Okaki Recipe: How to Make Japanese Rice Crackers

Okaki (おかき) is a type of crispy Japanese rice cracker made out of mochi rice cakes, salt, and oil. Mochi are Japanese rice cakes that consist of a glutinous rice base, also known as polished sticky rice. These cakes have a chewy texture and can be sweet or savory.

The okaki-making process involves deep-frying thin slices of dried mochi in oil, resulting in a simple, crunchy treat that you can dress up with various seasonings.

Okaki is similar to arare, rice crackers cut into smaller pieces, and senbei, a non-glutinous rice flour cracker.

Whether you’re well-versed in Japanese food or new to the cuisine, this easy rice cracker recipe is suitable for home cooks of all levels. Follow these tips to make delicious rice crackers:

1. 1. Use fresh or pre-dried mochi. You can use store-bought or fresh mochi to make okaki. To save time, buy pre-dried mochi at most Japanese markets. Alternatively, make your own fried mochi by slicing fresh mochi cakes into ⅛-inch slices, then spreading them onto a wire rack. Next, place the rack in a sunny spot for a few days until cracks appear along the dried mochi surface. Mochi must always go through a drying process before making okaki to achieve the snack’s signature crunch.
2. 2. Experiment with flavors. Once you’ve mastered the basics of making okaki, incorporate different mochi flavors and various garnishes for unique flavor combinations. Use distinct flavors of store-bought mochi cakes (like wasabi, green tea, or black sesame) as your base. Top your okaki with furikake, soy sauce or shoyu, mirin, shichimi togarashi, matcha powder, black sesame seeds, and seaweed-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aonori-\u003ca href='https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-edible-seaweed' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{\"textTag\":\"p\",\"href\":\"https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-edible-seaweed\",\"linkCopy\":\"seaweed\",\"category\":\"automated-link\"}' automatic='true'\u003eseaweed\u003c/a\u003e-guide","linkCopy":"aonori","category":null}'>aonori (dried nori seaweed flakes) for an umami-packed snack.
3. 3. Bake the snack. Bake your crackers instead of frying them for a healthier take on this Japanese snack. Simply spread your dried mochi slices out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake the mochi in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20–30 minutes, flipping once halfway through the cooking time.