Name: Japanese Inari Sushi Recipe with Sweet Seasoned Abura-age
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 sheets Yutaka Abura-age; 50ml Yutaka Cooking Sake; 1 & 1/2 tbsp caster sugar; 1 tbsp Yutaka Mirin Seasoning; 100ml Water; 2 tbsp Yutaka Organic Tamari Soy Sauce; pinch of salt; 180g Yutaka Sushi Rice; cooked and seasoned with rice vinegar; sugar and salt; 1 tbsp Yutaka Roasted White Sesame Seeds; 4 cooked prawns; 2 mange tout; blanched; cut in half; 2 thin omelettes; 1 large egg; beaten; 1/2 tsp Yutaka Cooking Sake; 1/2 tsp sugar; pinch of salt; a little vegetable oil

Japanese Inari Sushi Recipe with Sweet Seasoned Abura-age

2Serving300kcalSidesSushiMediumJapanese

2026.08.24

Written by: Shop Yutaka Admin

Learn how to make traditional Japanese Inari Sushi at home with sweet and savoury seasoned abura-age filled with vinegared sushi rice and roasted sesame seeds. These soft fried tofu pockets are simmered with soy sauce, mirin and cooking sake to create the characteristic sweet-savoury flavour of Japanese inari sushi.

Enjoy them simply with sushi rice, or add colourful toppings such as cooked prawns, thinly sliced omelette and mange tout. Perfect for lunch, a Japanese-style sharing platter, picnics or bento, this Inari Sushi recipe is an easy and delicious way to explore homemade Japanese sushi beyond traditional maki rolls.

The recipe is supplied by Atsuko's Kitchen

Ingredients

Inari

2 sheetsYutaka Abura-age

Abura-age seasoning

50mlYutaka Cooking Sake
1 & 1/2 tbspcaster sugar
1 tbspYutaka Mirin Seasoning
100mlWater
2 tbspYutaka Organic Tamari Soy Sauce
pinch of salt

Filling

180gYutaka Sushi Rice, cooked and seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt
1 tbspYutaka Roasted White Sesame Seeds

Toppings (optional)

4cooked prawns
2mange tout, blanched, cut in half
2thin omelettes
1large egg, beaten
1/2 tspYutaka Cooking Sake
1/2 tspsugar
pinch of salt
a little vegetable oil

Cooking Steps

Preparing the abura-age:

1. Rinse abura-age in boiling water to remove the oil on the surface.

2. Squeeze to extract as much water as you can. Cut in half.

3. Put the abura-age seasoning ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

4. Add abura-age to the pan, bring back to the boil and reduce the heat.

5. Put baking parchment and a small plate on top of the abura-age as a weight to stop it swelling up and help it absorb the seasoning. Simmer for 10 mins, turning over a few times while cooking.

6. Leave to cool and strain any remaining liquid.

Making the omelettes: (optional)

1. Mix the sake, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and mix.

2. Heat a little cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in half of the egg mixture, tilting the pan to make a thin, even sheet. When the surface has set, turn it over to cook the reverse side for a moment, then slide onto a plate. Use kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

3. Repeat to make 1 more omelette.

4. Cut in half, then roll up and slice into long thin strips.

Making the filling:

1. Mix the sesame seeds with the sushi rice.

2. Press a ball of the rice into an egg shape and stuff it into the abura-age.

3. Garnish with your choice of toppings (such as sliced omelette, prawns or mange tout)

Tips

1. Remove excess oil from the abura-age
Pour boiling water over the abura-age before seasoning it, then gently squeeze out the excess water. This helps remove excess surface oil and allows the tofu pockets to absorb the sweet and savoury seasoning more effectively.

2. Let the abura-age cool in the seasoning
After simmering, allow the seasoned abura-age to cool before filling it. This gives the tofu time to absorb more flavour and also makes the pockets easier to handle without tearing.

3. Don’t overfill the tofu pockets
Shape the seasoned sushi rice into small egg-shaped portions before placing them inside the abura-age. Fill each pocket gently rather than pressing too firmly, as the tofu can tear.

4. Wet your hands before handling sushi rice
Sushi rice can be very sticky. Lightly wetting your hands before shaping the rice makes it easier to portion and helps prevent it from sticking to your fingers.

5. Make your Inari Sushi colourful with toppings
Traditional inari sushi is delicious on its own, but prawns, thin omelette, mange tout, edamame or other colourful vegetables can turn it into an attractive sharing dish or bento item.

FAQ

Q.What is Japanese Inari Sushi?

A.Inari Sushi is a traditional Japanese sushi made by filling sweet and savoury seasoned fried tofu pockets, called abura-age, with vinegared sushi rice. Unlike many types of sushi, basic inari sushi does not require raw fish or nori. The tofu pockets are typically seasoned with ingredients such as soy sauce, sugar and mirin, giving them their distinctive sweet-savoury flavour.

Q.What is abura-age in Inari Sushi?

A.Abura-age is thinly sliced tofu that has been deep-fried to create a light, hollow soybean-curd pouch. For homemade Inari Sushi, the abura-age is simmered in a sweet and savoury seasoning before being opened and filled with sushi rice. Yutaka Abura-age can also be used in Japanese dishes such as miso soup, kitsune udon and simmered dishes.

Q.What can I put on top of Inari Sushi?

A.Inari Sushi can be served plain or topped with ingredients such as cooked prawns, thinly sliced Japanese omelette, mange tout, edamame, sesame seeds or vegetables. This recipe uses prawns, thin omelette and mange tout as optional toppings, but you can customise the inari with your favourite ingredients.