Gentle on the within and crunchy on the skin, Japanese Croquettes referred to as Korokke are my absolute favourite Japanese meals. That is my mom’s finest recipe, and I’ll share her secrets and techniques with you on this recipe.
If there have been one meals that I should have once I go to Japan, it will be my mother’s Japanese Croquettes or Korokke (コロッケ). With a crispy panko shell and delicate inside of potato and floor beef, my mom’s korokke is essentially the most scrumptious and comforting reminder of residence. Immediately, I’m going to share her recipe with you.
In case you love Japanese panko-breaded meals, strive my Tonkatsu, Hen Katsu, and Baked Hen Katsu recipes subsequent!
What’s Korokke?
French croquettes have been launched to Japan within the late 1800s. Japan lacked dairy merchandise at the moment, in order that they used potatoes as a substitute of cream to recreate the delicate texture. By the early 1900s, potato-based korokke (コロッケ) was a high 3 yoshoku (Western-influenced delicacies) dish together with beef steak and breaded pork cutlets. Immediately, Japanese potato croquettes are a very talked-about home-cooked dish that’s additionally out there at road meals stalls, butcher outlets, household eating places, markets, and comfort shops.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Extra meat for further taste and protein – My mom’s hearty and savory recipe consists of extra meat than store-bought ones or different recipes.
- Irresistible distinction of textures – They’ve a crunchy shell on the skin and a creamy but barely chunky texture inside. It’s laborious to eat only one.
- Nice to make forward – Make further to maintain within the freezer for future meals. They’re really easy to reheat.
- Good for bento – Korokke pack effectively in a lunch field. I wish to make mini-sized ones for this!
Elements for Japanese Croquettes
- Russet potatoes
- Floor beef – 85% lean
- Onion – I take advantage of yellow onion
- Unsalted butter – for the potatoes
- Kosher salt and black pepper – for the meat and potatoes
- All-purpose flour (plain flour)
- Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- Giant eggs
- Impartial oil – for deep-frying
- Tonkatsu sauce – retailer purchased or make my Selfmade Tonkatsu Sauce
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Substitutions
- Russet potatoes – These are perfect for korokke for his or her starchy, fluffy, and lightweight texture. They’re the very best at absorbing the juice and taste from the meat and onion. In Japan, my mother makes use of a combo of 85–90% danshaku (男爵) potatoes and 10–15% Might queen (メークイン). She boils them with their skins on and peels them whereas they’re nonetheless scorching to retain their full taste. I personally don’t observe this technique, as dealing with scorching potatoes might not be protected for everybody.
- Floor beef – I take advantage of high-quality, 85% lean floor beef from the butcher store for higher taste. You possibly can substitute floor pork, if you want. You can use floor turkey or rooster, however I believe they lack taste. For vegan/vegetarian, substitute finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, different mushrooms, or dense greens like corn and carrot.
- Panko – Attempt discovering Japanese-brand panko breadcrumbs. The sunshine, ethereal, bigger flakes have a tendency to remain crispier longer as a result of they don’t take in as a lot grease as non-Japanese panko or customary breadcrumbs.
Learn how to Make Japanese Croquettes (Korokke)
Preparation
Step 1 – Prepare dinner the potatoes. Add the potato chunks to chilly water in a big pot and produce to a boil over medium warmth. Gently simmer till cooked. Drain off the water and let the moisture evaporate.
Step 2 – Sauté the onions and beef. In the meantime, mince the onions and prepare dinner in a big skillet till translucent and tender. Add the meat and prepare dinner it with a wood spatula. Cool barely.
Step 3 – Mash and mix. Let the steam escape as you mash the new potatoes, leaving some chunks for texture. Add the butter and season. Then, gently stir within the meat.
Assemble
Step 4 – Make patties and chill. Portion the combination and kind it into an oval form whereas heat, then cowl and funky within the fridge for 15–half-hour.
Step 5 – Bread with panko. Dredge every oval patty in flour, dip it in overwhelmed egg, and coat it with panko breadcrumbs.
Cooking
Step 6 – Deep-fry. Preheat 2 inches of impartial oil to 340–350ºF (170–180ºC) over medium warmth. Fry 2–3 croquettes at a time till golden brown, after which drain on a wire rack.
Step 7 – Serve. Drizzle tonkatsu sauce on high and luxuriate in.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Begin the potatoes in chilly water – It takes a very long time for the middle of the dense potatoes to warmth up. Subsequently, I put the potatoes in chilly water and warmth them on the identical time so the outer layer doesn’t disintegrate earlier than the within cooks.
- Keep away from extra moisture – There are 3 ways I do that: 1) Sauté the onion till golden brown and to evaporate the moisture. 2) Drain the pan juices from the cooked meat earlier than you combine it with the mashed potato. 3) Shake the drained boiled potatoes within the pot over low warmth till they appear dry and powdery.
- Mash and season whereas scorching – This enables the steam to flee the new boiled potatoes. They’ll take in the seasoning and the meat taste higher after they’re scorching.
- Don’t add air to the patties – Air pockets would possibly create steam throughout deep-frying and trigger the croquette to blow up.
- Cool earlier than breading – Resting the patties within the fridge retains them from releasing steam and exploding whereas deep-frying.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot – Deep fry 2–3 items at a time. The oil temperature will drop too shortly if you happen to add an excessive amount of meals directly and the korokke will take in an excessive amount of oil.
- Preserve the oil temperature always – Use an instant-read thermometer so there’s no guessing.
Variations and Customizations
- Add minced greens. You possibly can incorporate carrot and shiitake mushrooms into the potato and meat combination.
- Add spices and flavorings. Be happy so as to add a splash of curry powder or miso to the potato and meat combination.
- Use kabocha or crab. Swap the potato and/or meat to make Kabocha Croquettes and Creamy Crab Croquettes.
- Bake it. I’ve received you coated with my recipe for Baked Croquette.
What to Serve with Japanese Croquettes
Storage and Reheating Ideas
To retailer: You possibly can retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container and freeze as much as a month.
To reheat: Place 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. Examine that the within is heat earlier than serving.
Continuously Requested Questions
Undoubtedly! Croquettes hold effectively within the freezer for as much as a month and are straightforward to reheat.
For the Potato and Meat Combination
Forestall your display from going darkish
To Boil the Potatoes
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Wash 2 lb russet potatoes beneath chilly operating water. Peel them and take away the eyes. Minimize every potato into 4 equal items in order that they prepare dinner evenly. Nami’s Tip: I take advantage of russets for his or her starchy, fluffy, and lightweight texture. They’re the very best selection for absorbing the juices and taste from the meat and onion.
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Put the chilly operating water and potatoes in a big pot and canopy with a lid barely ajar to forestall boiling over. Activate the warmth to medium and produce it to a boil; this can take about quarter-hour. As soon as boiling, cut back the warmth to keep up a mild boil and prepare dinner till completed, about 15–20 minutes. You may have half-hour to finish the subsequent step!
To Prepare dinner the Onions and Meat
To Mix the Potatoes and Meat
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To test if the potatoes are cooked, insert a skewer into a much bigger piece; it is completed if it pierces simply. Take away from the warmth. Maintain the lid barely ajar to maintain the potatoes in, and punctiliously drain off all of the water.
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Transfer the pot again to the range over low warmth. Repeatedly shake the pot to evaporate the remaining moisture from the potatoes, about 1–2 minutes. The potatoes ought to look powdery and dry. Switch them to a big bowl.
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Mash the potatoes with a potato masher whereas they’re nonetheless scorching, permitting the steam to flee. Hold some potato chunks for texture. Then, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly floor black pepper and mix gently.
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If the meat combination has launched extra liquid, tilt the pan to gather it on one aspect and keep away from including it to the potatoes. Add the drained meat to the bowl of potatoes and gently combine to mix.
To Make the Patties
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Whereas the combination remains to be heat (however not scorching), kind oval-shaped patties 3 inches (7.5 cm) in size. Attempt to not create air pockets that may make the patties explode whereas deep-frying.
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Place the patties on a tray or plate to let cool fully. As soon as cool to room temperature, cowl and relaxation them within the fridge for 15–half-hour. Don’t skip this step! Nami’s Tip: Chilling the patties helps the components meld and prevents the croquettes from bursting throughout frying. Heat patties generate steam as they warmth up, which might rupture the panko coating and trigger them to blow up. Chilly patties, then again, reduce steam and keep intact.
To Bread the Croquettes
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Put together separate trays for ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). Crack 3 massive eggs (50 g every w/o shell) right into a small bowl and beat with a whisk.
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Dredge every patty in flour and shake off the surplus. Dip within the overwhelmed egg, then coat with the panko. , urgent to stick the breadcrumbs.
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Gently press the croquettes to assist the breadcrumbs adhere and modify the form as wanted.
To Deep-Fry
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Add 4 cups impartial oil to a medium pot and produce it to 340–350ºF (170–180ºC) over medium warmth. Use a cooking thermometer to test the oil temperature so there‘s no guessing. Nami’s Tip: Be certain there‘s no less than 2 inches (5 cm) of oil within the pot so the croquettes are fully submerged whereas cooking. When you get used to deep-frying, you need to use the chopstick or panko tips to find out if the oil is prepared.
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Deep-fry 2–3 croquettes at a time till golden brown, about 2–3 minutes. Don’t contact or flip the croquettes till one aspect is golden brown. The within is already cooked, so that you simply must fry the breading. Nami’s Tip: Don’t crowd the pot because the oil temperature will drop shortly and trigger the meals to soak up extra oil.
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Switch to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to empty the surplus oil. Proceed deep-frying the remainder of the patties.
To Retailer
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Retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container and freeze as much as 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. Examine if the within is heat earlier than serving.
Energy: 249 kcal · Carbohydrates: 17 g · Protein: 8 g · Fats: 17 g · Saturated Fats: 11 g · Trans Fats: 1 g · Ldl 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
Editor’s Word: This submit was initially printed on March 26, 2012 and was up to date with a video and new photos in July 2020. It was republished on April 23, 2025 with further useful content material.
