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freshly made Japanese Taiyaki fish

Japanese Taiyaki Fish Cake

Taiyaki is a classic Japanese street food dessert shaped like a fish but filled with sweet red bean paste. The golden, crispy outside and warm, creamy inside make it a comforting treat you can easily make at home.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Servings: 4 fish cakes
Course: Dessert, Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 200
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup sweet red bean paste anko
  • Oil or butter for greasing the pan

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In another bowl, beat egg with sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth.
  3. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is like pancake batter.
  4. Heat a Taiyaki pan on medium heat and lightly grease it.
  5. Pour a thin layer of batter into one side of the fish mold.
  6. Add about 1 teaspoon of red bean paste in the center.
  7. Cover with more batter until the mold is filled.
  8. Close the pan, cook 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes.
  9. Check for a golden-brown color. Remove carefully.
  10. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes

  • Don’t overfill with bean paste or it’ll leak out during cooking.
  • You can swap the filling with custard, Nutella, or sweet potato paste.
  • Best enjoyed fresh, but you can freeze extras and reheat later in the oven or air fryer.