Easy Onigiri お握り (Japanese Rice Balls)

Onigiri (お握り), also called omusubi (お結び) or nigirimeshi (握り飯), are Japanese rice balls made with white rice formed into a triangular shape and wrapped with nori (seaweed)! It’s a popular Japanese snack or lunch flavored with various fillings and seasonings such as tuna mayo, umeboshi (pickled plum), salted salmon, and furikake.

Onigiri (お握り) or Japanese rice balls are a convenient snack or lunch that’s quick and easy to make! It requires just three ingredients and is ready in only five minutes! All you need is short or medium-grain rice, furikake topping, and nori (seaweed) for wrapping.

These Japanese rice balls are a great way to use up leftover rice and other sides you have sitting in the fridge. They’re also fantastic for meal prep as you can have all your fillings laid out and make onigiri in just minutes!

What is Onigiri?

Onigiri (お握り), also called omusubi (お結び) or nigirimeshi (握り飯), are tasty Japanese rice balls usually formed into a triangular shape by hand or with a mold. It’s a popular snack, lunch, or picnic food and is commonly found in bento boxes.

Traditionally pickled or salty fillings such as umeboshi (pickled plum) were added in addition to salt to act as a natural preservative before modern times but these days various fillings are added and sold in convenience stores and grocery stores all around Japan.

It’s not to be confused with sushi as onigiri uses plain steamed rice whereas sushi uses sushi rice, which is seasoned with salt, sugar, and vinegar.

Ingredients

• Rice – Use short or medium-grain rice that’s sticky for easy shaping. You can use leftover rice or frozen rice for this recipe but be sure it’s warm before making onigiri as cold rice doesn’t adhere well together. Long-grain rice such as Jasmine rice is not recommended as it’s not sticky enough to hold together.
• Furikake – This is a Japanese seaweed seasoning typically made up of shredded nori (seaweed), sesame seeds, salt, and sugar. Many varieties of furikake exist with some containing egg, bonito flakes, and spices which are equally delicious.
• Nori wrapper – Thin or thick strips of nori are used to wrap the onigiri so it can be eaten by hand without the rice sticking to your fingers. Cut them about two or three finger lengths thick if using strips or use a thicker strip to wrap around the entire onigiri.

How to Make Onigiri – Japanese Rice Balls

1. Shape by hand – Wet your hands with water and rub them together with a pinch of salt. The salt adds more flavor and acts as a preservative while the water helps avoid the rice sticking to your hands (using gloves helps too). Take about 1/2 cup of warm rice in your hands and firmly but gently mold the rice into a triangular shape.
2. Shape with a mold – Spray a bit of water and add a pinch of salt to your onigiri mold. Add the appropriate amount of rice to fill the mold and press down to create a triangular shape.
3. Add filling (Optional): If adding the filling, create an indentation into the rice before shaping and add about 1 tablespoon. Enclose the filling with rice and shape with your hands or with a mold.

4. Furikake topping: Press the onigiri into the furikake topping to cover the edges or sprinkle on top.
5. Nori wrapper: Wrap the onigiri with the strip of nori seaweed if serving immediately. If making ahead, wait until right before serving to add the nori as it can get soggy from the moisture from the rice. A crisp sheet of nori is essential for good onigiri.

Serve immediately while the rice is still warm or you can refrigerate them and serve later. To reheat, wrap the onigiri in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds at a time.

Onigiri Fillings

• Salted salmon (shiozake)
• Umeboshi (pickled plum)
• Chicken teriyaki or karaage
• Fish roe – mentaiko or tarako
• Okaka (bonito flakes)
• Kombu – seasoned kelp
• Tuna mayo – Tuna mixed with mayo, salt, and pepper
• Kani (crab or imitation crab stick)
• Unagi (eel)
• Egg – hard-boiled and chopped
• Vegetables – spinach or mushrooms

Onigiri Shapes and Molds

Traditionally onigiri is shaped into a triangle but you can form them into rectangles, balls, or even cute animal shapes using nori and furikake as decoration.

Cute onigiri molds in the shape of animals are used for children’s bento boxes and can be found on Amazon or Daiso.

Variations

• Healthy – Use sticky brown rice and add healthy fillings such as lean protein and vegetables.
• Vegetarian – Opt for vegetarian furikake as some varieties contain seafood. Use vegetable fillings such as umeboshi, kombu, spinach, and mushrooms.
• Plain – Onigiri in its simplest form is made with just plain rice with no filling but still uses a nori wrapper.
• Hot or cold – Onigiri can be eaten hot or cold but I prefer it a little warm so the rice is still soft and tender.
• Wrapper – Traditionally a nori wrapper is used but you can try sushi soy paper or a shiso leaf.
• Onigiri Chazuke – Add onigiri to a bowl and pour warm dashi or green tea over it for a comforting meal.

More recipes:

Asian Recipes

Korean Rice Balls (Jumeokbap 주먹밥)

Asian Recipes

Yaki Udon | Stir Fried Udon Noodles

Sides

Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet)

Baked Goods

Soft and Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread