Japanese rice balls, also known as onigiri or omusubi,are a staple of Japanese lunch boxes (bento). They are usually shaped into rounds or triangles by hand, and they're fun to make and eat.
Much like sandwiches in the West, onigiri is readily available in convenience stores across Japan, and it's great for a quick and easy savory snack.They're perfect for an on-the-go eat, too, with no need for utensils or to heat them up. Recently, they have enjoyed a surge of popularity among food trucks where they are made fresh and grilled lightly to order. However,making onigiri at home is irresistibly economical and easy.
The rice can also be mixed with a flavorful add-in likefurikake.Furikake is like the salt and pepper of Japan and consists oftoasted sesame seeds, sea salt, nori, bonito flakes, and an optional pinch of sugar.
Usually wrapped in nori (dried seaweed) or rolled in sesame seeds, considershichimi togarashi as a topping. This isa Japanese spice blend made up of ground sesame seeds, orange peel, and chile pepper. Or,if you want to be fancy, you can use your kitchen shears to cut little shapes out of the seaweed. Two semicircles, two ovals, a little triangle of a nose, and a pointy little sliver of a mouth gives you a panda.
What You'll Need To Make This Japanese Rice Balls Recipe
A Rice Cooker
A Handy Pair of Kitchen Shears
A Good Knife
"A fun-to-make snack. I had no trouble forming the balls, and the tip to have wet hands really helps. Even though I had several interesting Japanese ingredients on hand to spice these up, the plain versions were also a hit. These disappeared in minutes." —Danielle Centoni
Place steamed rice in your hand and form into a triangle, making sure it is dense and thick.
Put your favorite filling, such as umeboshi or grilled salmon, on rice and push the filling into rice lightly.
Hold rice between palms.
Form rice into a round, a triangle, or a cylinder by pressing lightly with both palms, securing filling in the middle. Roll rice ball in your hands a few times, pressing lightly.
Wrap rice ball with a strip or two of nori (if using), or sprinkle some sesame seeds on them (if using).
The ingredients for this recipe, including umeboshi (or ume plum) and salted salmon, can be found in Asian grocery stores or ordered online.
Steamed sushi rice will be sticky enough that it will easily form into a shape when pressed.
Since onigiri is frequently a convenience store food, it is designed to be eaten with your hands—no chopsticks required.
Recipe Variations
Fillings can vary, so it's good to use your favorites. You can put almost anything in an onigiri; try grilled salmon, pickled plums, beef, pork, turkey,katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) seasoned withsoy sauce,or tuna with mayonnaise.
If you're in the mood for a warm meal, just toast your onigiri lightly for 2 to 3 minutes per side on a pan brushed with sesame oil. The outer layer of rice will get toasty and golden brown and a little bit crackly.
Do You Eat the Seaweed on Onigiri?
Nori, the seaweed used to make onigiri, is completely edible and delicious, too.
Do You Eat Onigiri Hot or Cold?
Onigiri is typically eaten cold or at room temperature, but it can be quickly grilled and served hot (known as yaki onigiri).
Japanese Side Dishes
Vegetable Sides
Japanese Food
Salmon Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
119
Calories
1g
Fat
25g
Carbs
2g
Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories
119
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g
1%
Saturated Fat 0g
1%
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 164mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate 25g
9%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg
0%
Calcium 1mg
0%
Iron 0mg
1%
Potassium 20mg
0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
For onigiri that holds its shape well, it's important to use short-grain Japonica rice, such as “sushi” rice, a category that includes Calrose and Koshihikari rice and, as Sho notes, simply refers to varieties of rice preferred in Japan.
While the best rice for onigiri is freshly steamed from the rice cooker and so hot as to hurt a little, Tomioka suggests that you may also cool it slightly before forming. 1. Start by preparing two small bowls: one filled with water and the other with some good quality salt.
Your hands should be firm enough when pressing the onigiri so the rice doesn't fall apart when you shape it. You don't want to squeeze the rice too tight. Rotate the rice balls every time you give gentle pressure. After rotating 3-5 times, the rice ball should be in good shape.
Form a disc and make a little indent in the center. Add a small amount of your filling in the center. Gently shape everything into a little ball. These are mostly shaped in triangles, so cup your hands and form a little pyramid.
See the Looking at rice post if you're not sure what rice is what. Make sure you are making them with freshly cooked rice, that's still hot, not cooled.
Place 2 cups sushi rice in a large bowl and pour in cold water to cover by 2"–3". Gently swish around with your hands to rinse, then drain. Repeat process until water is almost clear (about 3 more times).
While Japanese sushi is made with Short Grain Sushi Rice, onigiri is set apart and made with long grain Jasmine Rice, which is commonly used for Asian-inspired recipes. The grains cook up with an aromatic flavor and subtly sticky texture making them perfect for rolling into balls around a fresh filling.
Onigiri, or Omusubi as they are known in eastern Japan, are a great way to use your perfectly cooked Japanese steamed rice. Unlike sushi, we never use vinegar flavouring in the recipe but instead stir some salt into the rice and sprinkle a little salt on the outside.
Many fans of Japanese food wonder if it's okay to store fresh onigiri (Japanese rice balls) overnight, to be enjoyed for lunch or at a picnic the following day. The short answer is yes, but it's important to keep certain facts about onigiri in mind. What is onigiri? Onigiri is a Japanese snack often eaten...
While unfrozen onigiri are suited for consumption within a day or so, rice balls kept in freezers remain tasty for as long as 120 days. Consumers are expected to pick up onigiri from freezers and microwave them at the outlets for immediate consumption.
Convenient and Portable: Onigiri are easy to make and super portable making them a perfect choice for a lunch or snack on the go. Plus, they can be prepared ahead of time and are great for parents with busy schedules needing to pack lunches.
Onigiri must be made with sticky, short- or medium-grain rice, ideally steam-cooked japonica type rice. If you can't get a hold of Japanese rice (also commonly sold as 'susi rice'), Italian medium-grain rices uses for risotto like vialone (which is the most like Japanese urichi-mai), arborio and so on can be used.
My favorite, by far, is onigiri. Pronounced oh-nee-geer-ee, these delightful balls of sushi-grade white rice are usually filled with a pocket of something delightful – be it salmon, shrimp, tuna, or even pickled plum.
Some additional tips for making sushi rice with regular rice
To achieve the perfect texture for sushi rice, it's important to use the right ratio of rice to water. For 2 cups of rice, use 2 cups of water. Once the rice is done, it should be sticky and glossy, with each grain of rice separate and distinct.
How to Make Sticky Rice. Soak rice for 15 minutes prior to cooking it for an additional 10 minutes. This rice requires a ratio of 1:1, meaning 1 cup of rice to every cup of 1 cup of water. It's as easy as that!
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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