About Nikujaga
Nikujaga is a quintessential Japanese home-cooked dish,featuring beef or pork, potatoes, and optionally onions and konnyaku noodles (shirataki or ito-konnyaku) which are stir-fried and then simmered in a sweet and savory broth made with soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake.
This beloved dish has regional variations; it's common to use beef in the Kansai region (western Japan) and pork in the Kanto region (eastern Japan). Nikujaga is affectionately known as "ofukuro no aji" (mother's home cooking) and remains a regular staple in many Japanese households across generations.
Nilkujaga’s roots trace back to a story involving the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Meiji era. It's believed that Admiral Heihachiro Togo, while studying in the UK, attempted to recreate the beef stew he tasted there aboard his ship. As red wine was unavailable, the ship's cooks reportedly adapted the recipe using Japanese seasonings like soy sauce. This "amanime" (sweet simmered dish) born from their culinary experimentation was later introduced in women's magazines around the 1960s (Showa 40s) as "Nikujaga," subsequently establishing itself as a beloved home-cooked meal.
30 minutes
Yoshiro Takahashi
PROFILE
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 2
Original recipe (1X) yields 2 servings
When scaling the recipe, the ratios of some ingredients may require slight adjustments. Adjust as necessary and season to taste.
- 2 medium potatoes
- 10 oz thinly-sliced or shaved beef
- 1 /2 onion
- 1 /2 carrot
- 10 green beans (sugar snap peas can be substituted)
- 1 tbsp. cooking oil
- A2 cup water
- A3 tbsp. soy sauce
- A3 tbsp. Japanese sweet rice wine (mirin)
- A1 tbsp. sugar
- A2 tsp. powdered dashi soup stock
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1
Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut each into 8 pieces. Peel the carrot and roughly cut into large bite-size pieces. Cut the onion into 6 pieces. Cut off and discard the stems of the green beans, then cut each pod in half crosswise.
- 2
Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat on medium. Add the potatoes and carrots, then cook for approx. 3 minutes until the potatoes are golden. Add beef and onions, then continue to cook on medium heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- 3
Add water, soy sauce, Japanese sweet rice wine, sugar, and powdered dashi soup stock then bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, cover with a drop lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. A Japanese drop-lid is a (typically) wooden lid that is placed directly on the food while simmering; if you do not have a drop-lid, you can cut a paper towel to the size of the pan,
- 4
add a few slits for steam to exit, and place it directly on top of the ingredients. Add the green beans 2 to 3 minutes before the dish is finished simmering (between 8 to 12 minutes), then plate and serve.
RecipeID
35
Tips & Notes
・Shirataki, a type of translucent noodle made from konjac yams, are often added to the dish in Japan.
・Frying the beef first will make it tough and rubbery, but adding the beef after the dish is boiling will make the slices clump together. When it comes to the beef, timing is everything!
・Using a drop lid will allow the flavor to penetrate the vegetables at the top of the pan as well.
・Green beans, sugar snap peas, or similar pod vegetables are commonly used to add green color to the dish. Using locally-available vegetables will enhance the presentation and add an additional texture to the dish.
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Born in 1988 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, I was inspired by my father, a traditional Japanese chef, and learned cooking fundamentals early at my family’s restaurant. After graduating from Senshu University’s Faculty of Law, I worked in sales at Nippon Shokken Co., Ltd., then as a restaurant manager, before completing a professional food coordinator program and starting my career as an independent culinary expert. I hold nine food-related qualifications, including Professional Chef’s License, Sake Sommelier (Kikisake-shi), Certified Sommelier (ANSA), and Vegetable Sommelier, and was the youngest to earn the advanced title of Certified Lecturer in Sake Studies. While rooted in Japanese cuisine that highlights natural flavors, my repertoire spans ethnic, Italian, and organic dishes. In 2015, I joined a project by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and JICA, promoting Japanese cuisine domestically and in countries such as France, Paraguay, Bangladesh, and Serbia. A passionate triathlete, I have achieved top finishes in domestic competitions, won my age group at the 2018 Tomonoura Triathlon, and represented Japan at the Age Group World Championships in Australia (2018) and Switzerland (2019). Known as “the running chef,” I collaborate with sports brands and health media, advocating the integration of food, health, and sports. Since 2020, I have served as Official Athlete Food Coach for the Japan Para Table Tennis National Team, supporting athletes’ nutrition. In 2022, I became a father and now balance parenthood with my culinary and athletic careers.