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Spam Musubi
Makes 8 (serves 3–4) · About 25 min
Canned luncheon meat fried and coated in a sweet and salty sauce, put on a block of rice and wrapped with a strip of nori. A rice ball born in Hawaii.
① Cut the meat→② Fry and coat with sauce→③ Cut the nori→④ Press the rice into a block→⑤ Wrap with nori
What to buy
Canned goods
Dry goods
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How to make it
1
Take the meat out of the can and slice it
- Open the can and take out the meat. Do not throw away the empty can. Wash it with water and dry it (you will use it as a rice mold in step 4)
- On the cutting board, cut the meat crosswise into 8 equal slices (each a little under 1 cm thick)
How to tell it's doneYou have 8 rectangles of the same thickness.
Be carefulThe edge of the can and the lid are sharp. Do not slide your fingers along them when you touch them, and throw away the lid right away.
2
Fry and coat with sauce
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp mirin to make the sauce
- Lay the meat in a frying pan with no oil and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes per side (fat comes out of the meat)
- When both sides are browned, turn to low heat and add all the sauce
- Turn the meat with cooking chopsticks and coat with the sauce for 1–2 minutes
How to tell it's doneBoth sides of the meat are nicely browned, the sauce has cooked down and thickened, and the meat is shiny.
Be carefulThe sauce has sugar and burns easily. After adding it, keep it on low heat and do not leave the pan.
3
Cut the nori into strips
- Cut 1 sheet of nori with kitchen scissors into 4 equal long strips (each about 5 cm wide)
- Cut the other sheet the same way (8 strips in all)
How to tell it's doneYou have 8 nori strips of the same width.
4
Press the rice into a block with the empty can
- Spread out 1 sheet of plastic wrap flat and lay 1 nori strip on it sideways
- Line the inside of the empty can with another sheet of plastic wrap, put in 80 g rice, and press it down flat with your fingertips
- Put 1 slice of the cooked meat on the rice and press down hard again
- Lift it out of the can by the plastic wrap
How to tell it's doneThe rice keeps its block shape and does not fall apart when you take it out of the can.
Be carefulSo you do not cut your hand on the edge of the can, press the middle of the can when pressing the rice.
5
Wrap with nori and plastic wrap
- Put the rice and meat in the middle of the nori strip, meat side up
- Lift both ends of the nori and wrap them over the meat so they overlap
- Wrap the whole thing in the plastic wrap underneath. Make the other 7 the same way
ReadyThe nori is moist and stuck to the rice, and it does not come off when you lift it. For a bento, let it cool well before closing the lid.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
The rice falls apartYou did not press hard enough, or the rice was cold. Use warm rice and press firmly with your fingertips.
Too saltyLuncheon meat is already salty. Next time, cut the soy sauce in the sauce to 1 1/2 tbsp.
The sauce burnedThe heat was too high. Next time, always turn to low heat before adding the sauce.
The nori comes offThe overlapping part of the nori did not stick. After wrapping, press the overlap with your finger for a few seconds, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit 3 minutes.
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