Crispy Seaweed Onigiri — Japanese Rice Balls
Warm sushi rice shaped into pillowy triangles, crispy on the outside from a quick pan-toast, then wrapped in nori. Fill them with pickled plum or sesame — or leave them plain and let the rice shine.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 195
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 3 cups sushi rice (or short-grain white rice), cooked
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 whole nori (seaweed sheets)
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds (white, black, or mixed)
- 4 pieces pickled plum (umeboshi) or pickled radish (optional filling)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (for pan-toasting)
Instructions
- 1
If rice is hot, cool it slightly. Drizzle with rice vinegar and fold gently until the vinegar is evenly distributed.
- 2
Dampen your hands with water. Scoop about 3/4 cup warm rice into your palm and gently form it into a triangle or ball.
- 3
If using filling, poke a small indent in the rice with your thumb, tuck in one piece of pickled plum or radish, then seal it with a bit more rice.
- 4
Heat oil in a skillet over medium. Place onigiri seam-side down and toast until pale golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
- 5
Remove onigiri from heat. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over while still warm so they stick.
- 6
Wrap each onigiri with a strip of nori around the middle seam. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tools you’ll need
- small bowl (for cooling rice if needed)
- 12-inch skillet or nonstick pan
- wooden spoon (for folding rice)
- kitchen shears or knife (for cutting nori into strips)
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
