Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Balls)
A quick an easy recipe for yaki onigiri or Japanese grilled rice balls. This popular snack provides the perfect combination of golden-brown crispy crust with a tender rice interior.
Servings 4 rice balls
Ingredients
Rice Balls
- 2 cups steamed short-grain or medium grain rice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Glaze
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
Preparing the glaze
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, and 1 tsp sugar. Set aside.
Seasoning the rice
- In a large bowl, pour 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of sesame oil over 2 cups of steamed rice. Gently mix using a rice paddle to keep it fluffy.
Shaping the rice balls
- Shaping with a mold: Fill the mold with the appropriate amount of rice. Press down firmly on the lid, then remove rice ball from mold.
- Shaping by hand: Moisten hands with water and scoop a handful of rice into the palm of your hand. Use your hands to compact and mold the rice into a tight triangle. Smooth out the edges and corners.
Grilling the yaki onigiri
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.Pan-fry the rice balls in batches for about 3 minutes on each side until golden-brown and crispy. Avoid excessive movement to maintain crispiness.
- Once both sides are golden brown, grill the three smaller sides for around 30 seconds each until slightly browned and crispy.
- Reduce heat to medium and brush one side of each onigiri with the prepared glaze.Flip them to grill the glazed side for about 20 seconds. Remove the onigiri from the heat and serve.