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5.0 from 3 votes

Simple Shio Onigiri (Salted Japanese Rice Ball)

Enjoy something delicious and satisfying with this easy-to-make recipe.

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings: 6 rice
Course: Breakfast , Snacks , Lunch
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 700 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice check how to cook Japanese rice here
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • 3 heets sushi nori seaweed nori, cut into strips
  • 1 bowl ice cold water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Set up a bowl of ice water, 1/2 tbsp salt and 700 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
  2. Wash your hands thoroughly and then submerge them into the bowl of icy cold water for about 15-20 seconds. This will stop the rice sticking to your hands.
  3. Rub 1-2 pinches of salt over the palms your hands. This not only adds the flavour to the rice ball, but also helps preserve the rice.
  4. Take a handful of warm cooked rice and pressing the edges while turning to form a triangle shape. My technique is "press and turn" until the onigiri becomes a firm triangle shape. (Don't handle the rice for too long, quicker is better.)
  5. Repeat until you've used up your rice (you should be able to make 5-6 rice balls) and then wrap each onigiri with nori.
  6. Eat straight away or put in your lunch box with an ice pack. Best eaten the same day.
  7. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't like the idea of handling the rice too much with your bare hands, you can also put the rice into plastic wrap, just don't forget to add salt to the plastic wrap before shaping.
  • If you want to make them for tomorrow's lunch you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer without the nori. Microwave and then wrap with nori before eating/placing in lunchbox. 
  • Practice makes perfect but if you're having trouble with shaping, watch my video for a step by step guide!