Homemade Furikake (Japanese Rice Seasoning)

This recipe for Homemade Furikake is incredibly easy to make, with a few ingredients. It's a versatile Japanese rice seasoning that can be used to add flavor on anything from onigiri to fries.

What is furikake?

Furikake is a dry, savory Japanese seasoning blend typically consisting of dried fish, nori seaweed, salt, sugar, and toasted sesame seeds.

There are many variations of furikake with additions of bonito flakes, egg, salmon, shiso, miso, soy, vegetables and monosodium glutamate (MSG) for extra umami flavor.

Furikake is used in onigiri (Japanese rice balls), and as a condiment sprinkled on top of rice.

What does furikake taste like?

Used frequently in Japanese cuisine, furikake has a savory, umami, slight fishy taste with a hint of sweetness and nuttiness.

It's a little different than shichimi-togarashi powder, which contains 7 spice ingredients, one of which is chili, which gives it a spicy kick.

Typically, shichimi-togarashi powder is used on noodles (udon noodles) and in noodle soups, however, it can be used to season fried rice crackers.

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy to make: a few minutes of toasting, blitzing into a finer pieces, and you're set!

Small-batch: making a smaller amount ensures its freshness.

Minimal ingredients: with a handful of ingredients, it's a delicious way to season and flavor food.

Worth making at home: not only is it cost-efficient, you'll also know what is in your furikake seasoning, and avoid any preservatives or chemicals that are typically added to commercial furikake.

Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free: it's a great way to season your food without additional additives. For a vegan version, you can omit the bonito flakes.

Ingredients you'll need

• seaweed nori sheet: is unseasoned and usually comes in a package; not the small seasoned seaweed snacks that have oil
• sesame seeds: you can use either white, black or both
• sea salt: for salty flavor
• granulated sugar: to balance out the saltiness
• bonito flakes: are dry, smoked skipjack tuna flakes (also known as katsuobushi) with a pinkish hue

You can find these ingredients at Asian supermarkets or Japanese grocery stores.

How to make homemade furikake

Preheat oven to 325F.

Place seaweed sheet and sesame seeds onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Lightly toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, flipping the seaweed and stirring the sesame seeds every so often (to prevent from burning).

Remove from oven and let cool.

Break the nori into small pieces and add it along with the bonito flakes into a coffee/spice grinder.

Blitz a few times, until the seaweed and bonito flakes are broken down into tiny pieces.

Transfer into a bowl and add in the white and black sesame seeds, sea salt, and sugar.

Toss a few times to combine.

Transfer the furikake mix into a clean, dry, air-tight glass container.

Enjoy on steamed rice or use in onigiri.

How to use furikake

Sprinkle homemade furikake on ochazuke (Japanese rice with green tea), onigiri (Japanese rice balls), or simply enjoy it on steamed rice.

For creative ways to use furikake, try sprinkling it on pasta, tofu, potatoes, fries, poke bowls, tater tots, hot dogs, buns, kirimochi (rice crackers), popcorn, or potato chips.

How to store homemade furikake seasoning

Store homemade furikake in a clean, dry, airtight glass jar or container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Try to store in a dark location, away from light.

Optional additions

You can use this base recipe and build on it, adding other flavors such as chili pepper flakes, dried shrimp, or wasabi.

Expert tips

Seaweed should be completely dry, lightly toasted and not burnt. Burnt seaweed will taste bitter.

Toasting the nori seaweed will cause it to change to a brighter green color.

If you wish, you can use a pair of tongs to toast the seaweed over an open gas burner for a few seconds.

In addition, you can also toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, just until aromatic.

Other recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Mala Spice Mix

Chili Lime Seasoning

Spicy Tuna Onigiri

How to Make Flavourful Chili Oil

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

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4.75 from 4 votes

Homemade Furikake (Japanese Rice Seasoning)

This recipe for Homemade Furikake is incredibly easy to make, with a few ingredients. It's a versatile Japanese rice seasoning that can be used to add flavor on anything from onigiri to fries.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Servings: 10

Calories: 19kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet seaweed (nori) toasted
• 10 g white sesame seeds
• 10 g black sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon bonito flakes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C.
• Place seaweed sheet and sesame seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Lightly toast in the oven at 325°F/163°C for 5-10 minutes, flipping the seaweed and stirring the sesame seeds every so often (to prevent from burning).
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Break the nori into smaller pieces and add it along with the bonito flakes into a coffee/spice grinder.
• Blitz a few times, until the seaweed and bonito flakes are broken down into tiny pieces.
• Transfer into a bowl and add in the white and black sesame seeds, sea salt, and sugar.
• Toss a few times to combine.
• Transfer the furikake mix into a clean, dry, air-tight glass container.
• Enjoy on steamed rice or use in onigiri.

Notes

Instead of using the oven, you can use a dry frying pan to toast the sesame seeds over medium heat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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.

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