Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Name: Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 2½ cups water ((600 ml)); Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 3 sheets nori seaweed; 1–2 fillet salmon; 1 packet katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) ((one packet is typically 3 g or 5 g)); 1 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 (5-ounce) can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil); 2 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise; ½ Tbsp soy sauce; 2 umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum); 2 sacs spicy salted pollock roe or cod roe (karashi mentaiko); shio kombu ((prepared)); furikake (rice seasoning)

Instructions

Prep:30minCook:30min

Stuffed with a variety of fillings and flavors, Onigiri or Japanese Rice Balls make an ideal, quick snack and a fun alternative to sandwiches for lunch. In this recipe, you‘ll learn how to make these onigiri using common fillings for rice balls in Japan.

Updated at: Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:05:16 GMT