How to make Inari Sushi: Japanese Tofu Pocket Sushi

Inari sushi(inarizushi) is super casual sushi made by filling inari tofu pockets (seasoned aburaage) with sushi rice (vinegar rice). It's juicy, tasty, vegan sushi, and how to make it is easier than you think. I will show you a simple and basic recipe, so I hope you will enjoy it. 

Have you ever tried inari sushi(inarizushi) before?

It's a traditional Japanese home-cooking dish that everybody enjoys, from children to the elderly.

Outside is flavorful inari tofu pockets and outside is fresh vinegar rice.

We love it for obento(lunch box) or house parties as you can grab it and eat it.

This recipe is for you if:
• You love Japanese food
• You love Japanese inari sushi
• You want to know inari sushi recipe
• You want to know how to make inari sushi from scratch

Each step is simple and easy to follow. Are you curious about how to make inari sushi? Let's get started!

This is a long post, so if you check how to make it, go ahead and jump to the recipe.

Jump to:

• So What is Inari Sushi?
• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔪Instructions
• Filling Variations
• Storage
• FAQ
• Thanks For Stopping By
• Watch How To Make It
• 📖 Recipe

So What is Inari Sushi?

Inari sushi or Inarizushi is traditional Japanese sushi made by filling inari tofu pockets (seasoned aburaage) with sushi rice (vinegar rice).

It's a simple dish like onigiri(rice ball) that you can grab and eat, and also a staple menu of family gatherings, house parties, and picnics in Japan.

Why is it called inari sushi? 

It has a long history, and people eat it since the 1800s. 

Aburaage is fried tofu and the favorite food of foxes, the messenger of Inari God who worships farming, and people used to offer the aburaage to the Inari Shrine. 

And sushi made with aburaage become calling by "Inari sushi".

What are Inari tofu pockets? 

Inari tofu pockets are made by seasoning deep-fried tofu called aburaage with mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.

It's really like a pocket because you can open it up and stuff rice in it.

You can buy them at a store, but making them is so easy, and they taste much better than a store-bought one.

What does inari sushi taste like? 

In general, it tastes sweet and salty.

Inari tofu pocket and sushi rice are both seasoned with sugar and salt or soy sauce, so combine them, and it will be sweet and salty. (Traditional Japanese cuisine often uses sugar as a seasoning.)

Although, the taste and the size would be different for each family. 

Some inari sushi might be sweeter, and other inari sushi might be more savory.  Some inari sushi might be small, and other inari sushi might be larger stuffed with lots of rice.

Also, there are two different shapes of inari tofu pockets according to the region. In general, the west of Japan is a rectangle, the east of Japan is a triangle. 

I'm from the west of Japan, so my inari sushi is a rectangle, and I don't use too much sugar in cooking, so the taste is moderate (not so sweet) in this recipe.

Is inari sushi vegan?

YES! 

Sushi is usually not vegan because it includes fish and seafood, but this inari sushi is vegan. 

It is made of just two ingredients, rice and aburaage. So if you are vegan or vegetarian, no worry, go ahead and try this recipe!

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

• Aburaage
• Japanese short-grain rice
• Seasoning for inari tofu pockets: Mirin, Soy Sauce, Sugar
• Seasoning for sushi rice: Rice vinegar, Sugar, Salt

We eat short-grain rice in Japan which is more starchy than long-grain rice. Short-grain rice sticks together, so it's perfect for sushi (onigiri rice ball as well).

I don't go to the details of how to cook rice in this recipe, so please see the "How to cook Japanese rice on the stove" recipe.

So What is Aburaage?

Aburaage is made from tofu. Cut tofu into thin slices and deep fry twice at different temperatures(more details).

"Abura" means oil, "age" means deep fry in Japanese.

It's great for various dishes such as miso soup, nimono(simmered dish), salad, noodles, stir fry, and so on.

I often use it as a substitute for meat as it has a chewy texture and not soft like tofu. If you are vegan or vegetarian, it's an easy-to-use plant-based protein source.

Remove excess oil on the aburaage.

Since aburaage is deep-fried, it is covered with oil.

If you are concerned about the smell of the oil or want the taste to soak in, it's better to drain the oil. Also, old fat is not healthy. 

How do you do it? Here are three ways to remove the oil.

• Boil in a pot: Boil aburaage for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and drain.
• Pour hot water: Place aburaage on a strainer and pour hot water over and drain.
• Rinse with warm water: Rinse aburaage with warm water. It's an easy and quick way.

In this recipe, we will boil aburaage in a pot to remove the oil altogether.

🔪Instructions

Ok, let's see how to make it one by one. It consists of the following three steps.

1. Make inari tofu pockets.
2. Make sushi rice.
3. Fill inari tofu pockets with sushi rice.

You can also watch this video to understand visually.

1. Make inari tofu pockets

1. Roll a rolling pin on an aburaage: Roll a rolling pin on an aburaage to make it easier to open later, and cut them in half. This step is important to open aburaage without breaking when stuffing sushi rice.
2. Boil aburaage: Boil them for 2-3 minutes in boiling water to remove oil and drain.
3. Drain: Squeeze each aburaage gently to drain the water.
4. Bring to a boil: Put mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and water in a pot and mix, place the aburaage, and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
5. Simmer: When start boiling, lower the heat to low, cover with a small lid(otoshibuta: see the instructions above), and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Separate the soup: Turn off the heat and let it cool down for a while, squeeze lightly and leave them on a plate (separate from the soup). You can use this leftover soup for another dish (see the filling variation section).

Inari tofu pockets are ready!

If you have time, I recommend cooking them the previous day and let them cool down slowly. The flavor goes through and tastes better.

2. Make Sushi Rice

1. Cook rice: Please see this recipe: How to cook Japanese short-grain rice to learn how to cook rice.   
2. Make sushi vinegar: Put rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix well.
3. Mix with rice: Transfer cooked rice (while it's hot) to a large bowl, add the sushi vinegar, and mix gently (do not smash grains). If you add a little bit of soup from inari tofu pockets, the rice also tastes good with a nice flavor. Please add it as you like.
4. Cool down: When the sushi vinegar is blended well, turn it upside down so that the bottom does not stay hot, and use a paper fan to blow away the moisture and let it cool down. Repeat this several times.

Check the taste and tweak it to your taste. The sugar amount is modest as inari tofu pockets are seasoned with sugar also. If you like the rice sweeter, add sugar as you like.

3. Fill inari tofu pockets with sushi rice

This is the final step. Almost there!

1. Form one serving: Moisture your hands, grab the sushi rice and form it lightly for one serving.
2. Open inari tofu pockets: Open the inari tofu pocket gently.
3. Stuff with the rice: Stuff the sushi rice and push in with your finger so that the rice is properly placed in the corner.
4. Close it: Fold the end of the inari tofu pockets and close it.

Finally it's done!

You can eat right away but wait another couple of hours, then the taste of inari tofu pockets and sushi rice come together, and it will be more delicious.

Filling Variations

I like simple plain inari sushi, but I also like mixing some ingredients in sushi rice.

If you have a leftover soup of inari tofu pockets, simmer some vegetables with it, and make veggie inari sushi!

The photo above is mixed in simmered shiitake mushrooms and hijiki seaweed.

Or you can just mix in something like sesame seed, edamame, and umeboshi (pickled plum).

That adds more flavor, texture, and nutrition!

Inari sushi filling ideas:

• Simmered vegetables (carrot, renkon (lotus root), green peas, green bans, mushroom)
• Edamame
• Umeboshi (pickled plum)
• Pickled daikon
• Sesame seed
• Scrambled eggs
• Grilled salmon
• Shrimp
• Avocado

Feel free to mix in your favorite ingredients!

Storage

How long does Inari sushi last? 

It will last for a half-day at room temperature, three days in the fridge, and one month in the freezer.

If we eat it on the same day, I leave it at room temperature. If we eat it the next day, I keep it in the fridge, and for more extended storage, I keep it in the freezer.

But remind that if you keep it in the fridge, the rice gets dry, so I usually prefer to eat it right away or keep it in the freezer.

If you freeze it, wrap each one in a plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag.

Please warm it up in the microwave when you eat.

You can also freeze inari tofu pockets.

I recommend making a bunch of inari tofu pockets and storing them in the freezer then it will save time for next time you make inari sushi.

FAQ

Thanks For Stopping By

So how did you like it?

It might be overwhelming if you are not familiar with Japanese rice dishes, but each step is easy and simple. I hope you enjoy our traditional delicious inari sushi!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe(or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes include vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

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