korokke same way! These are so delicious! And yes, do make sandwich next day. I look forward to it every time I make it. 🙂
Wow! These were wonderful, simple ingredients but still delicious. Thank you and your mom for this tasty dish 🙂
Hi Dalila! Thank you for reading my post. 🙂
I forgot to ask, can I prepare these a day ahead ( without egg, flour and panko) and deep- fry them the next day?
Hi Dalia! I’ve never tried prepping the day before, so I did some research. I found some good suggestions a lot of people talk about.
Option A
1) Finish until Step 11 (until putting panko).
2) Then pack in air tight container and freeze.
3) Next day in the morning you move it to refrigerator (to defrost)
4) Dredge in panko again
5) Deep fry
Option B
1) Finish until Step 11 (until putting panko).
2) Place korokke in single layer on a plate and lightly wrap with plastic wrap (to keep it dry, instead of moist – Korokke may get soggy a little bit).
3) Dredge in panko again
4) Deep fry
Option C
1) Finish making korokke.
2) Refrigerate or freeze korokke in an air tight container.
3) Use toaster oven (or oven) to re-heat. Do not use microwave because it’s not going to be crispy outside.
Actually I always enjoy eating leftover next day… .and use Option C (use freezer method). It’s still tasty! 🙂 Hope this helps!
What a coincidence! My son just told me to make this last week!
Can you please teach us how to make cream korokke, I haven’t tried and seems difficult?!
Hi Sandy! I do have Creamy Crab Croquette recipe on my blog. I have to say it’s a bit difficult as it’s hard to shape the creamy filling… it’s not as solid as Korokke. But that’s how you make it creamy and soft inside…. Hope you give it a try someday!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/creamy-crab-croquette/
Hi thank you Nami for lots of wonderful Japanese cuisine that I have not tried before. Love the tonkatsu, ebi fry, korokke recipes and will be trying it pretty soon. Just want to know can I bake all these recipes mentioned above instead of frying? As the family is on low Carb and low fat diet. In the past I have cooked yakitori, tamagoyaki, they were a lovely addition in me cooking a be to box meal..thanks to my hubby for introducing me 2nd time to Japanese food which was a be to box meal in a food court…Since then I loved it and even tried okonomiyaki in a restaurant only think I disliked was the bonito flakes…planning to make it but can you suggest a not fishy substitute? Thanks once again looking forward to read your reply in this site.
Hi Anju! First of all, please understand that “traditional/authentic” recipes ALWAYS use deep frying for those recipes with the right deep frying technique. The result is simply amazing that sometimes you don’t even feel oily.
Yet, at home, we try to eat healthy and there are some “baked” version available. I have baked chicken katsu recipe (it’s called “Crispy Baked Chicken”) and the same method can be used for pork, shrimp, and korokke.
The result is pretty close to deep frying and I’m very happy with this recipe. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/crispy-baked-chicken/
Now for Okonomiyaki, you can simply omit katsuobushi for topping. No need to substitute, because that is unique ingredient that is hard to replace. But you will need “dashi” for okonomiyaki recipe, which contains bonito flakes. If you really don’t like the bonito flakes, you can use “kombu dashi” instead of regular dashi. Hope this helps!
Mecha umai!! 🙂
These were so great! Thank you for sharing! Everyone loves them!
(^-^) mmmm!
Hi Theresa! So happy you tried this recipe! It’s my #1 recipe that I love from my mom’s cooking… Thanks for trying this recipe and writing feedback. xo 🙂
Hello! This recipe looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it! By any chance, is it possible to bake or toast them rather than frying them? Thank you an I love your recipes! (⌒▽⌒)
Hi Connie! I haven’t done it, but it’s possible if you use my method on Baked Crispy Chicken or Baked Tonkatsu recipes.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/baked-tonkatsu/
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I guess I’m stuck not really having a favourite food from growing up that I can eat now… My parents weren’t especially good cooks (I have been cooking for myself for a long time) but my grandmother was. But she’s passed, and none of her recipes were handed down… :/
Oh well, I make pretty good foods, and your site helps me to make more. XD
These look amazing. Do you think it would work if one skipped the frying and put them into the oven? It wouldn’t be quite the same, I know, but fried foods upset my digestive system.
Hi Kai! Make sure to document your recipes! 🙂
I haven’t tried, but I’m pretty sure we can do this with the same technique as Baked Tonkatsu and Baked Chicken Katsu recipe.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/baked-tonkatsu/
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I noticed that your other Korokke recipe you put egg in the mixture, while this has no egg as a binder.. Would it make any difference?
Have you tried putting this on an oven?
Ahh..just read the other replies to use the Baked Tonkatsu technique..
Yes, you probably saw the comment above. I haven’t tried it yet but I’ll test it next time I make Korokke. Theoretically it should work as everything is already cooked inside. 🙂
Hi Onio! It’s up to you. My mom never puts an egg in it (which is this recipe) and it still tastes amazing. Some recipes use an egg, some don’t. Not a big difference, I’d say. It adds more flavor and keep it moist.
I made them last night for family dinner, and although mine didn’t look as good as yours
they had everyone ask for seconds (and thirds)
Thank you
Hi Martijn! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! 🙂 I really love this food and I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it too! Thanks for your kind feedback! 🙂
Made these last night and they were yummy! I used pork instead of beef though cause my grandma can’t eat beef.
Hi Sujitra! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami-
Can this recipe be baked and not deep fried?
Thank you?
Sandra
Hi Sandra! The baked version will be on the blog soon! I still need to edit the video and pictures… 🙂
My mom used to make korokke and I loved them. She did show me how to make these but step #3 and #11 are not steps she used so I will have to try that. I don’t have a recipe as she did the “little of this and a little of that” (oyoso). Thanks for sharing.
Hi June! I can imagine your mom’s korokke is so delicious!!! The step #3 and 11 are good to have. You can always make it without those steps, but just a tiny thing that helps to improve… 🙂 My mom’s cooking is the same way, which is why I started this site for my kids. 😀
Hi Namiko, I like to make a big batch of these up to stage 10. Then I arrange them on a baking try and individually freeze them. After that I just defrost as many as I need when I need them, and continue from step 11-13. That way it’s a great “meal in a minute”. I like to serve with steamed brussell sprouts. Yum!
Hi Mark! I’ve never stopped preparing korokke at Step 10, so thank you so much for your feedback and share your method! I am always worried about freezing & defrosting them when it comes to deep frying, but it’s good to know it works! Thank you very much! I usually make A LOT (till last step) and freeze them, and reheat in the toaster oven to enjoy. 🙂 Thank you again!
Hi Nami,
As i was searching for something for dinner today, i ran across “Mom’s Korokke” in a google search lol. Out of curiousity, i ended up here and just wanted to thank you for this recipe. Always looking for new korroke recipes. This looks just like my moms recipe, which i should have gotten years ago, but things you tend to forget when they start getting elderly and sick. I think she used about half the meat/onions though, she was very health conscious, but the overall is exactly like how she used to make them. One thing i can’t forget is helping her make them, dipping them in the, flour, egg and bread crumbs, while she fried them up. She would line them up on a grate with paper towels as well and I would always beg and steal one before dinner with some bulldog (japanese brand) sauce. Today i still crave a good korokke and these i will make tonight, as i know they will be delicious. Thanks again for bringing back memories of mom, and a delicious korokke recipe, appropriately named “Mom’s Korokke”! Next will be the matsutake chawan mushi, another one of those dishes i miss.
Hi Mark! Welcome to my blog! What a wonderful surprise that my mom’s Korokke recipe lead you here. It’s my most favorite Japanese food! I’m actually in Japan right now and already asked my mom to make this korokke on the last day of my stay. 🙂
My mom use more beef in the korokke. I always felt store korokke is not good enough as it’s mostly potato. I thought they don’t put it to cut down on cost, but realized later on that that’s the normal korokke. I’m so used to eating my mom’s korokke that I make my own just like hers.
We were actually traveling together when I saw your comment and she was happy to hear you like your mom’s Korokke. 🙂
Thank you for your sweet comment. Hope you enjoy my blog and recipes!
Hi Nami,
Just wanted to say how lucky you are to have your mom’s korokke freshly made for you! Oh, i understand the extra ground beef, and i made it your mom’s way as well and it is delicious.. No store bought korokke ever compared to home made like this, that’s why korokke always has to be made fresh. It’s just not the same, and you’re right, store bought never has any meat!
Well, hope you had a great time in Japan, and wish you and your mom well! I do look forward in trying more recipes from your website, so thanks again!
Hi Mark! I appreciate even more now as I know it takes time to make this dish. My mom is better at deep frying, so it tastes better (and she uses good beef!).
Thank you so much for your kind words once again! 🙂
Easy to make and delicious! I’m learning to cook and this recipe’s a keeper.
Thanks so much!
Thank you! I’m glad to hear you like my recipe! 🙂
Just made this tonight, WOW it was great, even for the first time making it. Never will I make Sheppard’s Pie as this is much better!
Hi Michael! Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. It’s really my favorite Japanese food (probably because of my mom’s homemade version – never really liked the store bought or restaurant version)! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi, can you make the korokke by baking instead of deep frying?
Thanks.
Hi Joyce! Yes, I have the recipe! 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/baked-croquette/
I remember tasting similar in Japan
Hi Maggie! There are so many kinds in Japan! 🙂
I always enjoy your recipes. One of these days I will be able to make one of these and proudly present them to my family. Thank you or the videos… Keep up the good work.
Hi Froy! This is probably my favorite Japanese food and I hope you give it a try one day. It does take time (which is why I make a lot, deep fry them, freeze a lot of them, and bake in toaster oven to reheat till crispy), but it’s well worth it! Thank you for your support and kind feedback! xo
Hi, you think I can make these and put in dinner rolls and bring to a beach party? Will they stay crispy and nice? Thanks!
Hi Teo! Oh that sounds really nice! Well, the “crispy” part can be tricky. As panko crust gets moisture, it’ll be less crunchy. I guarantee it will be still delicious though. 🙂 When you make it, please cool down completely before you make sandwich. When it’s hot and make sandwich, all the steam will end up moisture inside the bread, and that will make the sandwich soggy. So cool down completely and then make sandwich. No more steam or moisture should go into the sandwich. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Tried your recipe today and it’s yummy! Many thanks for teaching us, Nami! I took a photo of them but not sure I know how to post it though.
Hi Judith! No sugar, just heavy cream and chocolate. If you prefer sweeter taste, use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate. 🙂
Oops I apologize.. I left a comment for someone else in different recipe… Deleting now.
Hi Judith! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy Korokke recipe! I can see your photo on Instagram (please use #justonecookbook), facebook page or twitter. 🙂 I look forward to seeing it!
Lb is not japanese. Noone can use this recipe if you use those unuseful and strange measures. 🙁 You certainly live in the us for far to long. Oh, I normally like your website and your recipes. But this is the first time any japanese person putting recipes on the web in english uses american measurements…. I now see you do this frequently. So I can forget cooking this food. What a pity! 🙁 You should really mention that this is a webpage only for us-people.
Hi Carlotta! I apologize. This post was written in 2012, which was one year later after I started blogging. Majority of my audience was American back then (and right now 60% Americans). If you looked at my new recipes for the past 3 years or more, you see ALL my recipes are written in both lbs and grams. When I recreate my old recipes to re-shoot images or add videos, I ALWAYS add both measurements as I have more audience around the world. I apologize to upset you, and will try to update my older recipes when I have more time or budget to hire someone to go through older recipes.
For your information, I added grams to this recipe. And I personally use grams in my cooking because it’s more accurate, especially baking (unless I follow American cookbooks).
I’m sorry, 🙁 I’m autistic and often I don’t get the right words to say what I mean without being rude. This is no excuse,but a reason. I like your webside very much and I like your recipes! There are so many pictures how to make the food. Thank you for adding grams. I’m really sorry. again. 🙁
Hi Carlotta! Please do not apologize. I want my recipes to be helpful to everyone’s needs and I do my best to help my readers cook Japanese food at their own home. I totally understand the need of metric measurement, as I still don’t have a clue how much one ounce or pound weighs. I struggle myself!
I have received comments from Americans when I only added grams to my baking recipes. So now updated recipes have a cup measurement for those baking recipes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. With a cup measurement, the amount of flour is never accurate depending on how you would scoop, so I started to get comments that the recipe doesn’t work, so I have to tell them to use a gram measurement if they want to be precise. Wish we all use the metric system! 🙂
How long can you store these before frying?
Hi Amanda! If you are going to store it for later, I recommend deep frying all of them, let them cool completely, and pack in an airtight container. You can reheat in the oven without thawing before you enjoy. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Nami, Thanks for your reply. My Cousin has a deep fryer so I was thinking of prepping the korokke at home and taking them over to cook there.
Hi Amanda! Ohh, I see! I’d say overnight can be okay, but try to deep fry soon to keep the quality. 🙂
Thank you for replying Nami! I’m really looking forward to making these to share with my cousin ♥
Have fun and enjoy! xoxo
Besides the butter, what is the difference between Mom’s Korokke recipe and your regular recipe?
Hi TK! The overall method is the same; these days I make my mom’s recipe so that became my “regular”… but the other one has carrot and mushrooms (optional), and I also add an egg in the recipe.
Hello Namiko-san 🙂
I am so happy to have found your website and I am so excited to see this recipe! I want to make everything!! 😄❤️ I lived in Japan 25 years ago and ate Korokke at the temple near my apartment many times (the family there are my friends). I can’t wait to make it, it brings back so many memories and is a great favorite of mine too.
I have one question…I think they made it with ham or bacon, and the amount of potato seemed like 90% of the filling… If I try to make it like that, would you recommend adding butter or some other ingredient to make the filling moist or is the potato and onion/meat alone enough?
Thank you so much and thank you for this outstanding work you do!! It is very much appreciated. 🥰
Hi Dianne! I’m so happy to hear you associate korokke with such a sweet memory in Japan! A lot of store-bought korokke are mostly potatoes (economical solution). You can sautee ham or bacon with onion and mix with the mashed potatoes. I’d still add butter as I did. Hope you enjoy!
I couldn’t find an option to comment on the deep frying tutorial so I thought I’d post it here. Thank you so much, deep frying has always been hit-or-miss and far too many spring rolls have ended up with oil oozing out from the inside >_< it's embarrassing. Your simple tips are a revelation. I can't believe I never thought about how the temperature lowering could result from putting too many in at once. I blame the frying directions on frozen egg rolls and gyoza that says to drop multiple in the oil at once straight out of the freezer- of course that's going to cool it down, right?!
I printed this and I plan to buy your cookbook as soon as I can go back to work and have money for things again. And I rarely ever bookmark cooking sites because there's an abundance of them and they mostly spend more time blogging about their personal life than discussing the recipes – and that's fine, just not my cup of tea.
I also like the name choice. It reminds me of how my grandmother always has had this whole bookshelf of cookbooks, even an A-Z encyclopedia set of recipes, but I hardly ever saw her look at them. I told her once, if you just had one good cookbook, wouldn't it be more helpful than 50 books you never touch?!
Anyway- love your recipes and thank you for sharing!
Hi Catsy! Thank you so much for making my day! Kind feedback like yours really keep me going! I’m glad to hear my tip on deep frying helped. Sometimes a small tip like that can improve the outcome. I hope you enjoy my recipes from the site. Thank you again for your kind words!
My family absolutely loved the dish. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Wendy! I’m so glad to hear that. Thanks so much for trying this recipe, Wendy!
Followed the recipe exactly, came out perfect! I even found Bull-Dog brand katsu sauce. It is my new favorite katsu sauce!
Hi Dorothy! Yay!! So glad to hear that. I miss eating my favorite food! 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback. And I’m happy you found Bull-Dog brand sauce, it’s the best!
good recipe
Hi! I bought potatoes hoping to make croquettes this week since I’ve never done it before, but I realized I don’t have enough oil to deep fry them! Would pan frying or shallow frying work instead? (My apartment’s oven is not too great so I only want to try that as a last resort.)
Hi Gina! YOu can pan-fry croquette as inside (everything except for panko-coating) is cooked! 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’m planning to make these and my wife is gluten free. I’ve got the gf Panko but I’m wondering what you’d recommend for the flour substitute? Almond, rice, etc flour? Or maybe even a corn or potato starch? Thanks
Hi Matt,
How sweet of you making this for your wife!
Yes. In that case, you may use corn or potato starch as a substitute. The texture of outside the croquettes will be crisper, but we hope you and your wife will enjoy it.
Thank you for trying this recipe!