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Korean rice balls or jumeokbap on a plate.
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5 from 166 votes

Korean Rice Balls (Jumeokbap 주먹밥)

Korean rice balls (Jumeokbap 주먹밥) are made with sticky short-grain rice that's rolled into balls and covered with seaweed. Add tuna or bulgogi filling for a quick and easy snack or lunch!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time8 minutes
Course: lunch, Snack
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Servings: 3
Calories: 311kcal

Ingredients

Tuna Mayo Filling

Bulgogi Filling

Instructions

  • Make the filling: For the tuna mayo filling, add the canned tuna and Japanese mayonnaise to a small bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    5 oz canned tuna, 1½ Tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, salt & pepper, 1 cup ground beef bulgogi
    Tuna mayo filling for Korean rice balls.
  • Season the rice: Saute the finely diced carrots with a bit of oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and toasted sesame oil to the warm rice and mix together.
    3 cups cooked rice, ½ small carrot, 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • Add filling and shape rice balls: Take 2 tablespoons of rice and gently flatten it against your hand. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the center and top it with a bit of rice. Gently but firmly shape the rice into a ball while encasing the filling. Tip: Apply a bit of vegetable oil to food-safe gloves for easy handling.
    Tuna mayo filling added to Korean rice balls.
  • Seaweed seasoning: Roll each rice ball in seaweed seasoning. Serve and enjoy!
    ⅓ cup seaweed seasoning
    Korean rice balls covered with seaweed and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Short or medium-grain rice - Rice balls require sticky rice, such as sushi rice, to hold their shape. Long-grain rice such as Jasmine rice isn't sticky enough to shape into balls. 
  • Keep a ratio of 2.5 tablespoons of rice per 1 tablespoon of filling.
  • Leftover rice: Use warm rice for best results as cold rice doesn't stick together very well. If using leftover cold or frozen rice, reheat until it's soft and sticky. 
  • Make-ahead: Make ahead up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds at a time while covered with a damp paper towel. 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1424IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg