Learn to make your own Furikake Recipe (Japanese Rice Seasoning) with simple ingredients and a food processor to flavor everything from rice to soup! Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free and so much better than store-bought versions! 

What is Furikake?

Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning blend that adds umami, saltiness, and crunch to a wide range of dishes in Japanese cuisine. There are many different ways to make furikake, but most include a combination of sesame seeds and nori seaweed. 

In addition, you might find fish flakes (bonito flakes), soy sauce, chili flakes, and other flavorful add-ins. This super popular Japanese condiment is so easy to make at home, and ingredients are easy to source at local Asian grocery stores! 

What Makes This Recipe Great

If you’re a fan of flavor, crunch, and texture, this Furikake Recipe is for you! You can make your own delicious seasoning to sprinkle on everything from salads and sandwiches to stir-fries, sushi rolls, poke bowls, and soups!

This is one of my favorite ways to jazz up a meal– the savory flavor is the perfect touch for so many different dishes! Plus, it’s so easy to make and much cheaper than other store-bought furikake seasoning. 

Ingredient Notes

To make this easy version of Furikake at home that’s totally fish-free, you’ll need a few simple ingredients. Find these at your local Asian Market or specialty grocery store.

• Seaweed. Choose unseasoned, untoasted sheets of nori.
• Tamari. Gluten-free soy sauce also works! Or regular soy sauce if you’re not gluten-free.
• Sesame oil. I like toasted sesame oil for the deepest flavor.
• Mirin. This adds a subtle sweetness and acidity to the mix.
• Coconut sugar. You can also use organic cane sugar if you prefer.
• Togarashi. This is a Japanese seasoning you can find at local Asian markets and well-stocked grocery stores like Whole Foods.
• Shiitake mushroom powder. Shiitake mushrooms add a ton of umami to the furikake!
• Black and white sesame seeds for added nuttiness and color.

How to Make Japanese Furikake Seasoning

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, it’s a whizz to make this classic Japanese seasoning blend. You’ll need a food processor or a high-speed blender.

1. Preheat oven to 250F.
2. Prepare a large bowl and whisk together tamari, sesame oil, mirin, coconut sugar mushroom powder, and togarashi.
3. Next, using your hands, shred your nori sheets into small pieces and add to the bowl. Massage into the seaweed and try to make sure as many pieces of nori are coated as possible. The seaweed should be damp but not super wet.
4. Lastly, add your sesame seeds and togarashi to the bowl and mix with your hands again.
5. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread your seaweed mixture as evenly as possible.
6. Bake in 5-minute increments, tossing with a spatula each bake. Repeat 3 times, or until seaweed is nice and toasted and no moisture remains.
7. Let it cool completely before moving on to the next step.
8. Once the seaweed mixture is dry, transfer it to a food processor and pulse until broken down into fine pieces. It should resemble dried parsley–you want a fine texture so it’s easy to mix into rice, but if you prefer it chunkier, leave it chunky!
9. Store in an airtight container in a dry place like your spice cabinet or pantry. 

How to Use Furikake

You can store this homemade furikake recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two months. Use it on white rice or anything that needs a hit of extra salty, umami flavor. For example:

• Obachan’s Mushroom Kamameshi: Japanese Mixed Rice 
• Vegan Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry)
• Healthy Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Garden Poké Bowls

More Japanese Recipes to Try

• Kashiwa Mochi (Japanese Rice Cake with Oak Leaf)
• Blender Matcha Kakigori: Japanese Shaved Ice
• Onigiri Chazuke 

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!