Here’s How To Cook with Mirin: Top 11 Best Recipes
Mirin is Japan’s national rice wine and has been used in Japanese cooking for centuries.
It’s made from rice that is fermented with alcohol, koji, and sugar with a sweet, syrupy flavor and almost amber color.
Mirin is an essential ingredient in many Japanese dishes, including teriyaki, and can be used to add a touch of sweetness to savory dishes.
It’s also a popular ingredient in marinades and glazes.
If you’re looking for the best recipes that include mirin, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a roundup of our 11 best mirin recipes!
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Read for freeIn this post we'll cover:
- 1 Top 11 best recipes with mirin
- 1.1 Easy Dashimaki Tamago (Dashi Tamagoyaki) Egg Recipe
- 1.2 Oyakodon recipe (Chicken & egg bowl)
- 1.3 Japanese Ramen Fish Cakes: Narutomaki
- 1.4 Miso nikomi udon recipe
- 1.5 Katsudon without dashi (with rice)
- 1.6 Yoshinoya teriyaki chicken bowl
- 1.7 TenDon “tempura donburi” recipe
- 1.8 Pork Belly Udon Soup
- 1.9 Yakitori
- 1.10 Teriyaki tofu
- 1.11 Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki with noodles
- 2 11 Best Recipes with Mirin
- 3 FAQs
- 4 Final thoughts
Top 11 best recipes with mirin
Many Japanese dishes are made using mirin, which is a special type of rice wine.
Mirin is used to add sweetness and depth of flavor to a dish. Here are 11 of the best recipes with mirin.
Easy Dashimaki Tamago (Dashi Tamagoyaki) Egg Recipe
The Japanese wrapped omelette is called dashimaki tamago, or dashi tamagoyaki.
It is traditionally made by rolling a mixture of eggs and dashi, a Japanese stock, into a thin omelette. This is then rolled and cut into bite-sized pieces.
This dish is popular for its rich, savory flavor and tender consistency. It can be served as a side dish or appetizer or incorporated into other recipes like sushi rolls.
It’s very easy to make our Dashimaki Tamago (Dashi Tamagoyaki) Egg recipe. Dashi stock is combined with mirin, soy sauce, and sugar to create a flavorful base.
Simply beat eggs with salt and pepper, then pour this mixture over the dashi stock.
Cook on low heat until the omelette is firm, then flip and cook on the other side. Let cool slightly before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
Oyakodon recipe (Chicken & egg bowl)
The Oyakodon chicken and egg bowl is one of Japan’s most popular comfort foods.
This dish is made by simmering chicken and onions in a soy-based broth, then adding fluffy cooked eggs on top of rice.
The key to making a delicious oyakodon is to use high-quality ingredients. You will want to start with a flavorful, tender chicken and fresh, lightly cooked eggs, and a tasty base.
For this, you need dashi stock, mirin, cooking sake, soy sauce, and sugar. This mixture gives the chicken and eggs a rich, savory flavor that complements the tender rice and onions.
If you want an authentic oyakodon cooking experience, you can use a special oyakodon pan.
Even though you don’t need this to begin creating oyakodon, using this pan to prepare and serve the food gives you a truly Japanese experience.
Of course, you may prepare the dish in your kitchen with just a little pot or saucepan.
Japanese Ramen Fish Cakes: Narutomaki
Narutomaki is one of the most popular types of fish cakes used in Japanese ramen recipes.
These cylindrical-shaped fish cakes are usually made from processed fish, such as mackerel or pollock, and are flavored with mirin, salt, and sugar.
The most distinctive feature of narutomaki is the pink spiral that runs through the center.
This pink color is derived from food coloring, but it gives the fish cakes a fun, playful look that is perfect for kids and adults alike.
Although it looks tricky, it is quite easy to make these fishcakes yourself.
Narutomaki are traditionally served as an accompaniment to ramen dishes.
They are often added to steaming bowls of noodles and broth, where their rich flavor pairs well with the spicy, salty base.
Miso nikomi udon recipe
This recipe makes a tasty Japanese noodle soup called miso nikomi udon.
To make this dish, you will first need to prepare a broth made from chicken, dashi stock, mirin, miso, and mushrooms, and then add udon noodles, aburaage, and fish cakes.
The key to making this dish is getting the broth to just the right consistency.
You want it to be thick enough that the noodles can absorb some of the flavor, but not so thick that it coats the noodles and makes them soggy.
This dish is best enjoyed when topped with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil.
If you want to make this dish extra special, you can add boiled eggs or shredded nori for a little extra flavor and texture.
Katsudon without dashi (with rice)
So far, most recipes on this list contain dashi. If you’re not a fan of dashi, you can make this delicious katsudon pork with rice instead.
Katsudon is a panko-breaded pork cutlet with eggs, and sautéed onions on top of a bed of steamed rice.
It’s the definition of comfort food, and it comes together in one bowl! This type of dish is called Japanese donburi, aka rice bowls.
The good news is that Katsudon may be customized to your preferences.
Even without the umami flavor of dashi stock, you can modify the sauce to make it taste just as good if you don’t like dashi.
Adding mirin gives the sauce a sweet flavor and helps it stick to the pork.
Yoshinoya teriyaki chicken bowl
Do you love the taste of chicken teriyaki? Then you’ll love the taste of Yoshinoya’s teriyaki chicken bowl.
This popular fast-food chain is known for its delicious dishes that combine savory chicken and vegetables with delicious teriyaki marinade.
This dish is served over steamed white rice, and it has that perfect umami flavor that is not too sweet and not too savory.
To make this recipe, you’ll make your own version of teriyaki sauce using soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ginger juice.
Then you’ll mix this sauce with chicken thighs and cook it until the chicken is tender and juicy.
Top your bowl off with some steamed broccoli or sautéed bok choy for a complete meal!
TenDon “tempura donburi” recipe
You can’t say you’ve tried Japanese cuisine until you dig into a Donburi rice bowl.
This TenDon recipe features tempura-fried shrimp, veggies, and delicious mirin, soy, and dashi sauce served over steamed rice.
Tempura is a Japanese dish of fried food, in this case, prawns, and donburi is a classic rice bowl.
What makes this dish extra special is the addition of the hot sweet, and savory sauce which is drizzled over the rice and prawns.
To make this recipe, you have to fry the prawns in tempura batter and then put them over the steamed rice.
Next, make a simmered sauce with mirin, soy sauce, dashi, and a bit of sugar. Combine the ingredients and serve while hot!
Serve your Ten Don in the proper earthenware with these beautiful & authentic donburi bowls
Pork Belly Udon Soup
This delicious udon soup recipe features tender pork belly, udon noodles, and a variety of vegetables.
The key to making this dish is to simmer the pork belly in water until it is cooked through. This renders the fat and makes the meat tender and juicy.
The cooked pork belly is then simmered in a sake, mirin, soy sauce, and dashi-based soup broth.
This gives the soup a delicious umami flavor that is well balanced with the sweetness of the mirin and the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Then the udon noodles and pork are combined with tasty veggies like bok choy and bean sprouts. This soup is a popular lunch dish in Japan, and it’s easy to see why!
Yakitori
If you love barbecue chicken, you must try this delicious chicken skewer recipe, grilled on a tabletop grill.
Of course, you can use an electric grill or your outdoor BBQ for this, but the most important is the sauce which gives yakitori a uniquely Japanese flavor!
To make yakitori sauce, you’ll need to combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake.
This sweet and savory sauce is made by simmering the liquid ingredients until they thicken. You then brush it on the chicken while grilling.
The yakitori sauce gives the chicken a delicious glaze, and the grill adds a smokey aroma.
You can also dip the chicken skewers into the sauce if you like. Usually, yakitori is served alongside beer and snacks like yaki onigiri.
Want to make yakitori at home? Have a look at some of the tools I recommend for the best results
Teriyaki tofu
Vegetarians rejoice! We have a tasty teriyaki recipe that uses tofu instead of chicken or beef.
Tofu is a great source of protein, and it soaks up flavor like a sponge.
That makes it the perfect ingredient for this delicious teriyaki with a sweet and salty sauce that contains mirin.
Firm tofu is coated and baked in the oven until crispy and golden.
Then you make a sauce with ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and brown sugar, and then add in your baked tofu.
The result is a delicious vegetarian dish that is packed with flavor. Serve it over steamed rice or noodles, and top with green onions and sesame seeds for a complete meal.
People always love this recipe because it’s healthy and easy to make. You can even use bottled teriyaki sauce if you want a shortcut.
Learn all about the origin of teriyaki here (you’d be surprised about the connection with Hawaii!)
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki with noodles
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake that is popular in the Hiroshima region, but in that region, it’s layered, unlike the regular okonomiyaki.
In Hiroshima, they usually put noodles in between the layers of the pancake, which makes it even more filling and delicious!
Our easy and delicious recipe includes bacon, shrimp, eggs, cabbage, yakisoba noodles, flour, mirin, bonito flakes, oil, and green onions.
This combination is then grilled on both sides until crisp and golden brown.
The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is then topped with a special sauce called okonomiyaki sauce and some aonori.
This pancake is served as a fast-food dish in Hiroshima, and it’s easy to see why! It’s savory, filling, and satisfying.
All out of mirin? Order it online (this is my favorite brand), or use one of these 12 substitutes that work just as well in a pinch
11 Best Recipes with Mirin
Equipment
- 1 tamagoyaki (square) pan
- 2 long chopsticks
- 1 Bamboo rolling mat
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 60 ml dashi
- 20 ml mirin
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- some grated Daikon radish for garnish
Instructions
- Four eggs should be cracked into a bowl and whisked lightly back and forth using chopsticks. Don’t whisk in a circular motion to separate the yolks and whites. Beat eggs gently.
- Make the dashi stock according to package instructions.
- In a separate bowl, add dashi, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Mix well until all the ingredients are dissolved.
- Heat the tamagoyaki pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of cooking oil.
- You can use a greased paper towel or brush to spread the oil around in the pan.
- Pour in about a quarter of the egg mixture to form a thin layer. Be sure the bottom of the pan is fully coated and pop any air bubbles that form.
- When the omelette seems to be cooked halfway, begin rolling the layer of egg from the back towards yourself.
- Keep rolling until the omelette is rolled to the edge of the pan.
- Once done, transfer the omelette to the sushi mat. Press and roll the egg to give it the classic Japanese rolled omelette shape.
- Next, cut the omelette into 1 inch pieces and grate some daikon radish on top as garnish.
Notes
FAQs
How to use mirin in rice?
To use mirin in rice, simply add it to the water before cooking. This will give the rice a nice flavor and aroma.
If you want to use it in donburi or fried rice, add it when stir-frying the ingredients. Or, drizzle on rice when you’re cooking with it. It adds flavor and color to your dish!
Mirin is also one of the most important ingredients in sushi rice (besides the rice of course).
Here’s how to make traditional sushi rice:
How to use mirin in soup?
If you want to use mirin in soup, add it when you are almost done cooking the soup. This will give the soup a nice flavor and aroma.
Or, drizzle it on soup when you’re cooking with it. It adds flavor and color to your dish!
How to use mirin in stir-fry?
If you want to use mirin in stir-fry, add it when you are almost done cooking the dish. This will give the stir-fry a nice flavor and aroma.
Alternately, drizzle it on stir-fry when you’re cooking with it. You can also marinate the meat in mirin before cooking it.
Final thoughts
Mirin is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different dishes. It’s a great way to add flavor and depth of flavor to your cooking!
It’s no wonder this ingredient is so popular in Japanese cuisine. It pairs and mixes well with other seasonings and condiments without overpowering them.
Japanese cuisine wouldn’t be the same without mirin! Try using mirin in your cooking, and you’ll see what we mean.
Now before you go off to stock up on mirin, learn why the difference between aji mirin and hon mirin matters so you can make the right choice at the shop
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Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
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Read for freeJoost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.