Taco Rice (タコライス): Classic Okinawan Fusion Dish

Taco Rice (タコライス) is a classic fusion dish from Okinawa Prefecture (Kyushu Region).

It consists of typical taco fillings (i.e. ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese) served over steamed rice instead of the typical tortilla or taco shell.

The dish was originally created in Okinawa to cater to the many US military personnel in the area. It has since become a signature dish of the islands.

Read on for more interesting info about taco rice!

Ingredients

The main ingredients of Taco Rice are:

• Rice
• Lettuce
• Cheese
• Tomato
• Beef

Standard Japanese short-grain rice is used.

The most typical toppings are seasoned ground beef, lettuce, shredded cheese, and tomatoes. Some other common ingredients may include onions and avocado.

For sauce, some sort of tomato based salsa is usually used, but sometimes simply ketchup is used.

Many restaurants will have their own unique twist on things, so make sure to try as many places as you can. 😉

Location / Where to Eat Taco Rice

Taco rice can be found all around Okinawa.

You can buy it at convenience stores, and at the supermarket. You can even buy do-it-yourself taco rice packs to cook at home with.

There are also many restaurants that specialize in the dish.

Sometimes, even nation-wide fast food chains like Sukiya feature taco rice (for a limited time at time of writing this). The Yoshinoya stores in Okinawa actually have taco rice as a standard menu item (i.e. Okinawa menu only).

If you want to try the taco rice that started it all, you need to head over to King Tacos:

Original Taco Rice Shop in Kin Town

The original taco rice is from a shop in Kin Town called Parlor Senri (パーラー千里). The shop actually closed in 2015, but the same owner had also started a separate taco rice chain called “King Tacos” (キングタコス) which is still going strong.

King Tacos has multiple shops throughout Okinawa, with the original store still in Kin Town (Google Maps link). If you want to try the “original” taste of taco rice, then Kin Town is the place to be.

Kin Town actually now markets itself as “The Town with the Best Taco Rice in the World” (タコライス世界一の町), so I guess it is the place to go if you really love taco rice. 😂

Read more about the interesting history of taco rice below!

History / Origin of Taco Rice

The history of taco rice is relatively short.

The dish was first created in 1984 by Matsuzo Giho (儀保松三), the owner of a shop called Parlor Senri (パーラー千里) in Kin Town, Okinawa.

In Kin Town, there is a major US military base (Camp Hansen), and many local businesses catered towards the American soldiers there.

During the mid 1980s, the Japanese Yen suddenly appreciated drastically against the US dollar (due to introduction of a floating exchange rate), and the soldiers there could no longer afford the same things as before.

To save his business, Giho decided to create a quick, cheap and filling dish to cater to the suddenly poor American troops. He threw some taco ingredients on top of rice, and taco rice was born!

At first, taco rice was thought to be weird, but its popularity grew by word of mouth as the American soldiers were fond of the taste, and huge portions. Local Japanese residents also began eating it, as it was probably a great deal.

Realizing its popularity, Giho then started a taco rice specialty store called “King Tacos” (キングタコス). Through King Tacos, this unique fusion dish slowly spread throughout the island, and is now recognized as one of Okinawa’s signature “soul foods”.

The original Parlor Senri shop closed in 2015, but King Tacos is still going strong with multiple locations throughout Okinawa main island (including its original in Kin Town).

How to make Taco Rice

Making taco rice is pretty much what you would expect:

Chop up some lettuce, and tomatoes. Shred some cheese. Stir fry some ground meat. Put everything on top of rice. Top with salsa or ketchup, and enjoy!

If you want some more detailed instructions, check out this super simple recipe from kurashiru:

Basic Taco Rice Recipe (タコライス)

Course: MainCuisine: Japanese, OkinawanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

Super easy, authentic Okinawan taco rice recipe via kurashiru.

Equipment & Ingredients

• Equipment

• Frying pan

• Knife and cutting board

• Main Ingredients

• Cooked rice … 2 servings

• Minced meat … 150g

• Cooking/Salad oil … 1/2 tablespoon

• Lettuce … 2 leaves

• Cherry tomato … 6

• Shredded cheese … 20g

• Seasoning

• Garlic … 1 teaspoon

• Ketchup …1 tablespoon

• Cooking sake … 1 tablespoon

• Soy sauce … 1 tablespoon

• Salt and pepper …a little

Directions

• Cut/shred the lettuce into small strips and cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters. You can also use regular tomatoes if you prefer. Mince some garlic if you don’t have tube garlic.
• Heat frying pan on medium heat, add oil, and stir-fry the minced meat.
• Add all seasoning ingredients to the frying pan and continue stir frying until the liquid evaporates
• Top the rice with lettuce, stir-fried meat, and cheese. Garnish with cherry tomatoes to complete the dish.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• You can use minced/ground beef or pork or any other type of meat you like
• Add salsa or more ketchup on top of everything if you want some extra flavor. Add some hot sauce for an extra kick.
• Make sure you cook some rice ahead of time.

Fun Facts

• “Tako” (タコ) also means octopus in Japanese. If a Japanese person is not familiar with taco rice, they might think they are getting an octopus rice bowl!
• In Okinawa, King Tacos restaurant is nicknamed “Kintako”. (キンタコ)

Summary

Have you ever had taco rice? What did you think of it? Leave your thoughts and comments below!