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Japanese Curry Meatballs

By Leslie Blythe  , ,

June 28, 2026

I love Japanese Curry. To me, it's like Japanese comfort food. There's something so deeply satisfying and soul-warming about it. Instead of using cubes of beef, this recipe uses meatballs. Japanese curry sauce mix, often called "curry roux," typically comes in solid blocks or powder form. It's a blend of curry powder, flour, oil, sugar, salt, and various seasonings and spices. Vermont Curry and S&B Golden Curry are ready-made and the two most popular brands. These mixes usually have MSG. I prefer to make my curry from scratch. Though making the roux does take about 20 minutes to reach "color of a fox," as they say in Japan, a deep tan color. It’s well worth the wait! If you would like to make it from scratch, you can refer to my Japanese Beef Curry recipe.

  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound 80/20 ground pork, I used ground beef

½ cup panko

3 small scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish (about ⅓ cup)

1 large egg yolk 

5 garlic cloves, grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons soy sauce

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups)

1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 (3.2-ounce) package mild Japanese curry mix, cubed (such as Golden Curry) 

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups cooked white short-grain rice

Directions

1Stir together ground pork, breadcrumbs, scallions, egg yolk, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Shape mixture into 20 (1½-inch) meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each); transfer to a large plate. 


2Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and a thermometer inserted into meatballs registers 160°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a large plate and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings.



3Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onion, and potato to skillet with drippings; cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed, until vegetables are fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in curry mix, tomato paste, and reserved meatballs until curry mix is dissolved and liquid is thickened, about 2 minutes.


4Add about ½ cup of cooked rice to 4 serving bowls. Divide curry between bowls and garnish with scallions.  


Make ahead

1Meatballs can be shaped up to one day in advance and stored, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator on a plate or sheet pan. Leftover cooled curry can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat. Freeze the curry in an airtight container for up to two months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recipe from Food & Wine.

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