Easy Yaki Onigiri
Easy Yaki Onigiri are crispy, grilled Japanese rice balls brushed with savory soy sauce, perfect as a snack or light meal. This simple recipe delivers authentic flavors with minimal ingredients and effort.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Snack
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
- Salt, to taste
- Optional fillings: pickled plum (umeboshi), salted salmon flakes, or tuna mayo
Instructions
- Prepare Japanese short-grain rice according to package instructions and let it cool slightly until warm.
- Lightly salt your hands and shape the rice into triangular or round rice balls, optionally adding your choice of filling in the center.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or grill pan over medium heat and brush with oil.
- Place the rice balls on the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until a golden, crispy crust forms.
- Mix soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl, then brush this mixture over the rice balls while grilling, turning carefully to coat all sides evenly.
- Once nicely grilled and caramelized, remove from heat and serve warm.
Notes
For extra flavor, try wrapping the finished onigiri with a strip of toasted nori seaweed before serving.