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triangular shaped onigiri wrapped in individually wrapped plastic with flower decor

How to Make Onigiri – Spam, Tuna Mayo, or Salmon

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Description

The recipe is the same, but you can choose which filling you like best. This recipe makes about 12 onirigi.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Onigiri

  • 12x Onigiri Wrapper (optional but highly recommended), or plain nori sheets.
  • 2 cups uncooked Sushi Rice or Premium Japanese Short Grain Rice
  • 1/2 cup Seasoned rice vinegar
    • if you can’t find this, use plain rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. instructions below.
  • optional furikake (on Amazon)

Filling Choice 1: Spam

  • 1 8oz container of spam, fully cooked, cubed

Filling Choice 2: Tuna Mayo

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1.5 tbsp sriracha (on Amazon)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce, low sodium
  • 2x 5oz canned tuna in oil, drained.
  • 6 scallions, thinly sliced (dark and pale green parts only)
  • lemon zest, finely grated, from 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (use 1/2 tsp if using table salt such as Morton’s)

Filling Choice 3: Teriyaki Salmon

  • 8oz salmon filet
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger powder

Instructions

Cook sushi rice

  1. Cook 2 cups of uncooked sushi rice or premium Japanese short grain rice according to package instructions.
  2. When rice is done, immediately add seasoned rice vinegar and optional furikake (on Amazon). Note: If you don’t have store-ready seasoned vinegar see instructions for Seasoned Rice Vinegar.
  3. Fold the rice vinegar into the sushi rice with a wooden paddle gently, you can make cutting patterns at a 45 degree angle. Don’t overdo this, it can make the rice mushy!

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

  1. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. 
  2. Bring to a simmer, mix through, and immediately remove from heat. Let cool before use.

For Salmon Filling:

As another filling for our Japanese onigiri, or rice cakes, we made a quick salmon teriyaki. After a minute of initial searing, pour in your teriyaki sauce over the salmon, and mix around to integrate the sauce into the salmon.

  1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, water, garlic powder and ginger powder.
  2. Heat saucepan over medium-high heat and sear salmon. After 1 minute add the sauce from step 1.
  3. Sear salmon for a total of 3-4 minutes each side, or until no longer translucent.
  4. Flake and divide into 12 portions

For Spam Filling:

sliced spam

  1. Cut spam into 1/2 inch thick slices, you’ll need 2 slices to make 12 onigiri.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil in small skillet over medium heat.
  3. Heat Spam for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  4. Cut each slice into 6 parts, for a total of 12.

For Tuna Mayo or Spicy Tuna

  1. Combine scallions, lemon zest, tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha (on Amazon), and soy sauce in a medium mixing bowl and mix well with a fork.
  2. Divide into 12 portions for your 12 onigiri

How to Shape Onigiri by Hand with No Mold:

rice ball flattened out on the palm of hand - how to make onigiri by hand with no mold step 1flattened rice ball in palm of hand with salmon placed in the centerrice in palm of hand in triangle shape

How to Shape Onigiri with a Mold:

Wrap the Onigiri with Onigiri Wrapper

triangular shaped onigiri placed at the top of the onigiri wrapperfold over the bottom half over the top

Wrap the Onigiri with Nori Sheets:

Enjoy Immediately Or Keep Refrigerated for 3 Days

If using onigiri wrapper – to enjoy it, remove plastic protector to retrieve the crispy nori sheet inside. Rewrap the same way – it’s easier the 2nd time around as the creases are already there. 

If using nori sheets – enjoy immediately while still hot, or you can eat it cold as well! Wrap individually in clear Saran wrap and keep refrigerated in airtight container or ziplock bag.

Onigiri can be enjoyed hot or cold. If you don’t like cold onigiri you can microwave it for 20 seconds. (Just remember to remove plastic wrapper first if using onigiri wrapper, before putting it in the microwave!)

Onigiri can stay in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

My 10 and 11 year old sons love bringing these to school, and even take some extras to share with friends! 

Equipment

(on Amazon)

Notes

If you use nori sheets, you might want to consume the onirigi as soon as possible – the nori sheet will get soggy over time as the moisture from the rice softens it.

I highly recommend trying the onigiri wrapper – you can do this ahead of time and enjoy it for days in the fridge. Immediately before enjoying it, just remove the plastic to retrieve the protected nori inside, and re-wrap using same technique. This ensures that you get crispy nori every time!

Wet your hands with cold water when making the onigiri – the rice is hot so this helps, and it also prevent rice from sticking to your hands too much.

Can’t decide which filling? Try them all! The seaweed wrapper can easily be labeled with a sharpie so you know what’s what.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Cuisine: asian

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