Okonomiyaki, the Japanese cabbage pancake, always brings back memories of late-night meals at street stalls in Tokyo. This recipe uses the same flavors as okonomiyaki, but instead of cabbage, I use oven-baked tater tots as my base—their centers are tender enough to be reminiscent of the original, but their outsides are lovely and crunchy. Then I pile on all my favorite okonomiyaki toppings: sweet-savory sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, fresh scallion, and katsuobushi (thinly shaved bonito flakes). The result is fast and easy enough to make any night of the week.
To bulk up the plate: If you want a really hearty meal, put a fried egg on top of the dish. For something lighter, dress celery sticks in some sesame oil, a little soy sauce, and a good shake of furikake to make a salad similar to the one served at Bar Goto in New York.
Editor’s note: You can buy okonomiyaki sauce, or try this three-ingredient version to make it yourself.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Cook 10 oz. (280 g) frozen tater tots in an oven according to the instructions on the package. While they’re roasting, cut 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, in half lengthwise and then cut it very thinly crosswise. When the tater tots are ready, arrange them in a single layer on a plate, snuggled close together, and make thin zigzags of the okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise over them. Sprinkle on the scallion and a generous amount of nori-and-sesame-seed-based furikake. Lastly, distribute 1 handful katsuobushi on top of everything; the shavings will “dance” as the heat from the tater tots moves them.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
16 Standout Cookbooks for Spring 2025
Here are the titles our editors are cooking from at home—recipes included.
