Easy Onigiri Recipe

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Onigiri, also known as Japanese rice balls or rice triangles, is a staple in Japanese cuisine. Onigiri rice balls are a versatile, convenient, and delicious quick snack or meal that’s easy to make at home. If you love sushi, you’ll certainly love onigiri too. Whether you’re new to Japanese cooking or a seasoned chef, this easy onigiri recipe will guide you through the process.

Is Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) Healthy or Unhealthy?

Onigiri rice balls can be a healthy or unhealthy choice depending on the ingredients used. The rice provides carbohydrates for energy, while the fillings can offer protein, healthy fats, and vitamins. Using fillings like pickled plum or grilled salmon adds nutritional benefits.

However, if you use high-fat or processed fillings like mayonnaise-heavy tuna or fried foods, the calorie and fat content of onigiri can increase significantly. Opt for healthier onigiri fillings and moderate your portions for a balanced meal.

What Is the Filling in Onigiri?

Onigiri fillings can vary widely, offering a range of flavors and textures. Traditional savory fillings include salted salmon, Japanese pickled plum (umeboshi), tuna mayo, kombu (seaweed), red shiso, and tarako (salted cod roe). These fillings not only add taste but also preserve the onigiri, making it a convenient option for lunchboxes and picnics.

What Should I Put in My Japanese Onigiri?

There are many ingredients you can use as a filling for Japanese rice balls. Some popular onigiri filling ideas include tuna mayo, pickled plums, bonito flakes, salmon, cod roe, and pollock roe. If you don’t feel like using traditional rice ball fillings, feel free to use anything that you want! Some have used bacon, cheese, ham, spam, chicken, shrimp — basically any ingredient that you’d like to eat with hot rice and nori seaweed, you can put inside a rice ball.

Can I Use Regular Rice for Onigiri?

Using the right type of rice is crucial for making good onigiri. Japanese short-grain rice is ideal because it’s sticky enough to hold its shape. Regular long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, won’t work as well because it lacks the necessary stickiness and may fall apart. If you can’t find Japanese rice, you can try using medium-grain rice, which has a similar texture and can be a suitable substitute.

If you can’t find Japanese rice in your local store, you might find raw rice that is labeled as sushi rice. That’s good to use as well since it’s just Japanese rice or short-grain rice marketed as sushi rice. Do not confuse uncooked sushi rice grains for cooked sushi rice, however. Cooked sushi rice is made with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Rice vinegar is needed in making sushi as it adds a richer flavor that compliments fish. Rice for onigiri uses just salt.

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) Recipe Ingredients

Making onigiri at home isn’t as daunting as you think it would be! All you need are a couple of ingredients and your hands to make a rice ball. If you want that perfect triangle shape, an onigiri mold is the way to go. You can buy onigiri molds at Asian groceries and stores. With that said, here are the ingredients that you’ll need to acquire for homemade onigiri:

3 cups Japanese short-grain rice
Nori (seaweed) sheets
Water
Kosher salt

Ingredients for Rice Ball Fillings

Bonito flakes (dried fish flakes)
Cooked salmon
Canned tuna
Pickled plum (umeboshi)
Black sesame seeds
Soy sauce
Japanese mayonnaise
Teriyaki sauce

Onigiri Recipe Directions

Course: Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Japanese onigiri, Japanese rice balls

How to Make Japanese Rice Balls Using Your Hands

First, measure 3 cups of rice and transfer it into a sieve or a bowl. Rinse the grains until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
Add the rice to a rice cooker. Fill it with 3 1/2 cups of water.
Let the rice cook.
While the rice is cooking in the rice cooker, prepare the nori sheets.
Cut one nori sheet into thin strips.
Once the rice is done cooking, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes in the rice cooker.
While the rice is resting, set up your rice ball station. Prepare a bowl of water, a small bowl of salt, fillings, and seasoning ingredients of your choice. Have a baking sheet or container close by to place the finished rice balls on.
Open the rice cooker and gently mix the cooked rice using a rice paddle.
Transfer the cooked rice to a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle salt over. Gently mix the cooked rice once more.
Wet your hands and dab your pointer finger and middle finger in the salt, then rub between your hands.
Place a scoop of rice in the middle of your hand and gently press it in your palm.
Make a small indent in the middle and add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of your desired rice ball filling.
With the hand holding the rice ball, curl your hand more and slowly cover the filling with rice from the side.
Shape it into a ball or a rounded triangle by gently pressing between your two hands. Place the rice balls onto a tray or separate container. If the rice is still hot, let it cool down.

How to Make Japanese Rice Balls With an Onigiri Mold

Simply follow the steps in making onigiri rice.
Instead of using your hands to mold the onigiri, use an onigiri mold.
Place a small scoop of rice just enough to fill the bottom part of the mold.
Make a small indent in the middle and place your filling in the indent.
Cover with more rice until 3/4 of the way full then place the lid on top.
Gently press down until it’s formed into an onigiri.
Lighty wet your hands and dab your pointer finger and middle finger in the salt and rub it between your hands.
Take the onigiri out of the mold and place it between your hands and cup it. This ensures that the onigiri is salted throughout.

Wrapping Onigiri with Nori (Seaweed)

Once you’ve formed your rice balls, you can choose to wrap nori around them.
Simply wrap a strip of nori on one side of the onigiri and press the end of the strip on the other side.
You may also use a bigger piece of nori and wrap the entire body of the onigiri with it.
You may also eat onigiri without nori.

Making Tuna Onigiri

Onigiri with tuna filling is most people’s go-to onigiri variant. This is because it’s easy to modify it using mayo to make tuna mayo onigiri or add spices to the tuna and turn it into a spicy tuna onigiri. Here’s how you can make onigiri with tuna filling:

Drain a can of tuna and put it in a small bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Mix to combine.
If you want to make it spicy, add a dash of red pepper flakes or chili powder. Mix well.
Form your onigiri using your hands or a mold.
Add half or a full tablespoon of the tuna filling in the middle of the onigiri, then cover the middle with more rice.
Wrap a strip of nori around your onigiri.
Serve.

Making Salmon Onigiri

Onigiri with salmon filling is one of the most popular onigiri variations. Here’s how to make salmon onigiri.

Brush some teriyaki sauce onto a piece of skinless salmon filet.
Bake at 210 degrees C for about 20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through and caramelized.
Flake the salmon with a fork and place them in a small bowl.
Shape the onigiri using your hands or a mold. Add a spoonful of the salmon filling in the middle of the onigiri.
Cover the filling with more rice and shape the onigiri properly again.
Wrap with nori.
Serve.

Making Okaka (Bonito Flakes) Onigiri

Mix one package of bonito flakes with soy sauce.
Fill your onigiri with a tablespoon of the okaka filling.
Roll your onigiri on a bed of black sesame seeds.
Serve.

Making Umeboshi & Black Sesame Onigiri

Place black sesame seeds, a pinch of salt, and a handful of fresh rice in a bowl. Mix together.
Mold the rice and sesame seeds mixture into rice balls. Fill the center with pickled plums.
Serve.

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) Recipe Tips

Unlike sushi, onigiri is made with steamed rice that is seasoned with salt. It doesn’t need sushi rice that uses rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
You can do various onigiri shapes, not just a triangle. You can form your onigiri rice balls into a cylinder shape or a round shape. There are also molds for other shapes such as a heart, star, cat, bear, and the like.
If you’re making tuna onigiri, you can use any tuna you prefer such as regular tuna, albacore tuna, or lightly seasoned tuna.
If you don’t want to use your hands, you can also use a plastic wrap to shape the rice balls.
Onigiri rice balls are best eaten within a few hours. If you want to save them even longer, you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap.
To further form the triangle or round shapes of your onigiri, wrap the entire onigiri in nori.
Before wrapping your onigiri in nori, you can also roll it in sesame seeds first.
If your rice balls have dried a little, you can grill them in a frying pan and baste them with soy sauce to make yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls).

Final Note

Onigiri is typically found in convenience stores in Japan as it makes for a quick and filling meal no matter what time of the day. You can pack a few onigiri with you and eat it for lunch, an in-between-work snack, or a quick meal on the way home. Experiment with different fillings and find your favorite combination.

Looking for more rice recipes to try out at home? Check out our recipe collection!