Japanese Ground Beef Curry

By Amelia Rampe

Updated February 24, 2026

  • Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
50 min
Rating
5(2,094)
Comments
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This one-skillet Japanese curry combines ground beef, potatoes, carrots and peas with store-bought curry roux bricks for a meal that tastes complex but comes together with little effort. A Westernized, roux-based version of curry was introduced to Japan by the British Navy in the late 1800s and, over time, evolved to become a staple in Japanese households, with a number of variations like kare udon (served over noodles) and kare raisu (served over rice). In the 1950s, store-bought curry roux bricks were created, combining the roux with curry powder and a variety of other spices. In this recipe, those store-bought curry bricks do the heavy lifting. (If you’re particularly ambitious, you could make your own Japanese curry bricks with this recipe from Sonoko Sakai.) Serve this curry over rice, udon or lo mein, or alongside a breaded pork cutlet.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower, safflower or canola oil

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 large garlic clove, minced

  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into ⅓-inch pieces

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces

  • 1 (3.2-ounce) package Japanese curry roux bricks (preferably medium-hot S&B Golden Curry)

  • ¾ cup frozen peas

  • Cooked rice, udon or lo mein noodles, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

    1. Step 1

      Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the ground beef, a generous pinch of salt and a couple pinches of ground pepper. Using a spatula, break up the beef and spread it into one layer on the skillet. Let cook undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. 

    2. Step 2

      Stir and push the beef to one side of the skillet, add the onion to the other side and season the onion lightly with salt. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir all the ingredients to combine and continue to cook, about 3 minutes more. 

    3. Step 3

      Stir in the carrots and potato and cook until the edges begin to soften, about 4 minutes. 

    4. Step 4

      Add the roux bricks and 2 cups of water and stir, breaking up the bricks until they melt into a sauce and start bubbling. Cover, lower heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced into a rich, viscous sauce, about 15 minutes. If the sauce has reduced to the point of drying at the bottom of the skillet, gradually add up to ½ cup water, a few tablespoons at a time, to reach the desired consistency. (Sauce should be glossy and saucy, not gloopy or congealed.) 

    5. Step 5

      Add peas and cook until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. 

    6. Step 6

      Serve over cooked rice, udon or lo mein noodles. Any curry leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,094 user ratings
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Comments

Cynthia

Is there anything I can substitute for the curry roux bricks?

Jennifer

Just made this...a classic dish sure to please children (milder roux.) I think this version is even better than the classic chicken and is really about as easy a weeknight hearty meal with many leftover meals possible. Being very familiar with Japanese cuisine, one can't resist tinkering. In my case I added a small cup of apple sauce (Japanese often add Fuji apple to boost the sweet/tart.)

John Hyon

A classic dish that satisfies. Works well as a Meat-free dish. Used to eat this a lot as a kid, mom would go to the Asian food markets to buy this and make it for us when she was crunched for time! As a korean, we would eat it with Kimchi or Danmuji (or Takuan in Japanese). High in sodium, but so is a trip to Culvers.

Jonathan E

Delicious, easily tweaked to taste (yes applesauce), and comes together quickly.

Chuck

Cooked this pretty much to the recipe the other night for my wife and I and we LOVED it. This will be part of our rotation now. I used a 20 oz. Package of grass-fed ground beef from Costco and we have already gotten 4 meals off of it. There’s a Mexican dish called Carne Guisada and this reminds me very much of that, but with Japanese flair! Fresh tortillas and I’m good to chow down. So Good, 5 STARS in my book!!! Thanks!!!

ve

Okay so the packaged blocks have MSG and palm oil and people are getting bent out of shape over it—point taken, that stuff ain’t good for you. The point of this recipe is food exploration into a homey nostalgic meal and something that is a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Sure you can just use curry powder and it will be more flavor/spicy but it won’t as glossy and thick. And it won’t evoke somebody’s childhood memories of their Japanese mom. I jazzed mine up with some Japanese black garlic molasses that I found at a specialty store that gave it a deep umami something something. My teenage kids loved it. So it will stay in the rotation!

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