Okinawa Taco Rice (タコライス)
Although Japan has a relatively homogenous population, its food culture is a melting pot of culinary traditions from around the world. Japanese Taco Rice is an amalgamation of Texmex-style tacos and Japanese rice bowls, first created as a cheap yet satisfying meal for hungry US Marines based in Okinawa. It not only melds two form factors, but it also uses a mashup of ingredients like chili powder and ketchup with soy sauce and sake. It may sound odd at first, but trust me, it tastes sublime!
- Okinawa Taco Rice (タコライス)
- Why My Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Taco Rice
- How to Make Japanese Taco Rice
- Other Rice Topping Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- FAQ
- Comments
Why My Recipe Works
- Seasoning the taco meat with ketchup, sake , and soy sauce creates a savory-sweet balance that pairs well with plain white rice , and has loads of umami that you don’t find in your average taco meat.
- I like leaving the taco meat a little saucy for this Okinawa Taco Rice recipe; this allows the juices to percolate down into the rice, making sure the flavor seeps all the way down to the last bite.
- Layering the meat on the rice seasons the rice, and layering the cheese on the meat allows the cheese to melt. Putting the lettuce around the edges of the plate keeps it from wilting and creating a delightful contrast of flavors, textures, and temperatures.
Ingredients for Taco Rice
- Ground meat - I used lean ground beef for my Okinawa Taco Rice recipe, but ground chicken or pork will work, or you can even make this plant-based (see the FAQ below for more thoughts on that).
- Chili powder - Chili powder is a blend of chili peppers with spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. You can check out my chili powder recipe for more details.
- Aromatics - Sautéing a combination of onions and garlic adds depth and flavor to the meat.
- Soy Sauce - Because the taco meat needs to season the plain rice below it, the meat is well seasoned with soy sauce and salt. The soy sauce adds umami and gives it an earthy, distinctive flavor that pairs beautifully with the rice.
- Ketchup - Japanese food is about balancing the tastes of salt, sweet, and umami, and the ketchup contributes a mild sweetness to the taco meat.
- Sake - Sake contains many naturally occurring amino acids, which create the taste of umami. That’s why sake is frequently used as an ingedient in Japanese cuisine. As it cooks, the alcohol burns off, leaving behind the umami and a mild sweetness. You can learn more about why I use sake in food here.
- Toppings - The original Okinawan taco rice was topped with meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Toppings are a matter of personal preference, and for me, I like adding some cilantro for flavor and crushed tortilla chips for texture. Other topping ideas include pico de gallo , guacamole , salsa, sour cream, and of course, taco sauce.
How to Make Japanese Taco Rice
Because making the taco meat goes so quickly, I usually like to whisk the ketchup, sake, soy sauce, and salt together in a small bowl first.
Then you want to sauté the onions and garlic in a frying pan until they are tender and starting to brown. If you are making this plant-based, I recommend spending a little more time getting the onions fully caramelized to maximize their flavor.
Next, add the ground meat and use a spatula or wooden paddle to crumble it up. I like to add the chili powder when the meat is halfway cooked so it has a chance to toast, releasing its aromatic oils.
When the meat is almost fully cooked, you can pour in the sauce mixture you made earlier and cook it with the meat until it’s your desired consistency. I like my taco meat a little on the saucy side so the sauce can season the rice underneath.
To assemble the taco rice, put down a layer of rice on a plate and surround it with a ring of lettuce. Then you want to layer the hot taco meat and cheese on top of the rice. To finish it off, you can garnish the plate with tomatoes, cilantro, and crumbled tortilla chips, or allow each diner to suit their preferences.
Other Rice Topping Recipes
- Picadillo Cubano
- Chicken Katsudon
- Gyudon (beef bowl)
- Oyako don (chicken and egg bowl)
- Butadon (pork bowl)
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
For taco meat
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 120 grams onion 1 small, finely diced
- 10 grams garlic 1 large clove, minced
- 260 grams ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
For taco rice
- 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 150 grams tomatoes 2-3 small tomatoes, diced
- 100 grams lettuce 3 large leaves shredded
- 50 grams cheddar cheese grated
- Cilantro for garnish
- Tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- Make the sauce for the taco meat by whisking together the 2 tablespoons ketchup , 2 tablespoons sake , 1 tablespoon soy sauce , and ¼ teaspoon salt .
- In a frying pan over medium-heat heat, add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil , 120 grams onion , and 10 grams garlic and sauté until they’re soft and start to brown around the edges (about 5 minutes).
- Add the 260 grams ground beef and crumble it using the side of a spatula.
- When the meat is halfway cooked, sprinkle on the 2 teaspoons chili powder and continue breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- When the meat is almost done, pour the sauce over the meat and continue cooking until the mixture is saucy but no longer watery.
- To assemble the taco rice, put 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice on three plates and surround the rice with a ring of 150 grams tomatoes .
- Top the rice with taco meat and 50 grams cheddar cheese .
- Garnish with tomatoes, Cilantro , and crushed Tortilla chips .
Nutrition Facts
Taco Rice is a rice plate created in Okinawa, Japan, that melds the fillings for Texmex tacos with Japanese-style donburi (rice bowls). Topped with taco meat seasoned with chili powder, soy sauce, and ketchup, it also has layers of cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Taco rice is a 5-syllable phrase that is pronounced as follows: ta like ta rp co like co rner ra like the " ra " sound does not exist in the English language and the best way to make it is to say the word " ro mp" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth. i like e ven su like sou p
You can make this plant-based by substituting the ground meat and cheese. You can use any plant-based protein crumbles like TVP or frozen and thawed tofu. To make up for the lack of umami-producing compounds in plant-based proteins, I recommend taking some extra time to caramelize the onions and garlic fully. You can also add some powdered vegetable bouillon or konbu powder to bump up the umami further. For the cheese, I recommend using my vegan parmesan .
Taco Rice
Equipment
- 1 Small Glass Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 10-inch Non-stick Frying Pan
Ingredients
For taco meat
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 120 grams onion 1 small, finely diced
- 10 grams garlic 1 large clove, minced
- 260 grams ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
For taco rice
- 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 150 grams tomatoes 2-3 small tomatoes, diced
- 100 grams lettuce 3 large leaves shredded
- 50 grams cheddar cheese grated
- Cilantro for garnish
- Tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- Make the sauce for the taco meat by whisking together the 2 tablespoons ketchup , 2 tablespoons sake , 1 tablespoon soy sauce , and ¼ teaspoon salt . 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a frying pan over medium-heat heat, add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil , 120 grams onion , and 10 grams garlic and sauté until they’re soft and start to brown around the edges (about 5 minutes). 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 120 grams onion, 10 grams garlic
- Add the 260 grams ground beef and crumble it using the side of a spatula. 260 grams ground beef
- When the meat is halfway cooked, sprinkle on the 2 teaspoons chili powder and continue breaking up the meat as it cooks. 2 teaspoons chili powder
- When the meat is almost done, pour the sauce over the meat and continue cooking until the mixture is saucy but no longer watery.
- To assemble the taco rice, put 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice on three plates and surround the rice with a ring of 150 grams tomatoes . 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice, 100 grams lettuce
- Top the rice with taco meat and 50 grams cheddar cheese . 50 grams cheddar cheese
- Garnish with tomatoes, Cilantro , and crushed Tortilla chips . 150 grams tomatoes, Cilantro, Tortilla chips
