How to Make Onigiri - 3 Recipes — Yuki's Kitchen (2024)

Base Recipe - Onigiri

• 1 full-sized sheet of nori seaweed paper (cut lengthwise into thirds)
• Water for hands
• Cooked Japanese rice and fillings (refer to recipes)
• A pinch of salt

Salmon Onigiri

• 1 fillet of salmon (180g-200g)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbs of sake (optional)
• A pinch of sea salt (per onigiri)
• 1 tsp of toasted white sesame seeds
• 5 - 6 handfuls of rice (500 -600g)
• 2 full sized sheet of Nori seaweed paper (cut it lengthwise into thirds)

Umeboshi & Black sesame Onigiri

• 5 - 6 pieces of Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum), stone removed
• 10 tsp of black sesame seeds
• Ainch of sea salt (per onigiri)
• 6 Handfuls of rice (500-600g)
• 2 full-sized sheet of Nori seaweed paper (cut it lengthwise into thirds)

Tuna Miso Mayo Onigiri

• 100g tinned tuna chunks in brine
• 1 tbsp mayo (you can use Japanese or any favourite English brand)
• 1 tsp miso
• ½ tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp of finely chopped chives
• 6 Handfuls of rice (500-600g)
• A pinch of sea salt (per onigiri)
• 2 full sized sheet of Nori seaweed paper (cut lengthwise into thirds)

Base Recipe - Onigiri

1. Cut a full-sized sheet of Nori seaweed paper into thirds lengthwise.
2. Wet both of your hands with tap water to avoid the rice sticking to your hands.
3. Then put a pinch of salt on your palms and rub them together to evenly spread the salt.
4. Place a handful (90-100g) of cooked flavoured rice (salmon, black sesame seed or chives) into one hand and push the centre to make a hole for the filing. You do not need to do this for the salmon onigiri.
5. Put an Umeboshi or teaspoon of tuna mayo on the centre of the rice. Then cover the filling with the rice and use your hands to hold the rice in place around the filling and gradually make it into a trianglular shape. Keep your hands firm and tight enough to create the triangle shape and to make sure the onigiri does not fall apart. Occasionally turn it around with your hands. Let it cool down if the rice is still hot. Otherwise the nori paper will become soggy from the hot rice.
6. Wrap the onigiri with nori.
7. Place a little bit of each filling on top of the onigiri as a garnish if you like.

Salmon Onigiri

1. To make the poached salmon, sprinkle some salt onto the salmon fillet. Put two cups of water into a shallow pan and bring to the boil.
2. Next, place the salmon into the pan with one tablespoon of sake if you have it. Put the lid on and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Make sure the salmon is cooked through for this recipe then remove from the pot and pat dry with paper towel or cloth. I normally like it a bit pink in the middle but when poaching salmon for onigiri, it is important that it is cooked through.
3. Flake the salmon with a fork, Using a bowl, add two tablespoon of salmon flakes, the sesame seeds and a hand of cooked Japanese rice into the bowl, mixing together well. This makes “salmon rice”.
4. Now the salmon rice is prepared, follow the main Onigiri recipe.

Japanese Umeboshi & Black Sesame Onigiri

1. This is a great for a vegetarian / vegan option. The umeboshi will be placed into the centre of your onigiri.
2. Mix the black sesame seeds, a pinch of salt and a handful of cooked Japanese rice into the bowl and mix together.
3. With the rice and umeboshi filling prepared, follow the main Onigiri recipe.

Tuna Miso Mayo Onigiri

1. Drain the water from the tuna very well and add the mayo, miso and sesame seeds into the bowl and mix well. The tuna mayo will be used as a filling in the centre of the Onigiri.
2. Add the chopped chives, a pinch of salt and a handful of cooked Japanese rice into a bowl and mix well.
3. With the filling prepared, follow the main Onigiri recipe.

Yuki's tips

1. If you find bit tricky to make the shape of onigiri by hands, you can buy an “onigiri mould online or in Japanese shops. It’s a plastic triangular mould that will not only shape your own homemade onigiri recipe perfectly, but will also have those Japanese rice balls turn out in a uniform size
2. Another hack is to use a bit of kitchen plastic-wrap to help you mould your onigiri more easily without them falling apart in your hands.
3. For the salmon onigiri you can grill the salmon but poaching it gives the light clean taste traditionally associated with salmon onigiri.
4. To keep and wrap the onigiri you can use tin foil, bees wax paper or baking paper to wrap the onigiri.

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