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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides

    Korokke (Japanese Potato Croquettes)

    Modified: Apr 22, 2024 · Published: Oct 25, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Korokke (aka Japanese Potato Croquettes). Crispy potato cakes coated in panko crumbs deep fried in hot oil. If you love potatoes, this quick and easy recipe is for you! These delicious Japanese croquettes are vegetarian.

    Korokke
    Jump to:
    • What is Korroke?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What is Korroke?

    Korokke is a Japanese potato croquette featuring mashed seasoned potatoes coated in egg and panko and deep fried. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

    I love enjoying this as an appetizer, side dish or snack on its own. Often, it's served with a delicious tonkatsu sauce or Kewpie mayo.

    Korokke

    Many Japanese restaurants, convenience stores and specialty shops sell korokke in Japan. They are very similar to French Croquettes except in Japan they usually stuff it with curried ground beef.

    There are variations of korokke like the curry korokke, kabocha korokke, kani cream korokke or cheese croquette. But I'm sharing a vegetarian korokke with onions!

    Ingredients

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Yellow onion: You can also use white onion for this recipe too.
    • Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
    • Yellow potatoes: We are using yellow russet potatoes but this would also work with white potatoes too. Any starchy potatoes will work for this recipe. Avoid using sweet potatoes may be a bit too mushy and may end up falling apart when you go to create the oval shaped balls.
    • Black pepper
    • Garlic powder
    • Curry powder (optional): Typical Japanese seasonings for croquettes.
    • Salt
    • Eggs
    • Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or all-purpose flour.
    • Panko breadcrumbs: This is not your usual breadcrumbs. It's a flakier and lighter breadcrumb made of white bread shavings. The outside of korokke becomes super crispy thanks to this breadcrumbs

    Tonkatsu sauce

    • Vegetarian stir fry sauce: Most Asian grocers and online retailers carry this ingredient. The best one is by a brand called Lee Kum Kee. It's basically a vegetarian version of Oyster sauce.
    • Vegan Worcestershire sauce: Or sub with normal Worcestershire sauce if you're not vegetarian. This adds a lovely acidity to the tonkatsu sauce.
    • Sugar: This is needed to balance out the salty flavors from the stir fry sauce.
    • Ketchup: This adds tanginess to the sauce.

    Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make korokke:

    Prepare Potato Mixture

    boil potatoes until fork tender

    Peel your potatoes and quarter them. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes until fork tender. Strain in a colander and place them into a large mixing bowl.

    combine potatoes with onions and seasoning

    Meanwhile, fry your diced onions in 1 tablespoon of oil until soft and translucent. Place into the mixing bowl. Season your potatoes and onions with salt, garlic powder, black pepper and curry powder (optional).

    Mash & Divide Potato Mixture

    mash potato mixture well

    Mash the potatoes and onions together and mix well.

    divide mixture equally into 8 portions

    Divide the potato mixture into 8 equal portions.

    Shape Mixture & Prepare Dredging

    roll them into oval shaped balls

    Roll them into oval shaped balls and place them in the fridge for 15 minutes (do not skip this step or you will have a difficult time coating them).

    prepare a bowl of cornstarch, another with beaten eggs and another with panko

    In three separate bowls, add corn starch to one. In the second one, beat two eggs. Lastly the third bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.

    Dredge & Deep Fry

    coat each ball in cornstarch, egg and panko in that order

    Coat each ball in first cornstarch until evenly coated. Then coat in the egg and lastly cover with panko breadcrumbs.

    heat 2 cups of vegetable oil on medium heat and deep fry until golden or for 3 minutes

    Heat your 2 cups of oil over medium heat. To test if it's ready, place a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles. If you spot bubbles, it's time to deep fry. Deep fry 3 minutes, flipping over halfway until golden crispy brown. Enjoy with tonkatsu sauce (recipe below).

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot covered or air fry or bake them at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until hot throughout.
    • Freezer-friendly? Cooked korokke can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and deep fry again in oil until hot or air fry at 400 F for 5-6 minutes until hot again.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Korokke serves well with miso soup, Japanese crab corn salad, salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing, shrimp tempura, tonkatsu, or Ebi mayo.

    FAQ

    Can I add other ingredients to this mixture?

    Yes! This potato korokke can be a foundation for you to add other non-vegetarian ingredients such as: ground meat like ground pork, ground beef, or ground chicken, bacon, shredded cheese, diced ham, diced spam, diced carrots, finely sliced green onions, corn niblets.

    Can I air fry korokke?

    Yes, I would suggest lightly spraying them with oil and spraying the air fryer basket with oil. Air fry at 400 F for 17-20 minutes flipping over halfway.

    Can I make these in bulk and freeze them?

    Yes! Before deep frying them, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer friendly bag. They will last up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. Deep fry from frozen. No need to thaw.

    What kind of condiments go well with korokke?

    Korokke pairs well with tonkatsu sauce, ketchup, Japanese or kewpie mayo, or sour cream.

    Other recipes you may like

    • Gamja Jorim (Korean Potatoes)
    • Kimchi Potato Potatoes
    • Korean Potato Salad
    • Asian Sesame Smashed Potatoes
    • Chinese Spicy Sour Potatoes

    📖 Recipe

    korokke japanese potato croquettes

    Easy & Simple Korokke (Japanese Potato Croquettes)

    Christie Lai
    Korokke Japanese Potato Croquettes. Crispy panko breaded potato croquettes that are also soft on the inside. Totally indulgent and great as a snack with katsu sauce! This recipe is vegetarian.
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 8 large pieces
    Calories per serving 347 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups vegetable oil or any neutral oil

    Potato Mixture

    • 6 small-medium russet potatoes peeled and quartered
    • 1 small yellow onion diced (or sub with white onion)
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil to fry onions
    • 2-3 teaspoon curry powder optional
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Coating

    • 2 eggs beaten
    • ¼ cup cornstarch (or sub with potato starch, tapioca starch or all-purpose flour)
    • 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs

    Serving sauce (serves 6 tbsps):

    • 2 tablespoon Ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce (or sub with oyster sauce if not vegetarian)
    • 5 teaspoon Vegan Worcestershire sauce (or sub with normal Worcestershire sauce if not vegetarian)
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon white granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Peel your potatoes and quarter them. Boil for 15 minutes until fork tender. Strain in a colander and place them into a mixing bowl.
    • Meanwhile, fry your diced onions in 1 tablespoon of oil until soft and translucent. Place into the mixing bowl.
    • Season your potatoes and onions with salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
    • Mash the potatoes and onions together and mix well. Then divide the potato batter into 8 equal portions. Roll them into oval shaped balls and place them in the fridge for 15 minutes (do not skip this step or you will have a difficult time coating them).
    • In one bowl add corn starch. In the second bowl, beat two eggs. Lastly in the third bowl, add your panko breadcrumbs.
    • Coat each ball in first cornstarch until evenly coated. Then coat in the egg and lastly cover with panko breadcrumbs.
    • Heat 2 cups of oil over medium heat in a large pan. To test if it's ready, place a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles. If you spot bubbles, it's time to deep fry.
    • Deep fry for 1.5 minutes on each side until golden crispy brown. Enjoy with homemade katsu sauce (recipe below).

    Serving sauce:

    • In a small bowl combine all the Sauce ingredients together using a whisk.
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Mixing bowl
    • Cutting Board
    • Santoku Knife
    • Steel Colander
    • Large Pot 5 Qt
    Nutrition
    Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Crystal

      March 28, 2024 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      Hello! These are not vegetarian because they do contain eggs. But they are meatless.

      Reply
      • Cricket

        April 25, 2024 at 12:01 pm

        5 stars
        They are vegetarian, as vegetarian is just no meat. It is vegan that has no animal products, so the recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan.

        Reply
    2. K

      January 31, 2024 at 11:45 pm

      5 stars
      Do you recommend freezing them before or after frying them? I want to make some to snack on later but I don’t want to ruin them by freezing them improperly

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        February 01, 2024 at 6:34 pm

        I would recommend freezing them before frying them.

        Reply
    3. Sabrina

      December 28, 2023 at 6:27 am

      5 stars
      These were delicious!
      Instead of adding curry powder, I added some thyme, parsley and smoked paprika, and served these with rice and vegetarian Japanese Curry - it made for an incredibly yummy dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        December 28, 2023 at 11:40 am

        Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving a kind review, Sabrina! So glad you enjoyed them with the addition of those delicious spices 🙂

        Reply
    4. ASHVIN GAJJAR

      December 04, 2022 at 12:12 am

      5 stars
      What I can use to replace eggs?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        December 05, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        Hi there, you can use heavy cream as a substitute instead of eggs for coating. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    5. Lulu

      October 02, 2022 at 7:31 am

      4 stars
      Very easy and delicious. I fried a double batch of these in the afternoon, took them to a family party and reheated in a hot oven for 10 minutes and they were perfect. I made two of them with gluten free bread crumbs for my daughter and everyone was happy. We enjoyed them with your tonkatsu sauce and kewpie mayo, thanks Christie!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        October 03, 2022 at 2:11 pm

        You're very welcome Lulu! Glad your party enjoyed my recipe! Thanks for taking the time to make my recipe.

        Reply
    6. Harmony

      February 26, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      Can you freeze these after you coat them in the Panko? Thank you!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        February 28, 2022 at 4:01 pm

        Yes absolutely!

        Reply
    7. Jillian

      February 09, 2021 at 9:47 am

      5 stars
      When I was a kid we always went to this hole in the wall home cooked Japanese restaurant. We would always get potato croquettes and slather them in sauce. I was recently diagnosed with celiac and can’t enjoy many of my favorite Japanese recipes. We made this last night for our anniversary dinner using gluten free ingredients. I just about died of happiness. This took me all the way back to those lovely childhood memories. These were so incredibly fabulous.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        February 09, 2021 at 11:07 am

        Thank you Jillian for making my recipe! This comment truly made my day and I am so happy I could help provide this recipe for you to enjoy croquettes again!! It honestly brings me a lot of joy to read this 😊 have a lovely day! - Christie

        Reply
    8. Sherri

      October 12, 2020 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      I love all things potato and these Japanese potato croquettes look and sound fabulous! Love that they are vegetarian too!

      Reply
    9. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      September 21, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      Your amazing Japanese Potato Croquettes undeniably serve up some of the most tempting potato comfort food imaginable. Yum!

      Reply
    10. Never Ending Journeys

      September 14, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      These potato croquettes look so delicious! It's nice how they're meatless, too.

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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