Easy and Delicious Japanese Beef Curry

This Japanese beef curry is a stalwart of Asian home cooking because it's comforting, hearty and delicious. In addition, using Japanese curry roux makes the cooking process easy and failproof. Best of all, these taste even better as leftovers!

I can never get tired of eating Japanese beef curry. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef and silky potato and carrot chunks all covered in a rich, smooth, umami packed sauce, goes perfectly with a bowl of warm rice or udon.

It's also one of my go-to meals to make when I need to feed a group of people. I always get compliments whenever I make this dish for my friends, as they comment that this beef curry tastes better what they get in restaurants!

The good news is that this is very easy to make and almost impossible to fail. All you need is a few common ingredients with Japanese curry roux (curry blocks), which gives you most of the flavor you need for a pot of delicious curry. Follow my step by step instructions and cooking tips and tricks and you can also recreate this popular Japanese dish at home!

Why You Need to Try This Recipe

• Using Japanese curry roux makes this recipe so easy and straightforward!
• Leftover curry tastes even better as the flavors have time to develop and meld! Make more and enjoy the leftovers whenever you need.
• This recipes includes a secret tip for taking the flavor of your Japanese beef curry to the next level.

Ingredients You'll Need

Notes

• Beef chuck - For the best result, try to pick a piece that has even marbling of fat throughout the meat. You can also use beef shank instead.
• Potato - I recommend using Yukon gold potatoes as they hold their shape better after cooking when compared to russet potatoes, which tend to fall apart easier.
• Red wine - Dry red wine is recommended, I usually just get a cheap one from the grocery store.
• Curry roux - My favorite brands are S&B golden curry and Vermont curry. There are different spice levels that you can choose from based on your preference. You can even mix different brands of curry roux for deeper flavor.
• Curry Powder -I like to use S&B curry powder, but you can use any brand you like.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Prepare beef.

Cut the beef chuck into 1.5" (3.5-4cm) cubes and trim off larger pieces of fat. Toss them with salt, black pepper and vegetable oil and set it aside for 15 minutes.

If you have time, I recommend doing this a few hours ahead or overnight in the fridge. This will give the beef better flavor and texture.

Step 2 - Slice and sauté onions.

Peel and slice onions against the grain. Heat a Dutch oven (I use a 5.5 qt one) over medium low heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook and stir until the onions are slightly caramelized, about 10-12 minutes.

Step 3 - Brown the beef cubes in a skillet.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat until it's very hot, then brown the meat on both sides. Don't crowd the pan or the beef might not brown nicely. Do this step in 2 batches if needed.

Step 4 - Cook beef until softened.

Transfer beef into the Dutch oven with onions, turn the heat to medium, and add curry powder and sauté for 20 seconds before adding red wine and bay leaf. Cook for another 30 seconds before adding 4-5 cups of water (preferably hot water) or enough to cover all the ingredients in the pot.

Bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 hours. Stir and check if you need to adjust the heat every 30 minutes in order to maintain a gentle boil.

Step 5 - Add carrots and potatoes.

When the beef becomes soft and tender, add carrots and potatoes in the pot and continue to cook for 20 - 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not falling apart.

Step 6 - Add curry roux, finish up and serve.

Cut curry roux into smaller cubes so it's easier to melt.

Turn off the heat before adding curry roux into the pot. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes before gently mixing it to help the curry roux dissolve completely.

Finally, here comes my secret tip -- stir in 2-3 cloves of minced garlic into the curry. This will upgrade your curry and give it a deeper flavor. Make sure you give it a try!

I like to serve Japanese beef curry with warm short grain rice and a soft boiled egg. When the tender, chewy white rice is coated with the rich, flavorful curry sauce, it becomes the quintessential Asian comfort food.

Need a simple veggie side dish? Try my Asian cucumber salad with miso and sesame and air fryer Chinese eggplant with garlic soy dressing. They both go perfectly well with this beef curry.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Marinating your beef with salt and pepper the day before allows the beef to be more tender and flavorful after cooking.
• Sautéing onion provides a hint of sweetness that's one of the keys for making Japanese beef curry delicious, so make sure you don't skip this step!
• Try using a mix of different brands of curry roux for deeper flavor.
• Dutch oven works the best for this recipe as the lid helps retain moisture and prevents drying after a long cooking process. If you use a regular pot, you might need to add some hot water at the end to restore some of the moisture.
• The beef and potato should be very tender toward the end of cooking, so when you mix in the curry roux, stir gently to avoid breaking them.
• Curry taste better after cooling down and reheating. So make more to enjoy as convenient yet tasty leftovers!

Recipe FAQs

Recipes You May Like

I would like to hear from you! If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment in the section further down the page. Stay in touch by following my Instagram and Pinterest!