13 Japanese Frozen Foods We Wish We Had In The US
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There's an innumerable amount of frozen food options to choose from in the U.S. and around the world. Every country has its own specialties, from frozen pizza to French fries and ice cream. But frozen food in Japan? That's a whole different ball game.
According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the average amount Japanese families spend on frozen foods has risen by 20% since the pandemic between 2019 to 2021, and the country's love affair with frozen food shows no signs of slowing down. Aeon, one of Japan's largest grocery store chains, even opened a specialized frozen food store in 2022 with over 1,500 options.
Quick, convenient, and tasty — not to mention fairly affordable, too — frozen food in Japan is in a league of its own. We've rounded up some delicious Japanese frozen foods we wish we had in the U.S., from ramen to onigiri, and omurice to okonomiyaki.
Nissui Okina Okina Yaki Onigiri
Onigiri, rice balls made from white rice, usually formed into a triangular shape, are popular across Japan. You'll find fresh onigiri in most Japanese convenience stores or konbini, and it's easy to make your own at home. But when time is short, these frozen Yaki Onigiri from Nissu are an excellent choice.
Great as a snack or part of a tasty lunch, these affordable little onigiris have a good texture and a crispy yet sticky exterior coated with soy sauce. Packing plenty of umami flavor, they're not as crispy as homemade onigiri, but if you have a little more time, you could always crisp them up in a dry pan after microwaving them.
For days when you're in a hurry but simply must have onigiri, these frozen ones pack a real punch in the flavor department. No hassle, no mess, shaping onigiri, and ready in just a couple of minutes in the microwave. What more could you ask for? Now we just need these to come to U.S. grocery stores.
Häagen Dazs
You're probably thinking, what about Häagen Dazs here in the U.S.? While you're technically right to be confused, in Japan, there are loads of weird and wonderful Häagen Dazs flavors that we don't get here.
First up: Sakura, or cherry blossom flavor. It's light, floral, and sweet — but it's a limited edition, so even if you're in Japan, you might not be able to find it. We hope this flavor will come to the U.S. one day, but we're not holding our breath. There's also a limited edition triple cherry blossom mochi flavor.
Other delicious flavors we can't get over here include strawberry tiramisu and limited edition flavors like 2018's Story Time duo with a fairytale theme — Alice's Tea with Cookies and Snow White's Apples with Custard sound absolutely amazing to us. Truth be told, we're a bit gutted to have missed them but excited to see what other flavors will be launched in Japan in the future.
Nichirei Authentic Stir Fried Rice
Sometimes there's nothing for it: You're craving fried rice, and you simply must have it. Making your own can be messy and time-consuming, and you'll likely need to run to the grocery store for a long list of ingredients — not what you want after a long day at work. If you live in Japan, you can enjoy the next best thing to homemade fried rice with a frozen option. This one by Nichirei is packed with fluffy rice, soft, scrambled eggs, and juicy char sui pork.
Not only is heating this in the microwave easier and quicker than making your own fried rice, but it's also a more affordable option, as you won't need to shop for ingredients. Perfect for a single serving, you can satisfy those fried rice cravings in minutes. One Amazon reviewer praised the flavor of this fried rice, saying, "I ate all kinds of frozen fried rice in supermarkets and convenience stores, but personally, Nichirei fried rice is the most delicious." Who are we to argue? You might not be able to find this exact fried rice at your local store or Asian grocery store, but keep an eye out in the frozen section, as you might spot other brands.
Otafuku Seafood Okonimiyaki
Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake that's more like an omelet, often filled with cabbage and pork belly, is a popular dish at bars, restaurants, and street food vendors across Japan. It's not the most difficult dish to make yourself at home, but why would you bother when you can microwave, pan-fry, or oven-bake this delicious frozen okonomiyaki at home? In the box, you get okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, and seaweed powder. There's even a microwaveable plate, so you won't need to wash any dishes after you've eaten.
This seafood okonomiyaki from Otafuku is packed with shrimp, squid, and cabbage. It tastes pretty good, but it is quite salty. The included okonomiyaki sauce is also extremely flavorful, packed with umami flavor, but again, it's quite salty, so add it to taste. We definitely wish we had this seafood okonomiyaki here in the U.S., as it looks like a great snack or light lunch for busy days. We bet it smells great while it's cooking, too.
Taiyaki
Taiyaki, a traditional Japanese dessert shaped like a fish and usually filled with red bean paste, is a street food that's sold across Japan. Generally served fresh and warm, this little cake is a delicious sweet treat that can be enjoyed alone or served with cream or ice cream. In Japan, you don't even have to leave the house for your taiyaki fix, as you can buy bags of these little fish cakes frozen. Defrost them and enjoy cold or reheat them at home in the oven for just a few minutes.
The fluffy pancake outside is sweet and soft, while the azuki bean paste on the inside tastes authentic. Eaten cold, the bean paste tastes like ice cream. If you prefer your taiyaki fluffy, it's best to reheat these in the oven. We wish we had these in the U.S. so we could have taiyaki whenever the craving strikes. Until then, we'll need to find specialist bakeries and street vendors serving up fresh taiyaki warm from the oven.
Nichirei Yaki Onigiri Rice Balls
Next up on our list is more onigiri. Since they're so popular in Japan, there are loads of different types and brands available in the frozen food section, and this pack of ten yaki onigiri from Nichirei is the perfect choice for lunch or a snack.
Offering great value for money, these yaki onigiris have a soy sauce coating that's been grilled for extra flavor, and they taste delicious. Their compact size makes them easier to eat or pack in a lunchbox for snacking on the go. Eat them as is, or add toppings of your choice.
These little onigiris can be heated in just a few minutes in the microwave, making them super convenient. For a more authentic, crispy finish, they can be toasted in a dry pan or your toaster oven. How cute and flavorsome do these look? We'd love it if these were available in our local grocery store.
TableMark Takoyaki
Ball-shaped takoyaki can be found across Japan — though they're an Osaka specialty. Their name literally means octopus grilled or fried, and these moreish little fritters are generally packed with octopus, green onions, and ginger. In Japan, you can get your takoyaki fix at home, thanks to frozen takoyaki available at most frozen food stores in the country.
These battered octopus balls from TableMark can be microwaved in under four minutes, making them a super convenient snack or part of a main meal. You get a paper tray included, which means no dishes to do, and a sachet of sauce too. Once reheated, there's a delicious dashi aroma and rich, umami flavor, with green onions, ginger, and surprisingly tender octopus. There's no denying these takoyaki are tasty.
If you've got a bit more time, you can amp up the flavor by adding bonito flakes and seaweed to your takoyaki. Sadly, you're unlikely to find these in U.S. stores, though you may be lucky enough to find something similar if you live in a major city with a large Asian grocery store.
Nippn Seasoned Clam Rice and Simmer Mackerel with Miso
Here in the U.S., we can only dream of microwaveable frozen bento that's good enough to eat as a main meal. Step up this Seasoned Clam Rice and Simmer Mackerel from Nippon. On opening the packet, the first thing you'll notice is that this looks like fresh food. It's a great alternative to home cooking for days when busy Japanese workers just can't muster the energy to prepare a home-cooked meal.
With lightly seasoned rice, plump clams, saba fish, and a veggie side dish, it's a complete meal ready in just a few minutes in the microwave. It looks pretty healthy, and it's definitely one of the more balanced options on our list. The mackerel has a strong sweet, and savory flavor that's the perfect complement to the lightly seasoned rice. We're amazed at how healthy and delicious some Japanese frozen foods are. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to grab bento dishes like this in the U.S. to prepare at home.
Nishin Omurice
Omurice is an east meets west creation that's popular in Japan. A fluffy omelet is filled with ketchup-flavored fried rice, usually made with chicken. It sounds delicious, but preparing it at home requires a fair bit of time and a list of ingredients that you might not have to hand.
In Japan, you can satisfy your omurice craving with this Nishin Omurice, ready in under five minutes, fresh from your microwave. It looks pretty good, with an omelet that almost appears homemade. Inside, it is delicious, buttery chicken fried rice packed with peas and carrots. There's also plenty of ketchup flavor, though it's traditional to add your own ketchup on top, too.
We're a bit sad that we can't get this frozen omurice in the U.S. There's nothing quite like the flavor combo of omelet with chicken fried rice and ketchup. The next time an omurice craving hits, we guess we'll just have to make our own.
Frozen Toasted Sweet Potato
One Japanese frozen food we really, really wish we had in the U.S. is these frozen toasted sweet potato cakes. There's nothing quite like them anywhere else, and it's far too easy to eat them all in one go. You get six of these little sweet potato cakes in a pack, and they're microwaveable in minutes. Tiny and cute, they have a glossy, bronzed finish that ensures they look as good as they taste.
These bite-sized sweet potato cakes are very sweet, with a soft, grainy texture — and they're packed with moreish sweet potato flavor. They even come in pretty little paper cases, so if you're heating them up to serve to friends and family, they'll be impressed. This isn't something we're likely to make at home, but we still wish we could get these in the States. They're delicious, cute, and the perfect snack that's ready in minutes for a burst of sweet potato flavor.
Lawson Value Tarezuke Karaage
Karaage fried chicken — chicken marinated in soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and sake then deep-fried — is readily available from Japanese restaurants and takeouts across the U.S., but what happens if you want to make your own at home? It's a pretty time-consuming process, yet when a craving for Japanese fried chicken strikes, it often has to be satisfied then and there. In Japan, karaage chicken is ready in minutes with this frozen version of the deep-fried, marinated chicken dish. This version from Lawson Value is super affordable, costing around 70 cents — and you get five pieces of chicken in the pack.
Though this karaage chicken doesn't go crispy in the microwave, it's still delicious. There's more batter than there is chicken, but you get a flavorful sweet teriyaki-style sauce that makes this a tasty snack or addition to your meal. We'll need to stick to takeout to get our karaage, but maybe one day we'll have something like this in the U.S.
Hokkaido Miso Ramen
No list of Japanese frozen foods is complete without ramen. You don't even need a microwave or any water to create this delicious Hokkaido frozen miso ramen at home in minutes. Inside the pack, you get soup and noodles, all in one. Just empty the pack into a pan and reheat for around six minutes for a hearty bowl of ramen. There's a nice bite to the noodles, with beansprouts, green onions, ground pork, and crunchy menma or dried fermented bamboo shoots. The flavor is rich, with good depth, packed with sweet, savory umami from the miso. Keeping this miso ramen in your freezer for whenever you want ramen is a great idea. We really wish we could get this in the U.S., so we could enjoy ramen in minutes at home without needing to order takeout from our local Japanese ramen bar or shop for a long list of ingredients.
Sara Udon
Sara udon, which literally means plate noodles, is a dish that originated in Japan's Nagasaki prefecture. Crispy noodles are topped with stir-fried seafood, vegetables, and seaweed. This frozen sara udon is no different, and it's actually quite a hearty meal that's quick to prepare. In the pack, you get a portion of dried, crispy noodles. The sachet of sauce is heated in the microwave for a bit and then poured over the noodles. Packed with shrimp, squid, pork, corn, carrots, and seaweed, this is loaded with flavor and really quick to prepare. You could add rice vinegar after cooking to enhance the flavor if you like.
For now, we'll need to stick to making our own sara udon at home or ordering takeout from our local restaurant. True, it's not a dish that takes very long to prepare, provided you have the ingredients to hand, but we can't help but wish we could get it frozen so we could have a steaming bowl of crispy noodles, seafood, and veggies ready in minutes.