Skip to content
Japanese Quick & easy

Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Triangles of white rice, often with a filling and wrapped in seaweed.

15 minutes
Serves 4
Snack/Lunch

Instructions

  1. 1

    Prepare your fillings (flake the salmon, pit the umeboshi) and set up a workstation with a bowl of warm water, a small dish of kosher salt, and the warm rice.

  2. 2

    Wet your hands thoroughly in the bowl of water to prevent the sticky rice from clinging to your skin.

  3. 3

    Dip two fingers into the kosher salt and rub the salt evenly over both palms (this flavors the rice and acts as a natural preservative).

  4. 4

    Scoop roughly 1/2 cup of warm rice into one hand. Gently flatten it slightly and press an indentation into the center.

  5. 5

    Place 1 tablespoon of your chosen filling into the indent, then fold the surrounding rice over the filling to completely encase it.

  6. 6

    Cup your hands into a 'V' shape and gently press and rotate the rice ball 5-6 times to form a firm, neat triangle. Do not squeeze too hard, or the rice will become mushy. Wrap the bottom edge with a strip of crisp nori just before eating.

Plan it in Listahan

Add Onigiri (Rice Balls) to your week, check it against your household's allergens, and build the shopping list automatically.

More Japanese recipes