Yaki Onigiri (焼きおにぎり) is a Japanese grilled rice ball that is normally glazed with soy sauce or miso paste. Grilling the rice ball on the charcoal is off course the best way to make the Yaki Onigiri, but you can make them in the house with a toaster oven or cast iron pan. My recipe today is a more modern version which added some cheese and black pepper. This rice ball is a great idea to make not only for lunch or snack but also great mid-night munchies with wine or sake.
What’s Onigiri?
Onigiri, also known as the Japanese rice ball is one of the most important Japanese comfort foods. It is normally shaped as triangle or circle and either filleds or not filled inside of rice. There are so many varieties of onigiri depending on the fillings. The popular fillings for onigiri are grilled salmon, pickled plum, tuna mayonnaise, seasoned kelp seaweed, etc. However, you can use any fillings as you like. Shrimp tempura or soft boiled egg are well-known fillings in these days in Japan.
It can be called Omusubi as well. In fact, “Spam Musubi” a rice ball made with grilled spam is a popular rice ball in Hawaii.
How to Shape Onigiri
I’ve been making rice balls since I was a kid. So it is a piece of cake to deal with sticky hot rice and make a beautiful shape of onigiri with fillings perfectly inside. However, if anyone never made a rice ball before, it might be challenging to create a beautiful shape of a rice ball. So here are some tips.
5 Tips for Shaping Onigiri
Tip 1: Mix the hot cooked rice with cutting motions with a rice spatula
Rice is never cooked evenly so always mix it evenly. But try to not smush piece of cooked rice, so you should use mix, cut and hold motions.
Tip 2: Pre-shape your rice in a small bow
Onigiri Mold
It is very challenging to form the onigiri directly by hand from the unshaped spread-out cooked rice. It is easier to pre-shape by using a small bowl. You can even use an onigiri mold. You can get them online.
Tip 3: Do not add too much fillings
I know that you want to be generous with the fillings for your onigiri. However, fillings coming out from the rice is not that elegant looking and also make a mess especially when you grilling.
Tip 4: Make sure your hands are wet enough with water
Putting water in your hands will prevent the rice from sticking to your hand. Make sure your hands are wet each time when you shape the onigiri.
Tip 5: Squeeze gently when you shape the balls
Imagine that each rice grain has air between them.
How to Grill Yaki Onigiri
If you have charcoal BBQ grills or hibachi grills, you can get the tastiest outcome for Yaki Onigiri. Otherwise, I recommend using a toaster oven with aluminum foil. Spread some oil on the foil then place the rice ball on the top. Blush the glaze 3 to 4 times on the surface of the rice balls until the rice balls get a nice and golden brown.
Yaki Onigiri Recipe for Kids
Yaki onigiri can be a great kids’ snack. If you make yaki onigiri with this recipe, you can reduce or take out the black pepper. I also recommend adding some sugar to the glaze. You can also use unagi sauce as a glaze for yaki onigiri which will taste sweeter like teriyaki sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 rice cooker cups of uncooked short-grain rice (2 rice cooker cups 180ml x 2 = 360 ml)
- 400 ml water
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of black pepper
- Some shredded cheese
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of mirin
Instructions
- Cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker or pot.
- When rice is cooked, mix it with a spatula or rice paddle to fluff it. Do not smash the rice. The best way to mix rice is using cut and hold motions. Transfer the cooked rice into a big bowl, in order to let the rice cool down faster.
- Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and black pepper, then mix them with a spatula or rice paddle.
- Take about half a cup of rice into a small bowl. Shake the bowl left and right a couple of times to create pre-shaped rice balls halfway through.
- Then, make a small hole in the center of the rice with a wet finger. Then add some shredded cheese.
- Cover the cheese fillings with a small amount of rice on the top.
- Wet your hands with water, then transfer the pre-shaped rice balls into your left palm. (if you are a lefty, right palm is better)
- Then form the rice ball into a round shape by using your other hand, pressing lightly. You can make a triangle shape if you like.
- Now the rice balls are ready. Let’s grill them. Brush with the soy sauce and mirin mixture onto the surface of rice balls.
- Grease the aluminum foil with sesame oil or any kind of preferred oil, then place the rice balls on them.
- Grill them for 4 to 5 minutes with 450 °F toast set up in a toaster oven. Re-brush the glaze every 2 minutes. Then flip the rice ball, repeat the process until the rice balls get a nice golden brown.
2 comments
I love Yaki onigiri! I followed this recipe to cook, it was easy and taste sooo gooooood!!
Thank you Flop. Share me the picture of your yaki onigiri next time.