Minced Meat Korokkes

3 croquettes on a white plate sitting on top of some greens and surrounded by flowers. The croquettes have brown sauce on them.

Crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside, these delicious mashed potato croquettes are absolutely scrumptious! I recommend making a big batch – You can freeze whatever you don’t use and reheat them any time for a quick and easy meal.

If you have ever been to Japan you have probably eaten korokkes. These fried treats can be found in bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, and even from street vendors. Japanese croquettes are are basically breaded and fried mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes are spiced and sometimes other ingredients are added, then they are rolled up, dipped in egg, breaded and fried until golden brown,

Japanese korokkes are breaded with panko, a coarse type of breadcrumb, which makes them crunchy and delicious.

Although some recipes call for salt to be added to the potatoes, my recipe uses a little soy sauce and Japanese mirin, which give the korokke a bit of a salty and sweet flavor.

The filling is fully cooked before frying – this ensures that you can fry the korokke to exactly the perfect golden brown color while not worrying about undercooking the filling.

My family loves when I cook up a batch of these – I usually serve them with some shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce which makes a great topping.

Meat Korokkes

A korokke is a Japanese croquette filled with mashed potatoes. The potatoes are breaded with panko and fried which gives them a crispy crunch, but they are soft and tasty in the middle. Although mashed potatoes are the main ingredient in the filling, a variety of vegetables can be mixed in with the potatoes – peas, carrots, corn are all popular fillers. Ground beef or pork are also popular fillers. Although the idea is simple, there are a few things you need to do to get the perfect korokke. The notes section below has some tips to make sure you get them right every time!

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
1 hour	5 minutes	Makes 8 patties

PREP	1 hour
COOKING	5 minutes
YIELD	Makes 8 patties

Ingredients:

Filling

4 medium potatoes (about 1.25 lbs)
1/2 carrot
1 onion
1/2 lb ground pork
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
2 TBSP Mirin

Breading

2 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 cup Japanese panko

You will also need cooking oil. I recommend rice bran, peanut or another unflavored oil.

Instructions:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 6 equal size pieces. Boil for 10-20 minutes until a fork passes through them easily.

While waiting for the potatoes, start on the meat mixture. Peel and finely dice the carrot and onions.
Sauté the meat, carrot and onion over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and mirin and sauté for 5 more minutes until the onion and carrots are soft and tender.

When the potatoes are tender, take them off the heat and drain thoroughly. Mash the potatoes with a fork until all the large chunks are broken up.

Mix the potatoes and meat mixture until completely combined. Allow to cool until you can touch the mixture.

Using your hands, for 8 equal side balls. Make sure to squeeze out any air. Flatten the into patties and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Mix the flour and panko in a large bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl. Coat each patty with the egg and them with the flour/panko breading.
Preheat the oil to 170 degrees C/340 degrees F over medium heat.
Fry the korokke, 2 at a time, about 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown. Only turn one time after about 1 1/2 minutes.

Drain on a rack or on paper towels.

Serve hot. Top with tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce if desired.

Notes:

Make sure to let the potato mixture cool before frying. I usually cook it off in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so after forming the patties.
When making the patties be sure to roll them with your hands as tightly as possible to squeeze out any air bubbles.
Remember to make sure all the ingredients for the filling are fully cooked. I usually cook the onions and carrots with the meat for 15 minutes over medium high heat and add a few teaspoons of water as I’m cooking to keep the mixture moist. This allows enough time to cook the onions and carrot completely through, and it keeps them moist and tasty.
You don’t want any extra water in your patties. Make sure the potatoes are completely dry before mashing them up.
I fry my korokke at 340 degrees F and keep the temperature constant while cooking. Make sure there is plenty of room in the fryer- do two or three at a time. I usually only need to try them for about 2 1/2 minutes and don’t touch them or turn them for at least 90 seconds after they go in the oil.

Need ingredients?

If you need ingredients and would like to support our site, then please consider using the links below to order.

Related Recipes

Dessert, Japanese

September 16, 2021