Chirashizushi is a fun and versatile dish that’s perfect for gatherings or just a cozy night in. All the ingredients are either mixed in or scattered on top of a bed of sushi rice, making it an extremely easy form of sushi to make. In this post, I'll walk you through each step as well as share pro tips to make chirashizushi even more enjoyable. Trust me, if you're a fan of sushi and you like to cook at home, you'll definitely want to learn this one!
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🍣What is Chirashizushi?
The literal translation for chirashizushi is "scattered sushi" which refers to the variety of ingredients that's "scattered" on top of sushi rice. Unlike nigirizushi or makizushi, which are individually formed, chirashizushi is served in a larger vessel (a bowl, lacquered box, sushi oke, etc.), making it one of the easiest and most customizable forms of sushi.
It's also commonly eaten during celebrations in Japan, such as Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day on March 3rd), because it's colorful, festive, and convenient to make for large gatherings.
There are different types of chirashizushi though, primarily depending on the region of Japan.
Chirashi-don
In the Tokyo area, chirashizushi refers to a bowl of sushi rice layered with a variety of colorful cuts of sashimi and vegetables, often referred to as “chirashi-don” (don is short for donburi, which means “bowl”). If you order chirashizushi at restaurants in the U.S., this is the style that you'll most likely see. A quick side note: a non-sushi rice version of this is called kaisen-don, which means "seafood bowl".
Barazushi
In the Kansai region of Japan (around Osaka), chirashi sushi is known as “barazushi.” Instead of sashimi slices arranged on top of rice, this version is mixed with a variety of vegetables, small cubes of cooked seafood, and occasionally raw fish. However, different regions in Japan have their own interpretations, each with unique ingredients and names, which can get a bit confusing.
Regardless of the name though, just know that chirashizushi falls into those two main types: one being the individual bowl of sushi rice topped with slices of sashimi, while the other is a larger, mixed version with plenty of vegetables and cooked seafood scattered throughout. In this post, I’ll be showing you how to make the latter.
💖Why You'll Love this Recipe
There are so many reasons to love chirashizushi, obviously the best being that it's delicious! But there are so many other reasons why.
- Simplicity: Making nigiri or learning how to properly roll sushi is a skill that requires dedication and a lot of practice. Chirashizushi on the other hand is much simpler and easy to prepare, since we're combining everything into a big bowl.
- Party Time! One of the best things about chirashizushi is that you can feed a large amount of people without having to put that much more work into it. That's why it's perfect for parties, celebrations, and potlucks!
- Ingredients: Finding quality seafood for sushi and sashimi can be challenging for many home cooks. However, chirashizushi can easily be made with readily available seafood that's often times fully cooked. It's also a very easy dish to make vegetarian.
- Customization: There's no right or wrong when it comes to what you want to add into your chirashizushi. Every household in Japan has their preferred versions and so should you!
🌾Key Ingredients
- Sushi Rice: Obviously the most important ingredient and one that needs to be made correctly. Here's a tutorial on how to make the perfect sushi rice easily at home.
- Kinshi Tamago: Besides the sushi rice, all of these ingredients are optional, but kinshi tamago is one that I highly recommend adding. It's a thin layer of cooked egg that's sliced into noodle-like strips. It adds a pop of color plus some good protein.
- Aburaage/Inari: Aburaage is thinly sliced tofu that's been deep fried and inari is the seasoned version of that. To keep it simple, I like to use store-bought inari that's been seasoned already. However, if you can find aburaage, then I recommend seasoning it from scratch for the best results.
- Seafood: Whether it's cooked or raw, adding some sort of seafood makes it more authentic and gives it more overall balance. Shrimp, unagi (freshwater eel), tuna, salmon, hamachi (yellowtail), ikura (salmon roe), are all popular seafood you can use.
🦀Other Fillings
In this recipe, I use fairly traditional ingredients, but what makes chirashizushi so fun and convenient is its versatility. Here are some of my favorite additional ingredients to try:
- Kani/Kanikama: Crab and imitation crab is another great choice of seafood that's readily available.
- Tako (Octopus): Boiled octopus, sliced up. Adds texture and color.
- Renkon (Lotus Root): This is a traditional ingredient that's used in chirashizushi a lot. The preparation can be time consuming but it adds a great texture and pickled flavor to the chirashi.
- Kamaboko (Japanese fish cake): Easy addition that adds a nice color.
- Avocado: Easy to find and adds color. Can also use avocado slices as decoration.
- Edamame: Another popular ingredient in chirashizushi because it's easy to find, make, and adds color.
- Spam: Far from traditional but Spam is a great filling for sushi and works well as a chirashi topping. Add a bit of teriyaki sauce when frying to add even more flavor.
🪄Tips and Tricks
- Chirashi Mix: The ingredients mixed into the sushi rice is referred to as "chirashi mix". Making this from scratch gives you full control of the ingredients and flavor, however many Japanese households will use instant chirashi mix that comes pre-seasoned and ready to go. You simply mix it into freshly steamed rice and that's it! Here is a link to one from Nagatanien.
- Dried Shiitake: If you plan to make the chirashi mix on your own, shiitake is a key component. I prefer using dried shiitake and soaking it in water to bring out the dashi, which we use to braise the mushrooms. The downside to this though is that it takes time, and depending on the shiitake, it may even take overnight to fully absorb the moisture. Give yourself plenty of time and soak the shiitake beforehand if planning on using dried shiitake.
- Broil Unagi: Unagi should be broiled and warm when served. Cold unagi becomes hard and chewy so time it correctly. I like to broil the unagi at the end right before I'm ready to start plating. This way it'll still be warm and tender when the chirashizushi is ready to be served.
✍️Final Thoughts
Chirashizushi truly makes for a delicious and visually stunning dish and is the ultimate easy sushi option. It's the perfect dish for potlucks, parties, or any occasion for that matter. Enjoy it with your friends and family, or simply treat yourself to a colorful bowl of sushi goodness. Enjoy!
🤔Common Questions
Japanese short grain rice is always best for any type of sushi, however Japanese medium grain rice can work as well. Do not use long grain rice such as basmati or jasmine.
Yes, the rice and toppings can be prepped separately, but it's best to assemble everything right before serving to keep everything fresh.
Ideally, it should be eaten the same day, the earlier the better, especially if you're using any type of raw seafood. If storing, keep it in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to two days.
Typically it's served in a large container (bowl, sushi oke, etc) and guests scoop their own portions into smaller bowls/plates. A side of wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce will be appreciated by guests as well.
Chirashizushi (Scattered Sushi)
VIDEO
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Medium sauce pan
- 1 Small sauce pan
- 1 Fine sieve
- 1 Otoshibuta (drop lid) Can be made from aluminum foil
- 1 Large bowl for serving Sushi oke/hangiri works well
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
- 5 cups Sushi rice cooked
Chirashi Mix Ingredients
- 4-5 Dried shiitake mushroom
- 1 Carrot small
- 6 pieces Inari seasoned fried tofu pockets
- ½ cup Dashi stock
- 2 tablespoon Sake
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
Kinshi Tamago Ingredients
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 teaspoon Mirin
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 teaspoon Potato starch optionally corn starch
- 1 tablespoon Water
Toppings
- 6-8 Snow peas
- 6 ounces Unagi freshwater eel
- 8 ounces Hamachi yellowtail
- 4 ounces Ikura salmon roe
- Kizami nori shredded dried seaweed
INSTRUCTIONS
Prior to Making Chirashizushi
- Cook and prepare sushi rice (2¼ US cups or 3 rice cooker cups of uncooked rice yields 5 cups of cooked rice).
Chirashi Mix
- Rehydrate the Shiitake Mushrooms by soaking them in ¾ cup water until fully tender (this may take an hour or even overnight). Once ready, gently squeeze out excess moisture and save the soaking liquid which we’ll use for the dashi in the braising liquid.
- Strain the soaking shiitake liquid into a small pot and set aside.
- Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms.
- Peel and julienne slice the carrot into thin matchstick pieces (about 1-inch long, ⅛-inch thick).
- Slice the inari into thin ¼-inch strips crosswise.
- Prepare a drop lid (otoshibuta) by shaping a piece of foil into a circle that fits your pot (leaving a little space around the edges). Poke a few holes in the center with a knife.
- Add the shiitake slices into the pot along with the shiitake soaking liquid and dashi stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts boiling, skim off any foam.
- Add sliced carrots, sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar into the pot and give it a stir.
- Cover with the drop lid and let it simmer for 12–15 minutes over medium-low heat. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid is not evaporating too quickly.
- After 12-15 minutes, most of the liquid should have reduced. Now add the inari and mix it in gently.
- Set aside to cool with the drop lid on. If you want to cool it down faster, transfer it onto a large plate and spread it out.
Kinshi Tamago
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and add mirin and salt.
- Mix well but try not to incorporate too much air.
- Strain the egg mixture through a sieve to get a smoother consistency.
- Make a slurry with the potato starch and 1 tablespoon water, then stir it into the eggs (this helps keep the crepes intact).
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly coat it with oil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, then pour half of the egg mixture into the pan, swirling to evenly coat the bottom.
- Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook for another 10 seconds.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat for the remaining egg mixture.
- Once cooled, roll up the crepes tightly and slice them into thin strips.
Toppings
- Snow Peas: Boil water in a small saucepan, add a pinch of salt, and blanch the snow peas for about a minute. Transfer to an ice bath, pat dry, and slice diagonally.
- Hamachi: Cut the hamachi into roughly ½-inch cubes.
- Unagi: Broil the unagi on high heat for about 6 minutes (skin-side up), then cut it into ½-inch squares.
Assembling
- Squeeze out excess moisture from the chirashi mix and then add it to the sushi rice. Mix in evenly.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or sushi oke.
- Layer on the Kinshi Tamago evenly across the rice.
- Scatter the toppings: Place the hamachi, unagi, snow peas, ikura, and kizami nori over the rice in an aesthetically pleasing way. No need to overthink it, it’s called scattered sushi for a reason!
- Garnish with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce on the side.
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