Japanese Ground Beef Curry Recipe • 5★ • 50 min

Updated February 24, 2026

Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

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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2 tablespoons sunflower, safflower or canola oil

1 pound ground beef

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

Step 1Heat 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. Step 2Stir 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. Step 3Stir in the carrots and potato and cook until the edges begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Step 4Add 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.) Step 5Add peas and cook until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Step 6Serve over cooked rice, udon or lo mein noodles. Any curry leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

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.

Step 2Stir 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.

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.

Step 3Stir in the carrots and potato and cook until the edges begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

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

Step 4Add 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.)

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.)

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

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

Step 6Serve over cooked rice, udon or lo mein noodles. Any curry leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

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

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

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.)

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.

Delicious! I read through some of the comments and here are my modifications: Added a bit of tomato paste when before adding curry bricks and to finish a dash of Worcestershire and because I had it on hand, a dollop of fig jam. I didn't have applesauce, apple, mango chutney, or apricot preserves but fig jam definitely suited as a good sub to add little sweetness. I also did not include russet potato and instead served over simple mashed potatoes which really enjoyed with the curry.

Made this recipe with impossible beef and quite liked it! I bet grated tofu could be yummy too.

You can choose your own adventure to add more depth, we always add shredded apple, some ketchup and soy sauce to give it a little more depth as well as combine two different types of the curry. Just so it doesn’t get too one note, but really good and the family eats it all.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/770863996-japanese-ground-beef-curry