How to Make Yaki Mochi (Grilled Japanese Rice Cake)

Yaki Mochi
Yaki Mochi (Grilled Japanese Rice Cake). Photo Credit: Gyro AmanaImagesRF/Getty Images
  • 12 mins
  • Prep: 0 mins,
  • Cook: 12 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving
Ratings (11)

By Judy Ung

Updated 09/21/17

Grilled Japanese mochi is probably one of the most rustic and traditional ways in which plain traditional mochi, or rice cakes are enjoyed. They are chewy and soft with a delicious toasted flavor to them. It's great as a snack, side dish, appetizer, breakfast or meal.

Fresh round mochi are grilled until puffed and toasty. The same result may be accomplished using "kiri mochi" which are shelf stable rice cakes that are dried and sold at Japanese and asian markets individually sealed and packaged. For additional general information about Japanese mochi, please read this article on our Japanese food blog "Mochi (Japanese Rice Cake)".

After the mochi is grilled, the mochi may be added to savory ozoni style soup, which is a traditional dish served on Japanese New Year. Or, the mochi be enjoyed as a dessert, in a sweet red bean zenzai soup, or with sweet red beans.

The two most traditional ways in which grilled mochi is enjoyed are with soy sauce sweetened with sugar and wrapped in dried seaweed (isobeyaki mochi); and with sweetened kinako soy bean powder (kinako mochi).

What You'll Need

  • 1 to 2 pieces of mochi (fresh or packaged)
  • 1 can non-stick cooking spray (canola, vegetable, olive oil etc.)
  • Mochi Flavor Options:
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. kinako (dried roasted soy bean powder)
  • Dried seasoned seaweed (nori) to serve
  • 1 cup sweet red beans (anko)

How to Make It

  1. Using a griddle pan, grill pan, or toaster oven, coat the surface with a non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium - high heat.
  2. Note, if you are using a toaster oven, place mochi on a piece of foil, especially for fresh mochi. If you are grilling fresh mochi it tends to expand quickly after it puffs up and can make a downright mess in your toaster oven if you're not watchful.
  3. When the grill pan is ready, place mochi onto the grill and allow it to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. It's ready when the mochi has puffed up a bit and has reached your desired color of "toasty-ness".
  1. If you are using shelf-stable, packaged dried mochi, also known as "kiri mochi", you'll find the mochi will really puff-up. After allowing it to cool a moment, you can gently smash the puffed mochi with the palm of your hand or a spatula so that it is a manageable height to work with, and later eat!
  2. Add your choice of flavor to the mochi. Season with a mix of soy sauce and sugar, recipe. Or with a sweet dried kinako powder. You might also enjoy the mochi with sweet red beans, or "anko". Anko is available pre-made in the refrigerated section of many Japanese and asian markets, or in cans. A homemade recipe for anko is available here.
     

Types of Mochi:

  • Freshly pounded mochi
  • Frozen mochi
  • Kiri mochi (dried packaged shelf stable mochi)

Grilling Cookware:

  • Toaster oven
  • Stove top griddle
  • Hibachi style grill pan

How to Add Flavor to Grilled Mochi:

Traditional:

  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Kinako (dried roasted soy bean powder)
  • Sweet red beans (anko)

Non - Traditional:

  • Ginger
  • Ra-yu chili oil
  • Togarashi red chili pepper
  • Sweet miso