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Japanese beef curry is a richly spiced curry stew with tender pieces of meat, hearty potato, carrot, and onion in a balanced sweet and savory gravy. The secret to its depth is curry roux, which you can easily make yourself or use store-bought if you prefer.
If you’re a curry lover but haven’t had Japanese curry, this one is a must-try. There is some overlap in the spices in Japanese curry and Indian curries. However, there are a few spices in the Japanese version are unique to this type of curry. For example, anise and fennel seeds add very subtle undertones of licorice flavor.
The interesting thing you’ll notice about Japanese curry is its sweetness. This is thanks to classic components like apple and honey. But the surprise ingredients don’t stop there!
A hint of unsweetened cocoa powder is a traditional ingredient in Japanese curry. Cocoa powder adds rich depth, earthy complexity, and robust color, without adding sweetness. Actually, the bitterness of unsweetened cocoa powder helps create a balanced flavor profile along with the sweet and spicy ingredients.
I can’t wait to make this dish for my niece. She went through an anime phase a while back, and I think she’d go crazy for this stew.
Bookmark this dish for the next time you’re in the mood for Japanese food or want to try a new take on beef curry or beef stew!
What is Japanese Curry?
Japanese curry is a stew-like dish with a rich, savory gravy that’s aromatic with spices and laced with sweetness.
For Japanese beef curry in particular, the velvety brown gravy is similar to beef stew gravy. However, it has a much more robust flavor with a lot deeper flavor nuances. For Japanese curry with chicken, the gravy is a bit more golden rather than brown in color.
Japanese curry contains a variety of rich spices, both sweet and savory not-so-secret secret ingredients that create a very intense and unique flavor profile (which I’ll go over in this article), and tender pieces of beef. The vegetables that you’ll typically find in Japanese curry include potato, carrot, and onion.
What is Japanese Curry Roux?
Japanese curry roux acts as both a thickener and seasoning for Japanese curry.
You might already be familiar with roux. With origins in French cuisine, it’s commonly used to thicken a variety of soups, stews, and sauces. In its most basic form, roux is butter cooked with flour.
Similarly, Japanese curry roux is fat (typically butter or oil) cooked with flour to make a roux with a variety of curry spices added. A lot of the spices are what you’d find in an Indian curry as well!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Japanese Curry Roux Ingredients
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Curry roux is actually very easy to make from scratch! It’s just butter and flour with a bunch of different spices. But with that being said, there are a lot of different spices in curry roux. If you don’t have a well-stocked spice cabinet, it might be easier to buy store-bought curry roux cubes than to make it from scratch.
However, if you have most of the spices you should be good to go. There are so many different spices, you can omit one or two and your curry will still be fine because there are so many other flavors in it!
- Unsalted butter
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Fenugreek
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
- Thyme
- Black pepper
- Cardamom
- Cayenne pepper
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Anise
- Fennel seeds
- Sage
- All-purpose flour
TIP: Note that we don’t add salt to our curry roux because we add it to the stew itself.
Japanese Beef Curry Ingredients
- Vegetable oil – To sear the beef.
- Chuck roast – Look for a roast with good marbling (fat running through it). Trim off any large pieces of fat, and then cut it into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Yellow onion – Adds depth of flavor.
- Garlic and ginger – These aromatics add complexity.
- Beef stock – Use homemade stock or a store-bought brand that you like.
- Carrot – Carrots are a traditional vegetable in Japanese curry; they add an earthy sweetness.
- Yellow potatoes – Potato is another classic ingredient in Japanese curry. I use yellow potatoes that have a thin skin so I don’t have to peel them.
- Apple – Use a sweet/tart apple, such as Honeycrisp.
- Ketchup – Just a little goes a long way here; don’t skip the ketchup though, it adds great depth and a hint of tanginess for balance.
- Worcestershire sauce – This complex-flavored umami sauce is a great pairing with any beef dish.
- Soy sauce – Adds yet another layer of savory fermented flavor in this curry.
- Honey – Honey is a traditional component of Japanese curry that adds sweetness and helps create a balanced flavor profile. If you prefer, you can substitute with any sweetener you like, such as granulated sugar, maple syrup, etc.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – This is one of the secret ingredients in Japanese curry that takes it over the top. Cocoa powder adds richness and complexity, and no, you won’t be able to taste chocolate.
- Salt and black pepper – To season the stew.
- Bay leaf – A bay leaf adds depth to the broth, but it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have it on hand.
How to Make Japanese Curry With Beef (With Homemade Curry Roux!)
If you want to make homemade curry roux, I recommend starting with that so it’s out of the way and ready to go. Or you can whip it up during the time that the beef cooks.
1: How to Make Japanese Curry Roux
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute more.
- Remove from the heat (TIP: it will harden as it cools).
Tip: Make Extra Curry Roux
If you’re going to make this, it’s easy to make a double batch with basically no extra effort. And it keeps well in the fridge (up to 1 month) or freezer (up to 3 months).
To make extra, immediately after removing the curry roux from the heat, pour or spoon it into a silicone mold and let it set. I like to use a silicone ice cube tray to make cubes, but any silicone mold will work (even a candy bar mold). If you don’t have a mold, another option is to spread out the curry roux on a piece of parchment paper, let it harden, and then break it into pieces before storing.
2: How to Make Japanese Beef Curry
- Sear the beef. Add the vegetable oil to a 5-quart Dutch oven or equivalent pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (TIP: cook the beef in batches if necessary so you don’t over-crowd the pan).
- Add the aromatics and then the liquid. Stir in the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add 4 cups of beef stock.
- Cook the beef. Bring up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and boil until the meat is almost fully tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add the veggies. Add the carrot, potato, apple, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and remaining 3 cups beef stock to the pot with the beef.
- Cook until tender. Stir, and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the curry roux. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the curry roux (TIP: it will be hard; you can crumble it in). Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the curry roux is completely mixed in, about 5 minutes.
Tip: Use Store-Bought Curry Roux Cubes Instead of Making Curry Roux From Scratch
Curry roux only takes a couple minutes to make. However, it has a ton of different components that you might not have on hand unless you have a very well-stocked spice cabinet.
Instead of making Japanese curry roux from scratch, you can use store-bought curry cubes. S&B Golden Curry is a popular brand, and they make it in mild, medium, hot, and extra hot spice levels, which are all available for purchase on Amazon. You will need one 8.4 ounce/240 gram box to make this recipe.
Storage
You can store homemade curry roux in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Store leftover beef curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (TIP: This meal is great for meal prep! Use 2-compartment single-serving glass meal prep containers to portion out the beef curry and rice before freezing.)
Tips For the Best Homemade Japanese Curry
- For the apple, use a sweet/tart apple, such as Honeycrisp. Peel it and then shred it to ensure that the apple breaks down into the stew. The apple acts as a natural thickener, and also lends sweet/tart flavor and creates balance.
- To get melt-in-your-mouth-tender pieces of beef, use a chuck roast with good fat marbling. (Look for veins of fat running through it, not large chunks of fat.) Beef stew meat will also work here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken, beef, or pork are all common meat choices for Japanese curry. My personal favorite is beef because its strong flavor lends itself well to the robust gravy and rich spices in Japanese curry roux.
If you’re making Japanese curry with beef, choose a cut of meat with good marbling. Marbling is fat running through the meat, giving it a marbled look. This will result in the richest flavor and melt-in-your-mouth-tender pieces of beef.
A well-marbled chuck roast that’s cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes works well for curries and stews. Beef stew meat will also work well here.
Another name for Japanese curry is “curry rice”, and for good reason. Delicious fluffy rice is the perfect accompaniment for Japanese beef curry. You can make this meal into a curry bowl by adding Japanese pickled vegetables as well. Or if you prefer, go with udon noodles instead of rice.
However, don’t feel like you need to serve it with a side dish to have a satisfying meal. This beef curry stew this is a full meal in itself! It has beef, potatoes, and carrots, and is satisfying and hearty.
More Curry Stew Recipes to Make
- Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Red Curry with Meat)
- Chicken Panang Curry
- Palak Paneer (Indian Spinach Curry with Paneer Cheese)
- Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)
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Japanese Beef Curry Recipe With Homemade Curry Roux
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Ingredients
Curry Roux:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground anise
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Japanese Beef Curry:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pound chuck roast large pieces of fat trimmed off and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 7 cups beef stock divided into 4 cups + 3 cups
- 3 cups chopped carrot
- 1 pound yellow potatoes chopped (I leave the peel on but you can peel them if you like)
- 1 sweet-tart apple peeled and shredded (such as Honeycrisp)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Serving Suggestions:
- Steamed white rice
- Sliced scallion
Instructions
For the Curry Roux:
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat (TIP: it will harden as it cools).
For the Japanese Beef Curry:
- Cook the beef. Add the vegetable oil to a 5-quart Dutch oven or equivalent pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (TIP: cook the beef in batches if necessary so you don’t over-crowd the pan). Stir in the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add 4 cups of beef stock. Bring up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and boil until the meat is almost fully tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cook the veggies. Add the carrot, potato, apple, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and remaining 3 cups beef stock to the pot with the beef. Stir, and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the curry roux. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the curry roux (TIP: it will be hard; you can crumble it in). Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the curry roux is completely mixed in, about 5 minutes (it will thicken).
Serve:
- Serve the curry garnished with sliced scallion along with steamed white rice.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the serving suggestions.
- Storage: You can store homemade curry roux in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store leftover beef curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (TIP: This meal is great for meal prep! Use 2-compartment single-serving glass meal prep containers to portion out the beef curry and rice before freezing.)
- Substitute for Homemade Curry Roux: Instead of making Japanese curry roux from scratch, you can use store-bought curry cubes. S&B Golden Curry is a popular brand, and they make it in mild, medium, hot, and extra hot spice levels, which are all available for purchase on Amazon. You will need one 8.4 ounce/240 gram box to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on April 12, 2023 and updated on April 10, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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