Looking for delicious Japanese seafood recipes? Lucky for you, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites! From appetizers and small meals to easy family dinners, you’ll love the fresh flavors of these Japanese seafood recipes.
Japanese Seafood Recipes
A perfect Japanese-style appetizer – steamed clams in sake!
- Saute small fresh clams in the in sesame oil for a minute or two.
- Pour good quality sake (or dry white wine) over them, cover, and steam over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened up and the clams are cooked. You may also add a splash of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Discard any unopened shells.
- Serve hot or at room temperature, topped with minced green onions and or shredded fresh ginger.
Another great Japanese appetizer, tenpura (also called tempura) is considered a quintessential Japanese food. Don’t let the idea of frying up food intimidate you! Tenpura is surprisingly easy to make.
Sushi Hand Rolls
Rolling your own sushi might feel intimidating, but it’s easier than you might think! In fact, this is one of my favorites to do with family or a group of friends. Make up a pot of sushi rice, set out a variety of additions, and have at it! For some of my best sushi hand roll tips, click the button below:
Unagi Kamameshi
This Japanese seafood dish combines flavored rice and grilled eel with a tasty stock poured over the top, and wasabi and chopped green onions for an extra flourish. After tasting this dish just once, you’ll be a convert for life!
Katsuo no Tataki
Katsuo no Tataki is seared bonito sashimi with garlic. It’s a unique type of sashimi, in that it’s the only kind to be eaten with garlic or seared before eating. This is an incredibly easy dish and often you can buy already seared bonito at your local Japanese market for an even faster preparation.
Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki
In my version of uosuki, I use a variety mix of fresh fish and other seafood for a more complex taste. The nice thing about this Japanese seafood recipe is you can vary the vegetables as desired.
Fried Sardines with Shiso
I consider shiso to be an essential Japanese herb when it comes to my cooking. Shiso is a member of the mint family, is originally from China, Burma, and the Himalayas. One of my favorite Japanese dishes to make with shiso is fried sardines stuffed with shiso. It’s a simple yet absolutely delicious seafood dish!
Nanbanzuke: Marinated Fried Fish from Nagasaki
To make this dish, small horse mackerel are deep-fried and then marinated in a vinegar-based sauce that includes red peppers and leeks. This is a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you’re new to Japanese cooking, this is a great one to start with! It’s also a surprisingly light dish, despite it including fried fish.
Tai Chazuke
This is a great recipe for when you have leftover rice! While it focuses on using very fresh sashimi-grade tai (sea bream), you can certainly adjust to make this dish your own. Some other common toppings to use in this recipe include Japanese pickles, umeboshi, sesame seeds, salted salmon, trefoil, scallions and wasabi.
And a similar dish I definitely recommend checking out is my Tai Meshi recipe:
Japanese Seafood Soups and Stews
Two of my favorite recipes to warm up with are my Oyster riverbank miso stew and my Salmon and Vegetable Tonjiru Soup recipe.
Oyster Riverbank Stew – known as Kaki no Dote Nabe – is one of my favorite nabemono dishes. Nabemonos are so versatile and fun to make, especially at the table with friends and family.
Get the Recipe >>Another classic Japanese winter comfort food is Tonjiru, a classic hearty umami-flavored miso-based soul-satisfying pork soup. My take on this recipe is replacing the traditional pork belly with fresh salmon chunks and added in uncured bacon to stay true to the original recipe of Tonjiru.
If you have any questions about these Japanese seafood recipes, pop a comment below and let me know!
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