How to Make Onigiri – Recipes, Fillings, and How To Wrap

Onigiri, also known as rice balls, are a staple in Japanese cuisine. They are simple to make and can be enjoyed as a quick snack or light meal. In Japan, onigiri is so popular they’re commonly sold at Seven-Eleven stores as frequently as we sell hotdogs at our Seven Elevens.

In this guide, we will show you how to make the onigiri using just a few ingredients and some simple steps. You don’t need a mold, but you can definitely use one. We’ll show you how to do both.

What is onigiri?

Onigiri is a type of Japanese sushi rice ball that consists of sushi rice compressed into a triangular, cylindrical, or ball shape. It is typically filled with meat fillings such as spam, cooked salmon, or beef. It makes a great light lunch, or a snack on the go! It is most commonly made into a triangular shape, and most wrappers you’d find accommodates this shape, but you can have some fun with it and roll it into spherical shapes, or rectangular shapes instead!

Onigiri Mold

Onigiri Ingredients

To make onigiri, these are the things you would need:

• Sushi rice
• some filling, typically cooked meats such as salmon, beef, or spam (more on this below)
• seaweed sheets
• optional Furikake topping
• onigiri mold (we’ll show you how to make it by hand if you don’t want to buy one)

Let’s talk about each of these ingredients in detail:

1. Sushi rice

Making the perfect sushi rice is an art, in and of itself. Typically you would cook it according to package directions, immediately cool it with a fan and add rice vinegar seasoned with sugar and salt. More about how to cook perfect sushi rice down below. Alternatively, see our other article on the best sushi rice cooker to get the most perfect sushi rice everytime.

2. Nori seaweed

Nori seaweed is an edible seaweed that is used for making sushi – typically you would find them as sheets of nori a little bit smaller than a regular sized printing paper. To make onigiri, though – especially if you aren’t eating it immediately, you might need a special type of nori sheets that is already perfectly sized for onigiri, and is individually wrapped in plastic.

If you’ve eat old sushi before you might recognize that the seaweed tastes different than fresh sushi. Once it gets exposed to moisture its texture changes.

With a Onigiri wrap, they are individually wrapped ahead of time to keep the shape – and one would remove the plastic and wrap the onigiri immediately before enjoying (it’s very quick!)

3. Filling

Choose your favorite filling (more ideas on fillings later, see below). Onigiri is most commonly made with cooked and seasoned salmon on the inside, however you can use anything you like that goes well with sushi rice – which is pretty much anything you would have at inside your sushi! At some milk tea bars in Chinatown around my area, at TeaDo in Boston they serve it with spam on the inside (it’s actually quite delicious!)

4. (optional) Furikake

Furikake is a Japanese seasoning mix that can be added to onigiri (rice balls) for extra flavouring. It comes in a variety of flavours, such as salmon, katsuobushi and egg. There are also vegan versions available that just contain dried vegetables. Furikake can be purchased ready-made or made at home from ingredients such as seaweed, sesame seeds, bonito flakes and other seasonings.

This is optional and if you don’t know where to get it don’t worry about it – I’ve made onigiri with and without them – it does not take away from the taste much! But if you would like to try it, here is my favorite one: Furikake.

What is a onigiri seaweed wrapper, and do you need one?

If you’re going to eat all of your onigiri right away, or you’re making a bunch to serve at a party or something, I’d say no.

However, if you’re making onigiri as a lunch or grab-and-go kind of snack, you’ll definitely want onigiri seaweed wrapper. It is basically a pre-cut piece of nori seaweed that is perfectly sized to wrap your onigiri. This nori is further individually wrapped in plastic – typically with some fun images, icons, or text – I saw one on Amazon with Minions on it!

When you are ready to enjoy your onigiri, you would unwrap it – take off the plastic – and rewrap it. No worries, we have pictures to show you how to do all of this down below.

Seaweed is crispy when first opened but quickly turns soggy when it is in contact with moisture from the rice. I don’t know if you like that kind of thing, but I prefer my nori crispy not soggy!

Okay, now that you have all the ingredients and materials needed, let’s start by cooking the sushi rice.

Step 1 – Cook the sushi rice

Step 2: Choose your filling

We have a dedicated onigiri recipe with cooked salmon that you will enjoy! It is made with a salmon filet seasoned with a made-from-scratch teriyaki glaze. If you’re looking for other ideas for your onigiri, read on.

Oh my, where to start? Let’s just say that anything that tastes good with rice and can be chopped up will be good here! Let’s look at some authentic Japanese fillings, as well as ideas more suitable for an average American kitchen!

Authentic Japanese filling ideas:

1. Umeboshi – a type of pickled plum that is sour and slightly salty in flavor.
2. Tarako – salted salmon roe that is creamy and rich in flavor.
3. Takana – pickled mustard greens that are tangy and slightly spicy.
4. Kamaboko – a type of fish cake that is made from white fish and has a slightly sweet flavor.
5. Konnyaku – a type of jelly made from the konjac plant that has a chewy texture and a mild flavor.
6. Okaka – bonito flakes mixed with soy sauce and sake, giving it a savory and slightly smoky flavor.
7. Takuan – pickled yellow daikon radish that has a sweet and tangy flavor.
8. Inarizushi – a type of sushi that uses a pouch of deep-fried tofu as the outer layer, and is filled with vinegared rice and other ingredients.

Popular filling ideas more suitable for an average American kitchen:

1. Tuna salad
2. Chicken salad
3. Egg salad
4. Teriyaki chicken, cut into small pieces
5. Leftover shredded pork, beef, brisket, bbq meats, or chicken
6. Ground beef, chicken, or pork, cooked and seasoned.
7. Diced cheddar cheese
8. Spam, diced.

Step 3 – How to make the onigiri using a mold

Step 3(b) – How to make onigiri by hand with no mold

Step 4: How to wrap onigiri

Step 5 – To Eat – This is the fun part!

Onigiri vs. musubi

Okay, now that we’re done talking about how to make onigiri – it sounds eerily similar to a musubi. So, what’s the difference?

Although both onigiri and musubi are Japanese rice balls, they differ in a few ways. Onigiri usually has a savory filling like cooked tuna, cooked salmon, or pickled plums placed inside the rice itself.

On the other hand, for musubi, it is a little bit more modern and is popular in Hawaii. Instead of having a filling on the inside, it frequently has a topping instead (the meat sits on top), and instead of sushi or tuna, it is more frequently spam or a fried egg. Celebrity chef Alan Wong is known to serve musubi with spam at his exclusive restaurant!

Onigiri is also more of a grab-and-go, and can be found at convenience stores in Japan whereas musubi is more for a dinner table.

Also, according to my sister, who is a real foodie – she says that musubi is also “soggy and gross seaweed” due to its preparation lacking the plastic wrap that is found in onigiri. The seaweed, when exposed to the rice and spam, gets soggy pretty quickly from the moisture, and by the time it is served to you, you’re basically “eating soggy seaweed.”

Onigiri vs. nigiri

Is onigiri just nigiri without the letter “O” ?

Just kidding.

Onigiri and nigiri are both types of Japanese rice served with some kind of meat, but they are different in a few ways. Onigiri is typically filled with like cooked salmon, cooked beef, or cooked tuna, and is served as a handheld.

Nigiri, on the other hand, is a type of sushi that is made with a small, oval-shaped sushi rice ball topped with raw seafood such as salmon, tuna, eel, mackerel, or other raw (sometimes cooked) seafood commonly found at sushi restaurants. It is served with a side of soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and typically eaten using chopsticks.

Another difference is that onigiri is often associated with traditional Japanese cuisine, while nigiri is a more modern food that is closely associated with sushi.

FAQs

What are the different types of onigiri?

Onigiri comes in many shapes and sizes, including triangular, cylindrical and round. It is a type of rice ball that contains different fillings, which can be either salty or sweet. Onigiri is a popular snack and lunch food in Japan, and it can be found in convenience stores as well as grocery stores around the country. Unlike sushi, onigiri uses plain steamed rice seasoned with salt, sugar and vinegar instead of sushi rice.

How long do onigiri last?

Onigiri can last up to 3 months if stored in the freezer. To serve onigiri, they should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and then microwaved for 30-45 seconds to refresh them. Preparing onigiri ahead of time is also an option, as they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

5 Tips for Making Perfect Onigiri

1. Use freshly cooked rice

Using freshly cooked rice is important when making onigiri because it will hold its shape better than cold or dry rice. Additionally, freshly cooked rice will provide a greater range of textures and flavors to the onigiri compared to using cold or dry rice. Freshly cooked rice also prevents the onigiri from becoming too wet, which can cause it to become soggy and lose its shape.

2. Wet and salt your hands

It is important to wet and salt one’s hands before making onigiri as this prevents the rice from sticking to the hands while forming it. Furthermore, salting helps give onigiri its flavor and also helps preserve it.

3. Give just enough pressure

It is important to give just enough pressure when making onigiri in order to ensure that the rice does not become too dense or stick together. If the rice becomes too compressed, it will be difficult to shape into a desired shape and might lead to clumps or a misshapen onigiri. Rotating the balls of rice while pressing down can help prevent this from happening.

4. Identify your rice ball with a filling

It is important for people to identify their onigiri with a filling so that they can enjoy the perfect combination of ingredients that are contained within the rice ball. Additionally, it helps to ensure that the filling will stay in place and not come out while eating.

5. Wrap the nori before you eat

It is important to wrap the nori before eating onigiri in order to keep it fresh and prevent the rice from sticking to your fingers. The nori will also add an extra layer of flavor and crunch, making it a more enjoyable experience.

What type of rice is used for Onigiri?

Onigiri is a Japanese snack typically made with Japanese Short Grain Rice, as it is sticky and helps the onigiri to hold its shape. It is important to wet your hands before preparing the rice, as this will make it more sticky.

Additionally, using warm rice instead of cold can also help it keep its shape better. You can substitute a premium Japanese brand short grain rice in place of rice marketed as “sushi rice” to save on cost. Here’s what I used in this recipe, and it worked very well.

Is Onigiri the Same as Sushi?

Here we go!

Some people believe that onigiri is the same as sushi because both involve forming rice into a distinct shape and often include some type of filling. The difference between the two lies mostly in their shapes, with Onigiri usually being shaped into triangular or cylinder-shaped balls, while sushi is usually made into rolls or individual pieces.

Also, onigiri typically includes cooked food on the inside whereas sushi can have raw or cooked items.

Onigiri Shapes and Molds

Different shapes and molds can be used to make onigiri, such as basic triangles, animals and flowers. Onigiri molds are a great way to make onigiri for the first time, as they come in a variety of sizes and shapes. I would start with a triangular shape since those are most popular and most onigiri wrappers are made for this shape – then you can venture out into fun shapes are you get more comfortable with making onigiri.