This recipe for Crispy Crunchy Mochi Bites is inspired by a version from Trader Joe's. These crisp, crunchy, lightly salted Japanese puffed rice crackers are truly irresistible!
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What is kirimochi?
Kirimochi is a dried, shelf-stable mochi that comes in a rectangular block.
It has a hard texture, and is made solely of glutinous rice flour.
Kirimochi is plain, not seasoned, and does not have any salt, sugar or flavor added.
I love using kirimochi in matcha mochi croissants, as it adds another texture to the pastry.
Other recipes using kirimochi
Taro & Pitaya Mochi Croissants
Why this recipe works
Using blocks of packaged mochi (kirimochi) makes making these Japanese rice crackers (okaki) more convenient and efficient.
Drying the mochi in the oven at a low temperature speeds up the drying process versus air drying for a week.
You can keep the completely dried mochi indefinitely (as long as it is stored properly), similar to Prawn Crackers (keropok).
Cutting the mochi into smaller pieces helps the mochi dry out more, which means less oil splattering.
The resulting deep-fried mochi puffs up to become light and airy, like popcorn.
They're naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients you'll need
You'll only need 3 ingredients for this simple recipe:
- kirimochi: is a type of mochi typically packaged and sold in blocks; the ingredients should only be rice
- high smoke-point vegetable oil: for frying; eg. peanut oil
- sea salt/furikake: for seasoning the mochi bites; furikake is a Japanese seasoning typically consisting of seaweed, sesame seeds, and bonito flakes
How to make it
Oven-dry the kirimochi:
Use a sharp knife to cut the kirimochi into small tiny pieces, about ½ cm across. (If you prefer larger pieces, you can cut them bigger, but keep them under 1 cm as they will expand during the drying and frying process).
Spread out the small pieces of kirimochi onto a baking tray.
Dry in the oven at 250F for 1 hour.
Reduce oven temperature to 200F and dry for one more hour. (Keep an eye on them to see if they're puffing and/or sticking together).
Remove from oven and let it cool.
The next day, or when ready to fry:
Preheat oven to the lowest temperature, about 200F.
Place the kirimochi pieces onto a baking tray into the oven to warm up, about 15 minutes.
Heat a small pot of high smoke-point vegetable oil over high heat.
Once the oil hits a temperature of 425F, place a few kirimochi pieces into the oil and quickly agitate with a pair of chopsticks.
Fry until the mochi puffs up and floats.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
Season immediately with sea salt and/or furikake (seaweed seasoning).
Repeat frying in batches.
Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
How to store
Store the fried crispy mochi bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Tip: Add silica packets to remove any residual moisture in the container (DO NOT EAT!)
You can also store the dried (un-fried) mochi in an airtight container for an indefinite period of time, as long as it is completely dry.
Store the dried mochi in a cool, dark location.
Expert tips & troubleshooting
The kirimochi will expand in size when it is dried in the oven, as well as after it is deep-fried.
Ensure that the oil reaches a frying temperature of 425F before adding in the mochi pieces.
If the oil is not hot enough, the mochi will not puff up.
Cutting the mochi into smaller, tinier pieces will yield significantly better results.
*CAUTION*
Make sure that the mochi is DRIED SUFFICIENTLY before frying.
If the mochi is not dried enough, it may cause the oil to splatter and explode as the steam is released during frying.
Optional seasonings
In addition to furikake, try changing the flavor of the mochi bites, with:
- mala spice
- chili lime
- paprika
- chili powder
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Prawn Crackers/Shrimp Chips (Keropok)
Korean Seaweed Rice Snacks (Bugak)
Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Crispy Crunchy Mochi Bites (Fried Kirimochi)
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For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 2 blocks kirimochi
- sea salt or furikake to your taste
For frying:
- peanut oil or high smoke-point vegetable oil
Instructions
For key visual step-by-step photos, refer to the body of the post.
Oven-dry the kirimochi:
- Use a sharp knife to cut the kirimochi into small tiny pieces, about ½ cm across. (If you prefer larger pieces, you can cut them bigger, but keep them under 1 cm as they will expand during the drying and frying process).
- Spread out the small pieces of kirimochi onto a baking tray.
- Dry in the oven at 250°F/121°C for 1 hour.
- Reduce oven temperature to 200°F/93°C and dry for one more hour. (Keep an eye on them to see if they're puffing and/or sticking together).
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
The next day, or when ready to fry the kirimochi:
- Preheat oven to the lowest temperature, about 200°F/93°C.
- Place the kirimochi pieces onto a baking tray into the oven to warm up, about 15 minutes.
- Heat a small pot of high smoke-point vegetable oil over high heat.
- Once the oil hits a temperature of 425°F/218°C, place a few kirimochi pieces into the oil and quickly agitate with a pair of chopsticks.
- Fry until the mochi puffs up and floats.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
- Season immediately with sea salt and/or furikake (seaweed seasoning).
- Repeat frying in batches.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Raymund | angsarap.net
Ohhh those mochi blocks looks like niangao, is it similar?
Michelle
They look like niangao, but they are actually quite different. They are hard, shelf-stable mochi blocks that need to be heated before eating.
Dawn
Irresistible indeed!! These little bites look perfectly crunchy and totally addictive! I could see myself sitting down Friday or Saturday night with a bowl of these and be quite happy. 🙂
David @ Spiced
I must admit that this is the first I've heard of kirimochi, but they sound fantastic. And the oven-drying trick would certainly make these much easier than leaving them out for a week.
Linsey
Yes these crispy Mochi bites are very irresistible, one is never enough!
Melissa
Has anyone tried freeze drying them first (instead of the oven drying)? Just curious if it would give the same result or make it weird.
Michelle
Hi Melissa, I haven't tried freeze-drying them but if you do try that, do report back. The purpose of oven drying the kirimochi is to remove moisture that is locked into the rice cake. Hope that helps.
zee
Any chance these could be made in an air fryer?
Michelle
Hi Zee, I personally haven't tried making them in an air fryer. If you do try it, do report back.
kait
Do you think I could pan fry or bake these in the instead of deep-frying? Thanks for this great recipe!
Michelle
Hi Kait, in my experience, baking the kirimochi will dry it out and possibly make it too hard to eat, but makes it suitable for deep frying (as there will be less moisture). If you pan-fry the kirimochi, you'll get something similar to isobeyaki. If you try it either way, let me know how it turns out, but for this particular recipe, I would recommend deep frying if you're looking to replicate the texture of the fried mochi bites. Hope that helps.
Healthy World Cuisine
So now we know, bake and then fry! Thank you for this super helpful post on how to make kirimochi. Such a delicious treat.
Michelle
You're very welcome, Bobbi! Drying the kirimochi out is essential in getting that crispy crunchy texture! 🙂