Homemade Taiyaki with Red Bean Filling
Crispy Japanese fish-shaped pastries with a sweet red bean filling, made from simple pantry ingredients. A fun weekend treat that looks impressive but requires only basic mixing and pan-frying.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup canned red bean paste (adzuki)
- 3 tablespoons butter, for cooking
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 0.5 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt into a medium bowl and whisk together until no lumps remain and the mixture looks like fine sand.
- 2
Crack the egg into a separate small bowl and whisk it with a fork until the yolk and white are blended together, about 30 seconds.
- 3
Pour the beaten egg and 0.75 cup milk into the flour mixture and whisk together until smooth, with no streaks of dry flour visible, about 1 minute. The batter should pour easily but coat the whisk.
- 4
Place a taiyaki mold (fish-shaped cooking pan with two hinged halves) on the stove over medium heat and let it warm for 90 seconds until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately when dripped on the surface.
- 5
Brush both the top and bottom halves of the mold lightly with melted butter so the batter will not stick, using about 0.5 teaspoon per application.
- 6
Pour batter into the bottom half of the mold until it is three-quarters full, filling the space from the tail to the head.
- 7
Spoon 1 tablespoon of red bean paste onto the batter in the center, pressing it down slightly so it sinks into the batter but does not touch the edges of the mold.
- 8
Pour more batter on top of the filling until the batter nearly reaches the rim of the mold, covering the red bean paste completely.
- 9
Close the mold by folding the top half down onto the bottom half, pressing gently until the two halves are flush and you can see batter filling the fish outline through the seams.
- 10
Cook for 2 minutes, watching the seams of the mold—you should see small bubbles and batter beginning to brown slightly around the edges.
- 11
Using two heat-safe spatulas or wooden spoons, carefully pry open the mold to reveal a fish-shaped pastry with a golden-brown exterior, about the color of honey.
- 12
Transfer the cooked taiyaki to a plate using a spatula and set aside to cool for 1 minute, which will help it firm up.
- 13
Repeat steps 5–12 with the remaining batter and red bean paste, brushing the mold with butter each time, until all batter is used. You should make 6–8 taiyaki total.
- 14
Arrange the warm taiyaki on a serving plate and eat them as soon as they cool enough to touch, about 2 minutes. The outside will be crispy and the inside soft and warm.
Tools you’ll need
- taiyaki mold (fish-shaped hinged pan)
- medium mixing bowl
- small bowl
- whisk
- fork
- measuring cups and spoons
- two heat-safe spatulas or wooden spoons
- serving plate
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