Chicken Soboro Onigiri (Japanese Ground Chicken Rice Ball)
User Reviews
5
Chicken Soboro Onigiri (Japanese Ground Chicken Rice Ball)
Description
The Chicken Soboro Onigiri combines Japanese short-grain rice with ground chicken cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. The ground chicken is browned and simmered in this flavorful sauce until the liquid is fully absorbed, creating a moist, savory topping that is mixed through the rice. The rice's sticky texture allows easy shaping into compact onigiri, which are then wrapped with nori seaweed for added texture and flavor. This preparation offers a balanced taste profile with subtle umami and sweetness from the mirin and sugar.
Shaping the rice balls evenly can be done using an onigiri mold or by hand for a traditional approach. Once shaped and wrapped in nori, the onigiri can be eaten immediately or packed for meals on the go. The nori adds a crisp, slightly briny contrast to the savory chicken rice within.
Leftover onigiri can be frozen wrapped individually in plastic wrap without nori to avoid freezer burn, then stored in an airtight container for up to one month. To enjoy later, microwave to defrost and add fresh nori before serving. Refrigeration is not recommended to preserve texture and freshness.
Ingredients
- 600 g Japanese short-grain rice cooked
- 1 tsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 100 g ground chicken
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sake
- 6 trips nori seaweed nori, sushi
Instructions
- Heat up a frying pan on a medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tsp cooking oil and 100 g ground chicken and fry until browned.
- Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp sake to the pan and fry everything together. When the liquid has fully absorbed, remove from the heat.
- Add 600 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice and the seasoned chicken to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Once evenly distributed, I recommend dividing into equal portions to ensure all the onigiri are the same size.
- Shape the rice in a onigiri mold. If shaping by hand, see my article how to shape the perfect rice ball.
- Once your onigiri are shaped, wrap them with nori. Eat them straight away or put them in your lunch box with an ice pack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Freeze leftover onigiri individually wrapped without nori to prevent freezer burn and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Reheat frozen onigiri in the microwave before adding fresh nori to maintain texture.
- Refrigeration is not recommended as it affects the texture negatively.
- Use an onigiri mold for uniform shapes or shape by hand for a traditional feel.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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