Nikujaga (Japanese Beef and Potato Stew)
Photo: subarasikiai / Pixabay
The taste of a Japanese mother's kitchen: thinly sliced beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and glass noodles gently simmered in a sweet soy and dashi broth until the potatoes soak up all the flavour.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Fry the beef
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat and fry the beef for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it just changes color.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250 g beef
✅ Done when: beef is lightly browned with no raw pink spots
Add the vegetables
Add the onion, potatoes and carrot to the pot and stir for about 2 minutes until coated in the oil.
- 1 onion
- 4 potatoes
- 1 carrot
✅ Done when: vegetables look glossy and coated in oil
Add the broth
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Simmer with a drop lid
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Reduce and rest
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Serve
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Fry the beef
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat and fry the beef for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it just changes color.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250 g beef
✅ Done when: beef is lightly browned with no raw pink spots
Add the vegetables
Add the onion, potatoes and carrot to the pot and stir for about 2 minutes until coated in the oil.
- 1 onion
- 4 potatoes
- 1 carrot
✅ Done when: vegetables look glossy and coated in oil
Add the broth
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer with a drop lid
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Reduce and rest
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
A popular story says nikujaga was invented when Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, who had studied in Britain, asked navy cooks to recreate the beef stew he'd eaten there. With no wine or butter, they used soy sauce, sugar and mirin, and created a new Japanese classic.
The port cities of Kure and Maizuru both claim to be its birthplace. Today it's the dish people most associate with 'ofukuro no aji', the taste of mum's cooking.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Sweet, savoury and gentle, it's the ultimate home-cooked comfort food in Japan.
💡 Fun Fact
In Japanese TV dramas, a woman cooking nikujaga for someone is a classic sign of romantic interest.
Kure and Maizuru (navy ports)
34.25°N, 132.57°E
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