Updated March 3rd, 2026 Whenever I meet someone and they ask, “You know what I just love from your restaurant?”, nine times out of ten, I know they are going to say, your Thai Red Curry Beef. I’m not surprised. The combination of meat and read more
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant before you may be familiar with family meal. In our restaurants, family meal is always served between lunch and dinner shifts so the whole staff can eat together. Ideally family meals are filling, quick to make so they read more
I feel like the words “bacon wrapped” alone should be enough to get you running into your kitchen, but these Bacon Wrapped Mochi are truly the perfect snack. Salty, sweet, and savory hit all the right notes; ready in minutes with just a handful of ingredients, these Bacon Wrapped Mochi take snacking to the stratosphere! My inspiration for this snack comes from bacon wrapped dates, which for many years featured prominently as a quick, last minute appetizer in my house, when I was strapped for time (literally every family get together) and needed something to serve with drinks. I loved how little effort was needed for something so delicious. As popular as bacon wrapped dates have become, hopefully these Bacon Wrapped Mochi will too.
Like its forefather, Bacon Wrapped Mochi follows a similar minimalist theme: only two items for the main item plus a simple two ingredient glaze. The glaze borrows from the all too addictive combination of bacon and maple syrup. By itself it’s a match made in pig heaven, but the touch of soy gives the glaze a toasty umami punch that you’ll love. Chewy delicious Bacon Wrapped Mochi bites are just as amazing as they sound, so let’s get into it.
If the only mochi you are familiar with are the little ice cream filled treats, you are probably feeling quite confused right about now. There are many different kinds of mochi or rice cakes enjoyed in Japan. Mochi is made from glutinous or sticky rice. It’s not the same type of rice you would eat with a Japanese meal. Traditionally, the glutinous rice is steamed and then pounded. The mochi is then eaten in lots of different ways: topped with sweet or savory sauces and condiments, stuffed with sweet beans, served in soups and stews, grilled until toasted and crackly, and even deep fried. Like rice, mochi is a blank canvas, and the sky is the limit on creativity.
The mochi that we use to make Bacon Wrapped Mochi is known as kirimochi. These are individually wrapped little blocks of shelf stable rice cakes. They are found in most Asian markets and easily found online. Kirimochi is incredibly convenient to keep on hand whenever you’re in the mood for mochi. Straight out of the bag, these mochi blocks are very dense and hard. But after they’re cooked, they have a fabulous soft, chewy and sticky texture that’s really fun. Once you make Bacon Wrapped Mochi, you are going to want to have a bag in your pantry at all times so you can whip this delectable snack up again and again.
I start making these Bacon Wrapped Mochi by cutting the kirimochi. Some brands are pre-scored to make it easier to cut through the mochi. Start by cutting into the mochi and then gently rock the knife back and forth to cut through the dense block. Each block should be cut into three equal pieces.
Then I cut the bacon slices in half. You can use whatever type of bacon you like but choose a standard cut. The thick cut bacon makes it difficult to cook through to the center once it’s wrapped and will prevent heat from cooking the mochi.
Once the bacon is cut, simply wrap one piece around a chunk of mochi. Then secure it at the end with a toothpick. Coincidentally, the toothpicks also make a simple handle for picking up and eating the mochi bites after they are cooked. It’s not necessary to soak the toothpicks in water. The cooking time is too quick to do any damage. However, make sure that your toothpicks are plain (no mint flavor!) and don’t have any plastic decoration that could burn in the pan.
A medium 10 inch pan should be large enough to fit all of your Bacon Wrapped Mochi. Place all of the pieces in the pan and then cook it over medium heat. Bacon has a lot of fat that will start to render as it cooks so it’s not necessary to put any extra oil in the pan. Once you’ve cooked one side and the bacon is nice and browned, flip it over and cook the other.
You will notice a lot of oil in the pan once you’ve cooked the mochi. Take a paper towel and mop up the excess grease. (Never pour grease down the sink or you will face plumbing problems down the road). Finally, add the maple syrup and soy sauce to the pan and cook it for a couple minutes, turning the mochi bites to coat them well in the glaze.
Let the Bacon Wrapped Mochi cook for another minute to get all nice and glazed in the pan sauce:
And now this perfect little snack is ready to serve. Believe me, they will be fought over!
You can serve these bacon wrapped mochi as an appetizer, or pass around at a cocktail party (yuzu margaritas anyone?), serve with other snacky dishes like Burdock Chips and Edamame Hummus, or just make a plate full and enjoy them as a meal all by themselves. However you decide to inhale them, leave a comment and let me know. And don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!
Keywords: bacon, mochi, snacks, appetizers, japanese
How many times have you heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? Now….how often do you actually eat breakfast? Yeah, me too. It’s just a lot to expect a person to get up and do everything they have to do to get read more
Sweetened red bean paste, or Anko, is probably one of Japan’s most recognized sweet flavors. It’s used in mochi, ice cream, and pastries. It’s even delightful just spread on toast. You can find anko in Asian markets, but it’s so much better when made from scratch! With just a handful of ingredients and only a few minutes of active time, you can have your own sweet red bean paste ready to incorporate into easy Japanese inspired desserts.
Although beans in sweets may seem strange to a Western palate, they are very common in East Asia. We use all different kinds and they are typically cooked, sweetened, mashed to some degree, and then used as a filling, topping, or garnish. They have a subtle earthy flavor, creamy texture, with a sweetness that is just right. If you like desserts made with chestnuts or sweet potatoes, I would say anko is in the same family.
Sweet red bean paste is made with azuki beans. They are a small red bean grown throughout South East Asia. They have a very mild flavor with a hint of sweetness, which is why they take so well to dessert applications. There are two different kinds of red bean paste made with Azuki beans: a chunky rough one which is chock full of whole beans and then a smooth one, where all of the skins and fiber have been strained out. Anko is seen as the more casual, every day kind of sweet- the kind you plop on some ice cream, sandwich between a simple layer cake, or just spoon out of the container (ok maybe that’s just me).
Koshian, the smooth Azuki paste, has a lighter flavor and color, and is reserved for beautiful, sophisticated sweets typically purchased at a specialty store. I would equate the differences as akin to the feud between chunky and smooth peanut butter, where each has its fans.
So today, we’re making the chunky version. Turning the Azuki beans into Anko first involves softening the beans.
Then drain the beans, and again cover them with water and bring to a simmer.
The beans will need to simmer for one and a half to two hours, until they are soft enough to easily crush with your fingers.
Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the beans are shiny but still a little loose, about 10-12 minutes. The bean liquid will thicken as it cools. I like to leave just enough liquid so it cools into a thick wet mass, scoop-able and not runny. If you prefer it more wet because you plan on using it as a loose topping, cook it for 4-5 minutes instead.
Once the anko has been cooled to room temperature, it’s ready to be used. Serve it spooned on pound cake, topped on ice cream, or as a surprise filling for french toast. Top my Matcha Cake with it for a very Japanese inspired dessert. Or just sneak spoonfuls of it from the fridge-it’s a very healthy, lightly sweet snack. It keeps for about about a week in the fridge but you can also freeze it as well. I split up my batch into smaller container and freeze it all. When I feel like having some, I will either defrost it overnight in the fridge or pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes on low power.
Make some this week and see why it is such an enduring favorite. When you do, let me know what you think. Comment on the recipe below, and don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!
*Anko will keep for a week in the fridge. It also freezes very well.
Keywords: azuki beans, sweet bean paste, desserts, sweets, japanese, vegan
Hi there!
I’m Kazu, a restaurateur in Miami who wants to show you all of the best tricks for creating restaurant quality Asian meals at home.
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