Homemade Furikake Rice Seasoning
A crunchy, savory-sweet Japanese rice topper made from toasted sesame seeds, crisp nori, and delicate bonito flakes. It takes about 35 minutes, mostly hands-off, and keeps for weeks.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 33 min
- Makes
- About ¾ cup (55 g) furikake, enough for 16 servings of 1 teaspoon each, or more if you sprinkle generously
Steps
Before you start
- Use dry, crisp nori sheets. If your nori feels soft or damp, toast it a little longer in step 3.
- Have a clean, completely dry jar ready. Any moisture will make the furikake soggy.
- Bonito flakes (katsuobushi) are fragile. Add them at the end and fold gently so they stay in flakes.
- Furikake is meant to be seasoned lightly. Taste a pinch on plain rice before you adjust the salt or sugar.
Toast the sesame
- Set a dry 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the white and black sesame seeds together.
- Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: White seeds turn light golden, smell nutty, and a few start to pop. Black seeds smell toasty and pop slightly.
Tip: Black seeds are hard to judge by color, so go by smell and popping. Pull the pan off the heat right away if you smell anything acrid.
Cool the seeds
- Tip the seeds onto a large plate or rimmed tray and spread them out.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes, until completely cool to the touch.
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Ready when: Seeds feel room temperature, with no warmth when you touch them.
Tip: Don't leave them in the hot pan. The leftover heat keeps cooking them.
Crisp the nori
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium-low heat.
- Hold one nori sheet with tongs or your fingertips and pass it back and forth about 4 inches (10 cm) above the burner flame, or lay it flat in the dry pan, for 10 to 15 seconds per side.
- Repeat with the remaining sheets.
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Ready when: Nori turns a brighter green-black, smells toasty, and feels dry and brittle.
Tip: Nori scorches fast. Keep it moving and don't let it brown.
Cut the nori
- Let the toasted nori cool for 2 minutes.
- Use kitchen scissors to snip it into thin strips about ½ inch (1 cm) wide.
- Then cut the strips crosswise into pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm) square, or crumble them between your fingers.
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Ready when: Pieces are small, confetti-like, and crisp, with no chewy bits.
Tip: Scissors give cleaner pieces than a knife, which tends to tear the nori.
Prepare the bonito
- Only if the bonito flakes feel soft or damp, put them in a small, dry skillet over low heat for 1 minute, stirring gently.
- Then crush them lightly between your fingers into pieces no bigger than ¼ inch (6 mm).
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Ready when: Flakes feel dry and crumble easily, and they smell smoky and savory.
Tip: Skip the heating if the flakes already feel dry and crisp. They burn very quickly.
Mix the seasoning
- In a medium bowl, combine the cooled sesame seeds, cut nori, and bonito flakes.
- Sprinkle in the salt and sugar.
- Toss gently with a spoon for about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Salt and sugar are evenly spread, with no clumps and no white streaks.
Tip: Fold gently so the bonito flakes stay in small flakes rather than turning to powder.
Taste and adjust
- Sprinkle a pinch over a spoonful of plain warm rice and taste.
- Add up to ¼ teaspoon more salt if it tastes flat, or a pinch more sugar if it tastes sharp.
- Toss again.
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Ready when: Savory first, with a faint sweetness and nutty finish.
Tip: Taste it on rice rather than on its own, because it is much saltier by itself.
Jar and store
- Let the mixture sit uncovered for 3 minutes, then spoon it into a clean, dry airtight jar and seal.
- Shake it over hot rice, using about 1 teaspoon per serving.
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Ready when: The mixture is fully cool and dry before the lid goes on.
Tip: Sealing warm furikake traps steam and makes the nori soft.
Good to know
Tips
- Toast sesame seeds over gentle heat. High heat browns the outside before the inside cooks, and the flavor comes out bitter.
- Keep the jar away from steam, such as above the stove or rice cooker, so the nori stays crisp.
- Try it on more than rice: popcorn, avocado toast, fried eggs, onigiri, or buttered noodles.
- For a spicy version, add ¼ teaspoon of shichimi togarashi or a pinch of chili flakes in step 6.
Make ahead
Make it up to 3 weeks ahead and keep it sealed. Flavor is best in the first 2 weeks.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 3 weeks in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Fridge: up to 2 months in a dry airtight jar, but let it come to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Freezer: up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container. No reheating is needed. If it softens, crisp it in a dry skillet over low heat for 1 minute, then cool completely.
Substitutions
- bonito flakes (katsuobushi) → Dried shiitake powder or extra nori. Makes the blend vegan. Use 1 tablespoon shiitake powder or 1 extra sheet of nori in place of the bonito.
- raw black sesame seeds → White sesame seeds. Use 1 extra tablespoon (9 g) of white sesame. The flavor is the same, but the blend will look less contrasted.
- granulated sugar → Coconut sugar or light brown sugar. Use the same amount. It adds a slightly deeper, caramel-like sweetness.
- fine sea salt → Flaky sea salt, finely crushed. Use 1 teaspoon, since flakes pack less densely than fine salt.
