Taco Bell Who? This Taco Rice Bowl Is the Cheesy Fix You Need

Step inside any Okinawan restaurant, and you’ll find taco rice: steaming Japanese short-grain rice topped with ground beef spiced with cumin and chile powder, then layered with a confetti of cheddar cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, chunky salsa, and sometimes even crushed tortilla chips. Despite its Tex-Mex appearance, taco rice is a signature Okinawan dish that tells a deeper story of how war and the US military have influenced local cuisine.

Before Okinawa—an island chain in the south of Japan—was called Okinawa, it was the Ryukyu Kingdom. With sovereignty over the islands for over 400 years, the Ryukyuan monarchy cultivated its own customs, cuisine, and native languages (like Uchinaaguchi and Kunigami), much of which is still present today. The islands didn’t become a part of Japan until 1879, when the Japanese government forcefully annexed the territory. After World War II, the US controlled Okinawa from 1945 until 1972. During this time, American military bases—and American culture—spread throughout the islands. Today, over 30 US military bases remain in Okinawa, taking up about a quarter of the land and accounting for more than 70% of all US military bases in Japan—something Okinawans still actively protest today.

To appeal to the large American population, some local Okinawan restaurants and chefs began selling American-style foods, including Tex-Mex-style crunchy tacos and root beer floats. One chef, Matsuzo Gibo, started selling tacos but, wanting to come up with a more substantial and inexpensive dish for the many American soldiers stationed near his shop, started pairing the taco fillings with rice in 1984.

It was a huge hit with Americans, and the dish eventually became popular among locals. Taco rice soon spread across Okinawa and the rest of the country, and by the 1990s, it had become a staple menu item throughout Japan. Today, the Okinawan dish is a popular, comforting meal you can find practically anywhere in Japan.

Like many culturally significant dishes, how it’s prepared varies from cook to cook. I’ve had taco rice topped with almost nothing but thick chunks of iceberg lettuce and one elaborately prepared in a Korean clay pot to mimic the seared rice in bibimbap. The classic one, however, remains a personal favorite—and with the exception of one slight tweak, that’s the version you’ll find below.

Similar to the classic, I start by browning the onion and ground beef. I incorporate a blend of ground cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, which gives the meat an earthy, smoky flavor similar to classic taco seasoning. Ketchup brings a slight sweetness, adding balance. The main component in my recipe that differs from most standard versions of taco rice is the cheese. In most iterations of taco rice, you’ll find thick-grated cheddar cheese piled on top, but here I make a spiced cheese sauce—inspired by Kenji’s popular recipe—to ensure melty, cheesy flavor in every bite. Like Kenji, I reach for evaporated milk, which helps keep the melted cheese from clumping, giving the sauce a silky texture.

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