Kabocha Korokke Recipe

Kabocha Korokke is deep fried mashed kabocha squash mixed with ground meat and onion. It is a variation of Korokke (Japanese croquette), which is usually made with mashed potatoes. This beloved Japanese dish is great to be served as an appetizer or main dish, and it’s perfect to pack in a bento box.

What is Kabocha Korokke?

Korokke, deep fried mashed vegetables with meat, is one of everyone’s favorite dishes in Japan.  Korokke is usually made with mashed potatoes and ground beef, but today I substituted potatoes with Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin.  Kabocha is naturally very sweet and soft when steamed, and it can be mashed very easily.  In fact, I even made it easier by using a microwave instead of steaming Kabocha.

Tips for making Kabocha Korokke

• Kabocha was skinned, cut into cubes and microwaved in this recipe. You can also steam the Kabocha pieces with the skin on and simply remove the skin by hand when it’s soft.
• Kabocha is naturally sweet and flavorful, so you don’t need a lot of seasonings other than salt and pepper. I added a pinch of nutmeg in this recipe as the warm and nutty aroma goes well with Kabocha. 
• In this recipe, you can make 8 oval shapes or about 16 small balls. If you serve as a dinner entree, oval shapes might be better, and the ball shaped Korokke is ideal for serving as an appetizer or placed in a bento box. 
• You can prepare the Kabocha Korokke in advance. Follow the steps until the Korokke is breaded, and freeze them before frying. You can drop the frozen Korokke directly in the deep frying oil and fry until golden brown. 

More Korokke Recipes

• Potato Korokke (croquette) Recipe
• Kani (Crab) Cream Korokke Recipe
• Curry Korokke Recipe
• Vegetable Korokke Recipe
• Skillet Korokke

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5 from 1 vote

Kabocha Korokke Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Japanese croquette made with sweet kabocha squash, ground meat, and onion, then deep-fried until golden.

Video

Equipment

• 1 deep-frying pot

Ingredients

• 1 lb Kabocha squash (peeled, seeded, and cubed)
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion (minced)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Panko (bread crumbs)
• oil (for deep-frying)
• Tonkatsu sauce

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Place Kabocha in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes in microwave until soft. Mash Kabocha in the bowl.
• Heat oil in a pan and cook ground beef until browned. Discard some excess oil if necessary. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the meat mixture to the mashed Kabocha, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well and let it cool enough to handle.
• Shape Kabocha mixture into small round pieces or 8 oval shapes. Refrigerate for an hour.
• Coat the Korokke pieces with the flour, egg, and Panko (bread crumbs).
• Heat deep frying oil to 350-375F, and fry them until golden brown.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: kabocha, korokke

This recipe was originally published in August, 2013.  The post was fully updated on January 19, 2026 with more useful content, new photos and a video.