Upgrade your Taco Tuesday with this Okinawan classic! Japanese Taco Rice is the ultimate fusion food—savory taco-seasoned beef served over a bed of warm rice and topped with fresh veggies, cheese, and a secret splash of soy sauce for extra umami. It's quick, easy, and a guaranteed hit with the whole family!
Let me introduce you to a fantastic dish for Taco Tuesday! Japanese Taco Rice, or Tacoraisu, is easy and delicious and your whole family will absolutely love it!
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What Is Japanese Taco Rice?
Tacoraisu, also spelled takoraisu, is a dish created in Okinawa prefecture, Japan. It's sold at King Tacos in Okinawa. King Tacos was founded by Matsuzo Gibo, and they claim that Mr. Gibo is the creator of Taco Rice. Their main branch is super close to the main gate of Camp Hansen, a US Military Base in Kin, Okinawa. So, as you can image Taco Rice is a very popular dish with American military personnel, as well as Okinawans!
Taco Rice is a western style dish, or "yoshoku." It's a creative fusion between Mexican food and Japanese cuisine which delights everyone who tries it! This dish is basically taco flavored ground beef on top of a bed of rice. Basic toppings may include shredded lettuce and cheese, and diced tomatoes.
Homemade taco rice makes for a delicious weeknight meal!
So if you're excited to try Okinawa taco rice, please read on and I'll tell you what you'll need to make this fun dish!
🥘 Ingredients
To make a most AWESOME Okinawan taco rice dinner you'll need the following ingredients:
- Ground beef (I used 85% lean/15% fat)
- Taco Seasoning Mix
- Long grain rice (you could also use Japanese white rice such as Nishiki or even sushi rice if you like)
- Soy sauce - YES! Add a little soy sauce for some lovely Japanese umami flavor!
Now, the following ingredients are suggested toppings for your taco rice. Select what you like or have on hand, or enjoy them all!
- Sour cream
- Salsa (try my Carolina Reaper Salsa if you like HOT salsa!)
- Shredded lettuce (could use iceberg lettuce or red leaf lettuce)
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Tortilla chips
- Diced tomato
- Diced red onion
- Shredded cheese (could use cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend of cheeses)
It's lovely to select toppings with lots of different colors to make your tacoraisu so beautiful!
🔪 Instructions
Let's have a fun experience creating a stunning Okinawan Taco Rice!
Start by cooking the rice according to your package directions. I estimate 2 cups of cooked rice per serving.
While the rice is cooking, prep the vegetables you are going to use: slice the avocado and jalapenos, shred the lettuce, dice the tomato and red onion, and chop the cilantro. Make a nice spread of these along with your cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa.
Cook and brown the ground meat in a large skillet or frying pan on a medium heat to a medium-high heat. This should take around 5 minutes or so. You can drain the fat if you like, but I prefer to leave it in (more flavor that way 😊).
Now add the taco seasoning packet mix and cook according to the packet directions. My packet directions instructed me to add ¾ cup of water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Ok here's a fun part...add some soy sauce to your taco meat! I added 1 tbsp, but feel free to skip this or change the amount to suit your tastes.
Now here's the SUPER FUN PART! Enjoy creating a beautiful work of art by placing all your colorful toppings on top of the rice which has been topped with some of the seasoned beef! Tanoshimi! ("Enjoy" in Japanese!)
Suggestions For Serving
This popular Okinawan dish is pretty much a meal in itself. However, why not enjoy this with some Japanese Pickled Cucumber or Mexican Borracho Beans as side dishes? These are great options for rounding out your Japanese-Mexican fusion experience!
Tacoraisu would also work great as a taco rice bowl! However you decide to savor this dish, consider saying "itadakimasu" before eating it. Japanese people typically say this word to express gratitude before the meal. 😊
FAQ
Taco Rice comes from the Japanese southern island of Okinawa. This dish is a highly popular dish with the American military stationed in Okinawa, as well as Okinawans.
Basic Taco Rice is made of rice, seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce and cheese, and diced tomatoes. It's fun to add additional toppings such as sour cream, salsa, and other ingredients that we love to put on tacos!
You can find Taco Rice at the Taco Bell in Tokyo!
Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy:
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Grace
Super Easy Japanese Taco Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Large skillet or frying pan to cook the beef
- rice cooker or small or medium saucepan to cook the rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef I used 85% lean/15% fat
- 1- 1.25 oz taco seasoning mix I used a packet from my local grocery store; other good options are McCormick or Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mixes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce add more than 1 tablespoon if you like!
- 8 cups cooked rice I am estimating 2 cups of rice per person for a total of 4 servings; I used long grain rice but you could use Japanese white rice or even sushi rice
Suggested Toppings - Total Quantity Is For 4 Servings
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup salsa try my Carolina Reaper Salsa!
- ½ cup shredded lettuce could use iceberg lettuce or red leaf lettuce
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 cup tortilla chips
- 1 tomato diced; I cored and deseeded a Roma tomato for use in this taco rice
- ¼ each red onion diced
- 1 cup shredded cheese I used a blend of Mexican cheeses; cheddar cheese also works well!
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to your package directions. I estimate 2 cups of cooked rice per serving.
- While the rice is cooking, prep the vegetables you are going to use: slice the avocado and jalapenos, shred the lettuce, dice the tomato and red onion, and chop the cilantro. Make a nice spread of these along with your cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa.
- Cook and brown the ground beef in a large skillet on a medium to a medium-high heat. This should take around 5 minutes or so. You can drain the fat if you like, but I prefer to leave it in (more flavor that way 😊).
- Now add the taco seasoning packet mix and cook according to the packet directions. My packet directions instructed me to add ¾ cup of water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Ok here's a fun part...add some soy sauce! I added 1 tbsp, but feel free to skip this or change the amount to suit your tastes.
- Now here's the SUPER FUN PART! Enjoy creating a beautiful work of art by placing all your colorful toppings on top of rice which has been topped with some of the seasoned beef! Tanoshimi! ("Enjoy" in Japanese!)
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