28 Easy And Smokey Bonito Flakes Recipes

Bonito flakes are one of the most common ingredients you can find as part of many Japanese dishes, and part of the reason it is so popular is not just down to its smoky seafood flavor, but also due to just how nutritious it is being extremely low in fat while also being packed full of essential vitamins and minerals.

These dried, smoked and shaved fishy flakes are therefore an excellent ingredient to incorporate into a recipe, and luckily, there are more than a few tasty meals you can make using this delicious addition.

1. Layered Sausage & White Miso Oven Bake

The mixture of sausages and bonito flakes creates a delightfully rich taste which is enhanced massively by some creamy white miso sauce and a few tablespoons of butter, making this a quick and easy mid-week meal that can be made in just a few minutes.

2. Grilled Shishito Peppers With Bonito Flakes

Shishito peppers are a little sweeter than many of their peers and contain a very noticeable grassy citrusy flavor which is very similar to green peppers.

When grilled, it adds a slightly delicate crunch which goes perfectly with the deep and smoky flavor of some bonito flakes.

3. Spring Simmered Bamboo Shots With Bonito Flakes

Before simmering the bamboo shots, it’s usually better to stir fry and mix them in with a little oil to really bring out their natural flavors.

The bonito flakes help to add some extra crunch along with a little more of that familiar smoky seafood flavor that helps to elevate this dish to the next level.

4. Beansprout Stir Fry

Packed full of nutrients and ready to serve in just 5 minutes, this stir fry is chock full of sweet and savory ingredients including some smooth and delightful sake, chewy tofu, beansprouts, and of course, a few grams of bonito flakes to enrich the flavor and taste of this appetizing evening dish.

5. Bonito Flakes Rice Ball

If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating a rice ball, these miniature bitesize snacks are already delicious on their own, possessing an incredibly soft texture that’s a sheer delight to bite into especially when paired with a dash of Tuyu sauce, however, they become even tastier when covered in a layer of bonito flakes to add a slight hint of crunch while also making the entire flavor that much more delightful on the tastebuds.

6. Agedashi Tofu

When tofu is fried until golden and slightly crispy on the outside, it makes it so the inside is incredibly creamy which goes perfectly when mixed in with a nice and warm broth which is great for keeping you company in the colder months.

7. Steam Fried Aubergines

These steam-fried aubergines are the perfect side addition to any main meal since they are very small in appearance but still bursting with contrasting flavors that make them delicious to bite into, however they’re also great for those special occasions and gatherings when you want an easy-to-make party food that makes full use of the rich texture and flavor of bonito flakes.

8. Dashi Soup

Dashi soup is a Japanese delicacy that infuses a few simple ingredients that might not be very exciting on their own, but when mixed into a warm and creamy broth, it creates a delightful dish that is pure bliss to enjoy when winding down for the day.

Not only is it easy to make, but Dashi can actually be used as an ingredient to enhance other recipes, so it’s always worth knowing about.

9. Sausage & Egg Rice Burger

Looking for a nutritious spin on the regular burger formula?

This recipe uses blocks of rice in exchange for sesame buns and is packed with sausages to give it that familiar meaty flavor, along with bonito flakes, lettuce, eggs and miso to create a messy burger bursting with flavor that won’t ramp up the calories like its counterparts.

10. Easy Natto & Bonito Flake Pasta Lunch

While bonito flakes can be used to enhance just about any kind of pasta, they are specifically great when mixed with the creamy and delicate texture of some natto noodles, especially when you mix in a tablespoon of butter to make this one of the creamiest pasta dishes you can make.

11. Japanese Fried Eggplants And Crispy Bonito Flakes With Dashi Sauce

This recipe makes full use of Dashi sauce to give the sliced-up fried and crunchy eggplants a little more of a noticeable kick to their flavor, and alongside that distinctive crunchiness, you also get that strong smokey seafood flavor thanks to the crispy bonito flakes.

12. Summer Soba

With only a handful of ingredients required including some asparagus and addictive Teriyaki sauce, this seafood-based lunch is light, refreshing and perfect when the temperatures spike outside.

13. Miso Soup With Squid Dumplings

The squid dumplings in this recipe melt in your mouth with each and every bite, making them both perfect as a party appetizer, or even as part of a main meal at the dinner table, especially when mixed with some tasty dried bonito flakes.

14. Kombu Dashi Risotto With Bonito Flakes

This chicken and bonito flake risotto puts a delightful spin on the recipe we are all so familiar with and makes for an excellent comforting dish that will heat you right up in the colder seasons.

15. Rice With Soy-Glazed Bonito Flakes

Whether you have some leftover rice that you don’t want to see go to waste, or you’ve just prepared a fresh bowl and are wondering how to add some flavor to it, you can never go wrong with adding the rich and smoky flavor of bonito flakes smothered in everyone’s favorite soy-sauce.

16. Saucy Fish Pie

Smoked haddock, prawns and scallops are just a few of the delicious seafood ingredients that go into crafting this scrumptious pie which is perfect for sharing around the dinner table.

17. Hawaiian Fried Chicken

The crispy bonito flakes and soy sauce really help to give these chicken thighs that melt-in-the-mouth sensation that is so essential when preparing some delicate and creamy chicken.

18. Roasted Cauliflower Takoyaki-Style

A nutritious and delicious recipe to add even more flavor to cauliflowers, the bonito flakes help to add even more crunch to this tasteful and healthy ingredient, perfect as a small but appetizing side dish.

19. Onion In Oyster Sauce With Bonito Flakes

Easy to make and only requiring 4 total ingredients, this is a creamy bowl of nutritional goodness that is a simple way to make a fulfilling evening dish with just a little amount of bonito flakes.

20. Broccoli Mixed With Bonito Flakes

When covered with a light layer of bonito flakes, broccoli becomes both crunchier, and much more potent in its flavor, making for the perfect addition to a warm and brothy soup recipe.

21. Quinoa With Okra

You really can’t go wrong with the sweet and creamy mixture of quinoa, soy sauce and bonito flakes all mixed into an incredibly warm and appetizing Dashi broth.

22. Mushroom And Cream Dashi Pasta

This recipe puts a smoky spin on the classic mushroom pasta recipe by infusing the deep and rich flavors of Dashi broth alongside the crunchy and smokey sensation of bonito flakes, making for a delightful switch up from the norm.

23. Potato Crackers With Bonito Flakes

With a little bit of cake flour, grated cheese and a single potato, you can create some of the most delicious crackers that have even more crunch added to them thanks to the bonito flakes stuffed into the core.

24. Cabbage And Cucumber With Pickled Apricot And Bonito Flakes

This healthy bitesize dish uses apricot to give a very sweet-tart flavor to the already juicy cucumber along with bonito flakes to make the whole recipe a little more crunchy, perfect as a late night nutritious snack.

25. Chicken Breast With Pickled Plums And Bonito Flakes

With a dash of sake to make the chicken a little more tender and some pickled plums to allow the meat’s natural flavors to bubble to the top, this is a dish those meat lovers won’t want to miss out on.

26. Spaghetti Carbonara With Bonito Flakes

Bonito flakes are the crunchy substitute for bacon or pancetta in this recipe, and are an excellent way to spicen up a recipe that’s so close to so many of our hearts.

27. Deep Fried Vegetable And Prawn Patties

The vegetable oil and mayo in this recipe help to make the texture of these snacks as soft as possible which only makes the delicate crunch of the bonito flakes even more noticeable.

28. Classic Miso Soup

If you don’t want to spend too much time on fancy recipes and want something quick and easy, this classic miso soup combines silken tofu, thin scallion and bonito flakes to make it as luscious as it can possibly be and perfect as an afternoon snack, or even a hearty breakfast option.

Summary

Try out a few of these delicious recipes that make full use of the rich and smokey taste of bonito flakes today!