📝 About This Recipe
Onigiri, or Omisubi, is the ultimate Japanese soul food, offering a comforting and portable start to your morning. These triangular treasures feature pristine, short-grain rice seasoned to perfection, cradling savory centers like umami-rich tuna mayo or salty-sweet salmon. Wrapped in a crisp sheet of nori, they provide a satisfying textural contrast that has made them a staple of Asian morning bites for centuries.
🥗 Ingredients
The Rice Base
- 2 cups Short-grain Japanese rice (such as Koshikari or Sushi rice)
- 2.5 cups Filtered water (for cooking the rice)
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt (fine grain for seasoning hands)
Tuna Mayo Filling
- 1 can Canned tuna (drained thoroughly)
- 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie brand preferred)
- 1/2 teaspoon Soy sauce (for a hint of depth)
Salted Salmon Filling
- 4 ounces Salmon fillet (skin-on or off)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt (to cure the salmon)
- 1/2 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil (for searing)
Assembly and Garnish
- 2-3 sheets Nori seaweed sheets (cut into 2-inch wide strips)
- 2 tablespoons Furikake seasoning (rice seasoning with seaweed and sesame)
- 1 teaspoon Toasted black sesame seeds (for decoration)
- 2 pieces Umeboshi (optional) (pitted and mashed for a sour variation)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Rinse the rice in a large bowl, swirling with your hand and changing the water 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and let sit for 15 minutes.
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2
Place rice and 2.5 cups of water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for another 10 minutes.
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3
While rice cooks, prepare the salmon. Rub the fillet with salt and sear in a pan with sesame oil over medium heat until fully cooked. Flake the salmon into small bits, discarding any bones or skin.
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4
Prepare the tuna mayo by mixing the drained tuna, Japanese mayonnaise, and soy sauce in a small bowl until creamy and well combined.
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5
Transfer the hot cooked rice to a large, shallow bowl (hangiri or baking sheet). Use a rice paddle to gently fluff the rice with a cutting motion to avoid mashing the grains. Let it cool until it is warm enough to handle but not cold.
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6
Set up your station: a bowl of clean water (for your hands), a small dish of sea salt, your fillings, and your nori strips.
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7
Wet both hands with water to prevent sticking. Rub a pinch of sea salt over your palms; this seasons the rice and helps preserve it.
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8
Scoop about 1/2 cup of warm rice into one hand. Create a small indentation in the center of the rice mound.
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9
Place 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen filling (tuna or salmon) into the indentation. Gently push the filling into the rice.
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10
Fold the rice over the filling to cover it completely. Cup your hands to form the rice into a triangle shape, pressing firmly but gently so the grains stick together without being crushed.
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11
Rotate the triangle three times, giving each side a gentle squeeze to sharpen the corners.
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12
Wrap a strip of nori around the bottom or middle of the rice triangle. The moisture from the rice will help the nori adhere.
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13
Top the peak of the onigiri with a tiny bit of the filling used inside so guests know which flavor is which.
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14
Sprinkle the sides with furikake or sesame seeds for extra crunch and flavor. Repeat with the remaining rice and fillings.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use only short-grain Japanese rice; long-grain or jasmine rice lacks the starch needed to hold the shape. Always shape the rice while it is still warm; cold rice will not stick together and the balls will fall apart. Keep your hands damp with salted water throughout the process to manage the stickiness and season the exterior. Don't overfill the rice balls, or they will crack and leak during the shaping process. If making ahead, wrap each onigiri tightly in plastic wrap to keep the rice from drying out, but add the nori just before eating to keep it crisp.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a warm bowl of Miso Soup with silken tofu and scallions. Pair with a side of Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) for a complete breakfast. Enjoy with a cup of hot Sencha or Genmaicha green tea. Add a few slices of Takuan (pickled daikon radish) to cleanse the palate between bites. Serve alongside chilled edamame sprinkled with sea salt.