Description
Japanese rice balls embrace bold flavors with this spicy tuna onigiri recipe. Crisp nori wraps around seasoned sushi rice and zesty tuna, delivering a perfect handheld snack you’ll crave at first bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 104 grams canned tuna, drained
Rice and Base Ingredients:
- 240 grams (or 1.5 rice cooker cups) sushi rice, uncooked
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Water to moisten hands and rice paddle
Flavor and Garnish Ingredients:
- ½ tablespoon Japanese mayo (or regular mayo)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- ½ or 2 sheets nori (based on personal preference)
- ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Thoroughly cleanse sushi rice under running water until the liquid becomes transparent, then cook using a rice cooker or pot following package guidelines.
- Transfer cooked rice to a spacious mixing bowl, incorporate salt evenly, and allow to cool to ambient temperature.
- Create a spicy tuna filling by blending drained tuna with Japanese mayonnaise and sriracha sauce in a separate container.
- Position a square piece of plastic wrap on a clean work surface and lightly dampen a rice paddle with water.
- Portion the cooled rice into four uniform segments.
- Spread one rice portion onto the plastic wrap, creating a smooth, circular layer approximately half an inch thick.
- Delicately place a portion of the prepared spicy tuna mixture directly in the rice circle’s center.
- Gather the plastic wrap’s edges and gently twist, forming a compact ball that completely encases the tuna filling.
- Softly compress the rice ball, transforming it into a disc roughly two inches thick.
- Utilize your thumb and index finger to mold the disc into a triangular shape with defined edges.
- Slice nori sheets into appropriate strips and carefully wrap around the base of each rice triangle.
- Optional: Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the onigiri for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Prep rice carefully by rinsing until water runs clear to remove excess starch, ensuring perfect sticky texture for shaping onigiri.
- Use wet rice paddle or hands to prevent sticky rice from clinging, making the forming process smooth and easy.
- Create tight seal when wrapping tuna filling to prevent ingredients from falling out during handling or eating.
- Select high-quality canned tuna and Japanese mayo for authentic flavor and creamy consistency in the spicy mixture.
- Nori wrapping not only adds traditional presentation but also provides convenient grip and extra umami flavor to the rice ball.
- Refrigerate onigiri immediately if not serving right away to maintain optimal texture and food safety.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg