Did you know that Onigiri is the best selling food in Japanese convenience stores? I guess it is because they are delicious, convenient and nutritious compared to other fast foods. This is the ultimate and only guide you will ever need including types of rice, fillings, seasonings, shapes, wrapping, storing, and tips to make them just right.
What is Onigiri?
Onigiri also is known as omusubi in Japan and is simply Japanese rice balls. They are a cooked plain Japonica short-grain rice made into a triangle shape (usually) wrapped with nori seaweed. However, there are many different rice balls in terms of fillings and seasonings. They are easy to make at home and also readily available to eat from convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan for lunch or a snack on the go.
The Best Rice for Onigiri
The best rice for making onigiri is short-grain Japonica “Koshihikari”. This Japanese rice is available from Japanese/Asian grocery stores and also you can get this rice from major supermarkets in Australia. The brand is Sun rice. Now because this type of rice also used for making sushi, it may be labeled sushi rice.
Koshihikari rice is best for making rice balls because it absorbs the optimal amount of water which helps the rice to stick together. It is also important to cook rice as the Japanese do. Read here how to cook rice the Japanese way. Process photo 5 & 6.
Seasonings
Japanese rice balls can simply be seasoned with just salt then wrapped with nori seaweed. However Japanese love rice balls with rice seasonings Furikake. There are a variety of seasonings that can be mixed into cooked rice unlike Furikake which is sprinkled onto the rice. You can purchase them
from Japanese/Asian grocery stores or online stores.
Popular brands of seasonings are Mizkan Omusubiyama and Marumiya
. Flavors can range from Wakame seaweed & salmon, Daikon leaves, Pickled plum
& Bonito flake, Tuna Mayo, grilled cod roe etc.
Just add the seasoning and mix into hot freshly cooked rice, then leave for a while. The dry seasoning ingredients will be steamed by residual heat in the hot rice and becomes soft and delicious.
Onigiri Fillings
Another way to make rice balls more flavorful and delicious is to fill them with any of the following: Umeboshi pickled plum, salted and grilled salmon, Salmon Soboro, grilled cod roe, Kelp tsukudani (Kelp boiled in sweetened soy sauce), Bonito flakes, Tuna Mayonnaise (called Tuna Mayo), etc.
In this post, I have included rice balls recipes of Umeboshi, salted plum, Tuna mayonnaise, and Soy sauce flavored Bonito Flakes in the recipe card. So read further down to learn how to make them.
If you visit any convenience store in Japan there are many different and unique fillings you can find. So just let your imagination run wild and create your own original Onigiri recipe!
How to Make the Rice Balls
The freehand method
Basically, grab a handful of cooked rice and squeeze into balls (any shape) with your hands. However, you need to choose good rice. If the rice is too dry and does not hold moisture, it will not stick together. You need to wet your hands before you handle cooked rice or use cling wrap. Then shape the rice balls with your hands while you are squeezing.
Using molds
Ok, if you are like my daughter and not confident in shaping onigiri freehand, there are molds available to help. When you use a mold, you also need to wet the mold before you put rice in it to avoid the rice sticking to it. Onigiri Molds are available from Japanese/Asian grocery stores or online.
50 Shapes of Onigiri
Ok, well not 50, but they don’t have to be triangular! You probably have seen the triangular ones, though there are other shapes as well. Commonly there are three; triangular, round, and cylindrical (called Tawara).
Round shaped
This shape is probably the easiest to make. Wet your hands so that the rice will not stick to your them, and shape it into round balls. You can make it like a glove or squash it a bit to make it flat round. You see this round shape of Takikomi gohan and Sekihan azuki beans rice into this shape at convenience stores in Japan.
Triangle shaped
Shaping into triangles maybe a little more difficult. Initially, you squeeze the rice the same as for shaping round rice balls. Then put it in one palm and use the other hand to form one triangular corner. Then keep rotating the rice ball on the palm while you squeeze the next corner every rotation.
Tawara (round cylinder) shape
This shape is not as difficult as the triangular one actually. Start with a round shape and then squeeze into a cylinder shape. This shape is known as Tawara which means straw bales.
Wrapping Rice Balls
We want to keep the nori sheet as fresh as possible. Have you ever bought Japanese rice balls wrapped with a rather complicated looking plastic wrap that separates the nori seaweed sheets? Rice ball Film Wrap are available online or you can make them at home. The instructions are in the FAQ below.
Tips to make delicious Onigiri
- Choose the correct rice -> Japonica short-grain rice, such as Koshihikari or labeled as sushi rice
- Cook rice like Japanese do
- Use mold for an easy way to make or use cling wrap.
Onigiri variations
Rice dishes that can be shaped into balls
- Sekihan azuki bean rice
- Sekihan with chestnuts
- Ketchup rice
- Takikomi gohan
- Hijiki Rice
- If you wrap the ketchup rice with a thinly fried egg, you can make Omurice onigiri. This is actually sold in convenience stores in Japan.
How to store
Unlike convenience stores’ rice balls, homemade rice balls do not contain any preservatives. Also if you make them with your hands without using cling wrap, even though you wash your hands before you make the rice balls, it is recommended to eat the rice balls on the same day. Contact with your hands will introduce germs which shorten the life of the rice.
If you choose to wrap the onigiri with cling wrap instead of the nori seaweed, it increases the life of the rice. You can keep them in a ziplock freezer bag. It stores in the freezer for a month.
FAQ
Q: Why is Onigiri triangular?
A: It is said that the ancient Japanese deified the mountain and made rice into a mountain shape (triangle) in order to confer the power of the god.
Q: What is the difference between Sushi & Onigiri?
A: The main difference is whether the cooked rice is seasoned with sweet vinegar or not. Even though both use the same type of rice, sushi uses vinegared rice, and Onigiri is made from plain cooked rice seasoned or filled with various ingredients.
Q: How to make film wraps like the one you purchase from convenience stores?
A: Here is the instruction. You need aluminum foil and masking tape. Also, see the video.
- Stick masking tape vertically over the center of the aluminum foil on the kitchen bench or on a flat surface.
- Flip it over and place a nori sheet on the center vertically.
- Fold both sides of aluminum foil in.
- Spread a sesame seed oil (or olive oil) over the aluminum foil.
- Place onigiri on the top half of the aluminum foil.
- Fold the bottom half over the onigiri to cover the onigiri.
- Secure the top with the end of the masking tape to seal it.
Q: What dishes can you serve this with?
A: It is great for Obento, can be packed with Tamagoyaki, Teriyaki Meatballs, Yakitori, and Tsukune chicken meatballs. Also good with Miso soup and instant miso soup.
Stay connected
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Japanese Rice Balls Onigiri
Ingredients
- 1.5cup/310g rice (uncooked) *1
- 1 nori sheets seaweed sheets *2
- 1 seeded umeboshi pickled plum
- 2 tbsp of bonito flakes *or 2.5g if you have a kitchen scale
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp mirin
- 95 g tinned tuna *3
- 1.5 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 piece Salted salmon *4
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to your rice cooker or if you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the instructions here. *5
- Transfer the cooked rice to a separate bowl to cool it down. I used a Japanese wooden bowl*6 for sushi making.
- Prepare all the fillings that you are going to use and set aside. *7 see some suggestions
- I used Umeboshi (pickled plum), Okaka (bonito flakes), and Tuna. For Umeboshi, deseed the plums then divide the flesh into three chunks. For Okaka, place bonito flakes into a small mixing bowl and combine with soy sauce and mirin. For Tuna, drain the brine or olive oil and mix with 1 tbs mayonnaise.
- Prepare seaweed sheet (nori). ＊8
- Place cling wrap over a rice bowl.
- Place 1/6 of the cooked rice ( 3/4 cup or 120g) over the centre of the cling wrap and make a well.
- Put about 1tsp of umeboshi (or any fillings of your choice) on the centre of the rice then cover with the rice around.
- Wrap the cling wrap over the rice and squeeze and mould the rice into a triangle shape with your hands.
- Remove the cling wrap and cover the bottom of the rice triangle with a nori sheet and set aside.
- Repeat the same steps as above to use rest of the rice with other fillings that you prepared.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I love these! Such a simple recipe to follow.
I have made them twice now. The first time I made as the recipe suggests with tuna Mayo filling.
I’ve just made a second batch today but changed it up slightly. I added some veggie stock cubes and a dash of soy sauce when I cooked the rice for extra flavour.
I used smoked tuna, Mayo, and corn for the filling. It turned out really nice!
Thank you for such an easy to follow recipe!
Hi Ariel, thank you for making onigiri with my recipe and nice adoption.
Over here, onigiris are extremely pricey. I’m happy to see they’re quite super easy to make ! 😀
Thank you for making Onigiri 😀
Does short grain brown rice work as well as white sushi rice? I live onigiri, but I’m trying to be healthier with brown rice.
Yes Cassi if the rice is sticky enough to hold the shape.
I loved the onigiri with umeboshi filling and it was a great way to bond with my dad and my brother, who helped make them. I made this recipe today as part of a project for my college class. I’m researching how the online Japanese community creates and engages in Japanese culture within their own homes, by cooking and eating Japanese dishes. If anyone would be interested in sharing their thoughts on this subject, please reach out to me!
Thank you so much Hannah san for your comment. I am sorry that I did not reply to your request in time of your project 😞
Hi Shiho! I actually still have time before my project is due, and I would still love to hear from you! Do you think you could get back to me before next Wednesday?
Ok, no problems 😀
Hi. I lived I’m Japan for a while and at Don Quixote they are always selling a ramen egg onigiri. The rice is cooked in what I think is tonkotsu broth. My husband is Japanese and we both miss this onigiri. Have you ever made a ramen egg onigiri and if so do you have any tips?
Hi, Olivia. Thank you for your comment to let me know of the Onigiri. It is new flavour onigiri for me, I have never heard of. They are evolving all the time :D. I am going back to Japan for short period of time soon and will research about ramen egg onigiri.
My daughter can smash through an onigiri like there’s no tomorrow! that’s all we ate every morning when we were in Japan. I LOVE the miso butter onigiri! What an awesome idea!
That’s great! 😀
I don’t cook much Japanese food but with your easy step-by-step photos, I don’t feel at all intimidated. What a delicious recipe!
Thank you Renee, I am glad to know that step by step photos are useful 😀
I’ve been watching some Youtube videos about Japanese food, and I’ve heard onigiri mentioned a lot. So it’s wonderful to see exactly how to make it, and how easy it is! Thank you so much! Also, I can’t believe that you can buy onigiri molds! Japan is a wonderful place and I really want to visit some day – mostly to taste all the ymmy food!
Bookmarking this post to try making later!
Thank you so much for 5 star rating and a lovely comment Helen 😀
This is the first time that I actually read the blog post preceding the recipe. Usually, the preamble isn’t informative and entertaining, like yours. So, thank you!
Also, I just had breakfast, but now I’m hungry again. I’m going to try to make onigiri later.
Thanks again!
You are welcome and thank you for reading my story 😀
These are wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe.
You are welcome Taryn Thank you.
Thank you Taryn 😀
This looks amazing!
Thank you Wilhelmina 😀
I’ve never had rice balls, but these look amazing!!
Hi Tayler, they are simple and delicious, if you have never had before, you should try it ;D
wow super easy to follow great recipe!
thank you very much 😀
Hi SHIHOKO
You gave me some inspiration to make onigiri with my year 2 students at the end of term as a fun activity! We are reading the Japanese folk tale called “The rolling rice balls” Thank you!!
You are welcome Shoko san 😀 If you can make before 15th/Nov, please share the photos on any social media with the hashtag #OnigiriAction. Your photo will deliver 5 meals to children in need 😀
Hi Shihoko! May I know if I can use regular rice or do I have to use japanese rice?
Hi Dee, It does not have to be ‘Japanese’ rice but make sure it is short grain glutinous rice.
Is short grain glutinous rice always sweet or does it sometimes have a different taste if it’s not explicitly marketed as “sushi rice”?
Hi Greg, Short grain glutinous rice is not sweet. They may taste sweet when it was made to mochi because they add sugar. The type of rice Japanese people usually eat is “Koshihikari”. They are different from the rice making mochi. I am in Australia and the short grain rice is not sticky enough to make rice balls so I buy the rice marked sushi rice.
Mmm… onigiri is one of my favorite snacks! I love how light, yummy, and portable it is! And your onigiri is just beautiful!
I love Onigiri so much! I live in Washington, DC, but there is a small Japanese store that I have bought onigiri from a couple times and it is such a good snack or light lunch. My favorite is tuna mayo 🙂 I should make them at home!
Hi Allie, make sure you use Japanese rice, otherwise rice will not stick together 😀