Japanese Salmon Onigiri (Rice Balls)
Japan’s ultimate portable snack: seasoned sushi rice shaped by hand into triangles, stuffed with savory salmon, and wrapped in crisp nori. Simple, satisfying, perfect.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (made with 1 cup dry rice), still warm
- 1 salmon fillet (about 6 oz / 170g)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for seasoning rice)
- 3 sheets nori seaweed, each cut in half
- Salt water for hands (1 cup water + 1 tsp salt)
Instructions
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1
Season the salmon fillet with soy sauce and mirin. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then flake into chunks, discarding skin and bones.
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2
Season the warm rice with salt and gently toss (don’t mash the grains).
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3
Wet your hands with salt water. Take about 1/3 cup of rice and flatten it in your palm. Place a tablespoon of salmon in the center. Mold more rice on top to enclose the filling.
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4
Shape into a triangle by cupping both hands into an L-shape and pressing and rotating the rice ball. Apply gentle, firm pressure — about 3-4 rotations. The onigiri should hold together but not be compressed into a brick.
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5
Wrap each onigiri with a half-sheet of nori. Eat immediately (crispy nori) or wrap in plastic for later (soft nori).
