Description
Spam Onigiri is a savory Japanese rice ball snack that combines flavorful, pan-cooked Spam with seasoned rice, lightly coated with furikake and wrapped in crisp seaweed. This easy-to-make comfort food offers a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and umami tastes, ideal for lunch, picnics, or quick bites.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice
- 3–4 cups cooked short-grain or medium-grain rice
Spam Mixture
- 1/2 can (170g) Spam Lite, diced into 1/4 inch cubes (substitute with regular Spam and reduce soy sauce by half)
- 2 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 scallions, chopped
To Assemble
- 3 tbsp furikake seasoning
- 2 roasted seaweed sheets, cut into 2-inch strips
- Salt, for rubbing hands
Instructions
- Prepare Spam: Dice the Spam into 1/4 inch thick cubes and set them aside.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil until well blended.
- Cook Spam: Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium heat, add the diced Spam, and cook until all sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Simmer with sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the browned Spam, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky, approximately 5 minutes.
- Finish Spam mixture: Turn off the heat, stir in chopped scallions, and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Prepare rice: Place cooked rice in a bowl and let it cool until it is comfortable to handle.
- Form onigiri: Wet your hands, dip two fingers in salt, then rub salt evenly over your palms. Take about 1/4 cup of rice, flatten it in your palm, add 1-2 tablespoons of the Spam mixture in the center, then cover with more rice. Press firmly and shape the rice ball into a triangle using your palms, applying steady pressure as you rotate your hands to create the classic onigiri shape.
- Coat and wrap: Lightly coat the edges of the shaped onigiri with furikake seasoning, then wrap each onigiri with a strip of roasted seaweed just before serving. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- If substituting with regular Spam, reduce soy sauce quantity by half to balance saltiness.
- Using short-grain rice is preferred for better stickiness, essential for shaping onigiri.
- You can use an onigiri mold for easier shaping if you’re not confident shaping by hand.
- Wrap the seaweed just before eating to keep it crisp and pleasant.
- Adjust sugar and soy sauce amounts according to your taste preference for sweetness and saltiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Spam onigiri, Japanese rice ball, Spam recipe, easy onigiri, savory snack, furikake, seaweed wrap
