Easy Onigiri お握り (Japanese Rice Balls)

Easy onigiri or Japanese rice balls with nori wrap and furikake.

5 from 220 votes

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.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 206kcal

Equipment

Onigiri Mold

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice short or medium-grain; warm
2 sheets nori sheets cut into 2 - 3 inch strips
¼ cup furikake
sea salt

Instructions

Shape Rice and Add Filling

Shape by hand: Wet your hand with water and rub them together with a pinch of salt. Take about ⅓ to ½ cup of warm rice in your hands. If adding the filling, create an indentation and add about 1 tablespoon. Using both hands, firmly press the rice into a triangular shape encasing the filling.
Shape with mold: Spray a bit of water inside the onigiri mold and add a pinch of salt. Fill the mold with the appropriate amount of rice and firmly press to create your shape. If adding the filling, reserve half the rice to place on top of the filling and then press down firmly on the mold.
2 cups cooked rice, sea salt

Season with Furikake

Furikake seasoning: Press the onigiri into the furikake or sprinkle the furikake on top.
¼ cup furikake

Nori Wrapper

Wrap with nori: Wrap the onigiri with a strip of nori seaweed right before serving to keep it crispy. See below for notes on making ahead and storage. Enjoy!
2 sheets nori sheets

Notes

Makes 4 to 6 onigiri.

Make-ahead and storage: You can make (or meal prep) onigiri ahead of time and store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Add the nori wrapper right before serving.

Tips:

Short or medium-grain rice is required as its sticky nature helps shape the onigiri without falling apart. Long-grain rice such as Jasmine rice isn't sticky enough.
Using warm rice helps the onigiri hold its shape as cold rice isn't very sticky.
Wet your hands with water and apply 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).
Use fillings that are low in moisture to prevent the rice from getting soggy.
Add the nori wrapper right before serving to prevent it from getting soggy from the rice. A crisp sheet of nori is essential for a good 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

Nutrition