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Onigiri (Rice Balls)
Makes 6 (2 rice cooker cups of rice) · About 20 min to shape (Plus about 1 hr to cook the rice)
Salt-only rice balls (shio musubi), plus filling ideas: umeboshi, grilled salmon and tuna mayo.
① Cook the rice→② Get the fillings ready→③ Let the rice cool a little→④ Put salt on your hands and shape→⑤ Wrap with nori
What to buy
Fish
Seasonings, dry goods & canned food
Check what you already have
Tap an item to check it off (checks clear when you close the page). You don't need all the fillings. For plain salt onigiri, you only need rice, salt and nori.
How to make it
1
Wash and cook the rice
- Put 2 rice cooker cups of rice in the rice cooker bowl, add water, swirl with your hand, and pour out the cloudy water right away
- Repeat adding water, swirling and pouring it out 3–4 times (it's OK if the water is still a little white)
- Add water up to the "2" line in the bowl, wait 30 min, then cook as usual
How to tell it's doneWhen it's done, gently mix from the bottom with a rice paddle.
2
Get the fillings ready (while the rice cooks)
- Grilled salmon: Line a frying pan with parchment paper, put the salmon on it, and turn on the heat. Cover and cook 3–4 min on one side, flip, and cook another 3–4 min
- When it's cooked, remove the skin and bones and flake it finely with chopsticks
- Umeboshi: Take out the pit and tear into pieces
- Tuna mayo: Drain the oil (liquid) from the can well, and mix with 1 tbsp mayonnaise and a few drops of soy sauce
How to tell it's doneBreak open the thickest part of the salmon with chopsticks: there are no see-through parts inside, it's light orange all over, and it flakes apart easily.
Be carefulIf you mix the tuna without draining the oil, the rice gets mushy and falls apart easily.
3
Divide the rice into portions and let it cool a little
- Get 6 rice bowls ready (if you don't have 6, reuse the same bowl)
- Scoop about 100 g of rice (a light bowlful) for each rice ball
- Leave it for about 5 min to let some steam escape
How to tell it's doneThe outside of the bowl isn't too hot to hold, and you can hold the rice in your hand comfortably.
Be carefulIf the rice cools completely, the grains won't stick together and the rice ball falls apart. Shape it while it's still warm.
4
Wet your hands, add salt, and shape
- Before shaping, wash your hands well with soap (don't touch the rice with hands that touched raw salmon)
- Wet your hands with water, and spread a pinch of salt (the amount you can pick up with 3 fingers) over both palms
- Put one portion of rice in your hand. For a filling, make a small dent in the middle with your finger, add 1–2 tsp of filling, and cover it with rice
- Make a mountain shape with one hand, and hold both sides with the other hand. Gently squeeze 3–4 times, turning it each time
- For salt onigiri, shape it the same way with no filling
How to tell it's doneIt keeps its shape when you let go, and the rice grains on the surface aren't squashed (it doesn't break when you pick it up).
Be carefulSqueezing hard squashes the rice and makes it hard. Once it holds its shape, stop squeezing.
5
Wrap with nori
- Cut each nori sheet into 3 equal strips with kitchen scissors (2 sheets make 6 strips)
- Put the nori on the bottom edge of the rice ball and wrap it up the front and back
ReadyIf you like crispy nori, wrap it just before eating. If you're taking them with you, let them cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
It falls apartThe rice is too cold, or there's too much tuna oil. Next time, shape while the rice is warm and drain the filling well.
It's hard and packed tightYou squeezed too hard or too many times. Next time, stop after 3–4 squeezes.
No flavorNot enough salt on your hands. Next time, add one more pinch of salt.
Rice sticks to my handsYour hands aren't wet enough. Wet your hands again for each rice ball.
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