How to Make Inari Sushi: Japanese Tofu Pocket Sushi

5 from 3 votes

Inari sushi (inarizushi) is made with tofu pockets (seasoned aburaage) and stuffed with sushi rice. It is a sweet and savory vegan sushi that is perfect for a simple lunch!

Inari sushi is an easy-to-make tofu skin sushi that is slightly sweet and flavorful. It consists of filling inari tofu pockets with sushi rice made with vinegar and sugar.

It is a juicy, tasty, vegan sushi that is loved by even those who don't enjoy eating sushi.

Here, I will show you an easy inari sushi recipe so that you can make it for lunch or dinner. You can also eat it as a snack or pack it to go. I hope you give this recipe a try!

This recipe is for you if:

You love Japanese food
You love Japanese inari sushi
You want to learn an easy inari sushi recipe
You want to know how to make inari sushi from scratch

If you align with these reasons, keep reading to learn about inari tofu pocket sushi. Let's get started!

This recipe is a long post, so if you want to skip to "how to make inari sushi," go ahead and skip to the recipe.

Jump to:

So, What is Inari Sushi?
📋 Ingredients
🔪Instructions
Filling Variations
Storage
FAQ
Thanks For Stopping By
📖 Recipe

So, What is Inari Sushi?

Inari sushi (inarizushi) or inari roll is a traditional Japanese home-cooked dish everybody enjoys, including children and the elderly.

Inari sushi is traditional Japanese sushi made by filling inari tofu pockets (seasoned aburaage) with sushi rice (vinegar rice). The tofu pockets are also sometimes referred to as inari age or inariage.

They are cooked and seasoned with mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Once these pockets are assembled, they are sometimes topped with sesame seeds.

Inari is a simple dish like onigiri (rice ball) that you can grab and eat on the go. This tofu skin sushi is also a staple menu of family gatherings, house parties, and picnics in Japan.

Why is it called inari sushi?

Inari sushi has a long history, and people have eaten it since the 1800s.

There is a deep history behind the naming of inari sushi, and it generally refers to the inari shrines spread throughout Japan.

It is said that aburaage, fried tofu, is the favorite food of foxes. Foxes are the messenger of Shinto deities who rule over agriculture and rice.

People used to offer the aburaage to the Inari Shrine, and because of this, sushi made with aburaage became known as "Inari sushi."

What are Inari tofu pockets?

Inari tofu pockets or inariage are made by seasoning deep-fried tofu called aburaage.

Aburaage is then marinated in mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. This creates a sweet and savory flavor that is irresistible.

They are considered pockets because they can be opened up and stuffed with rice.

You can buy inari tofu pockets at grocery stores or a sushi restaurant but making them is so easy! Plus, they taste much better than store-bought ones since homemade ones have a softer, more delicate texture.

What does inari sushi taste like?

In general, it tastes sweet and salty. The inari tofu pocket and sushi rice are both seasoned with sugar and salt or soy sauce. (Traditional Japanese cuisine often uses sugar as a seasoning).

While inari sushi tastes relatively the same, each family makes it a little differently. For example, the taste and size of each inari are slightly different, and some people enjoy it a little sweeter while others prefer it a little more savory. People also add different amounts of rice.

Also, there are two different shapes of inari tofu pockets according to the region. In general, the western half of Japan uses inari age rectangles, and the east of Japan uses triangles.

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

Is inari sushi vegan?

YES!

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

This is because it is made of just two ingredients, rice, and aburaage. So if you are vegan or vegetarian, no worries! Go ahead and try this recipe.

📋 Ingredients

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

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

Japanese short-grain rice

The best rice for tofu skin sushi is short-grain rice. 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 as well as onigiri rice balls.

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

Aburaage

Aburaage is made from tofu. To make aburaage, cut tofu into thin slices and deep fry them twice at different temperatures (more details). "Abura" means oil, and "age" means deep fry in Japanese.

Aburaage is excellent for various dishes such as miso soup, nimono (simmered dish), salad, noodles, stir fry, and many more.

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

Once the aburaage is seasoned with the soy sauce and sugar mixture, it is considered inari age.

Remove excess oil on the aburaage.

Since aburaage is deep-fried, it will be drenched with oil.

If you are concerned about the smell of oil or don't want the taste to soak in, you should drain the oil. Having excess oil is also unhealthy and can be bad for your heart.

Now that you have decided to remove the oil, how do you do it? Here are three easy ways to remove the oil.

Boil in a pot: Boil aburaage for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and drain.
Pour hot water: Place the aburaage on a strainer and pour hot water over it and drain the water.
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

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making inari sushi (inarizushi). It consists of the following three steps.

Make inari tofu pockets.
Make sushi rice.
Fill inari tofu pockets with sushi rice.

You can also watch this video to help you visualize the process.

Step 1. Make inari tofu pockets

step by step photo for making inari tofu pockets

Roll a rolling pin over the aburaage: This will make it easier to open later, and cut them in half. Rolling the aburaage makes it easier to open. That way, it doesn't break when you stuff the sushi rice into the pocket.
Boil aburaage: Boil them for 2-3 minutes to remove oil and drain.
Drain: Squeeze each aburaage gently to drain the water.
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.
Simmer: When it starts to boil, bring the heat to low and cover it with a small lid (otoshibuta: see the instructions above). Then simmer for about 10 minutes.
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).

Now your inari tofu pockets are ready!

I recommend cooking them the previous day and letting them cool down slowly if you have time. This allows the flavors to seep through, making the taste stronger.

Step 2. Make Sushi Rice

step by step instructions for sushi rice.

Cook rice: Please see this recipe: How to cook Japanese short-grain rice to learn how to cook rice.
Make sushi vinegar: Put rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix well.
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 want, you can also add a little bit of soup from the inari tofu pockets. This gives the rice a nice sweet flavor. Add it to taste.
Cool down: When the sushi vinegar is blended well, turn it upside down so that the bottom does not stay hot. Use a paper fan to blow away the moisture and let it cool down. Repeat this several times.

Check and adjust the seasoning to your taste. I keep the sugar light for the rice since the inari tofu pockets are also going to be sweet. Of course, if you like the rice sweeter, add more sugar.

Step 3. Fill inari tofu pockets with sushi rice

This is the final step. You are almost there!

Form one serving: Add moisture to your hands by sprinkling some water. Then grab the sushi rice and lightly form it into a small ball for one serving.
Open inari tofu pockets: Open the inari tofu pocket gently.
Stuff with the rice: Stuff the sushi rice and push in with your finger so that the rice is properly placed in the corner.
Close it: Fold the end of the inari tofu pockets and close it.

Finally, it's done!

You can eat right away, but if you wait another couple of hours, the taste of inari tofu pockets and sushi rice will truly come together. This will make it more delicious.

Filling Variations

I like to eat inari sushi plain, but you can also mix some ingredients into the sushi rice.

If you have a leftover soup from the 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.

You can also add some sesame seed, edamame, and umeboshi (pickled plum). These add 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 get creative and 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 I plan on eating it the next day, I keep it in the fridge. Inari sushi is also good for freezing and can extend the expiration date. But remember, 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 plastic wrap and put it in a freezer-safe bag. To reheat it, please warm it up in the microwave before you eat it.

You can also freeze inari tofu pockets without the rice. I recommend making a bunch of inari tofu pockets and storing them in the freezer. Then, it will save time for the next time you make inari sushi.

FAQ

What is inari sushi made of?

Inari sushi is made of aburaage(deep-fried tofu) and rice. After making the tofu pocket, sushi rice is stuffed into the pocket for a filling, sweet and savory snack.

Is inari sushi vegan?

Yes, it's vegan sushi. The aburaage is made with tofu, meaning it is entirely vegan.

How long does inari sushi last?

It will last for a half-day at room temperature(in summer, it will last for less than 6 hours). Inari can last a couple of days in the fridge and one month in the freezer. It is best to eat within a half-day because the rice becomes dry in the fridge and does not taste good.

Thanks For Stopping By

So how did you like it?

This recipe may be overwhelming if you are unfamiliar with Japanese rice dishes, but each step is very easy and straightforward. I hope you enjoy our delicious traditional 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, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

How to make Inari Sushi: Japanese Tofu Pocket Sushi