Onigiri Recipe: How to Make Japanese Rice Balls

Rice balls, known as onigiri or omusubi in Japan, are mounds of cooked rice shaped into triangles, balls, or cylinders that contain different fillings. (There are different types of rice balls around the world, including Korean jumuk bap and Italian arancini.) Japanese rice balls are typically wrapped in nori seaweed or rolled in sesame seeds so that they can be easily picked up and eaten. Popular onigiri flavors include umeboshi (pickled plum), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), and even fried rice onigiri.

The key to making onigiri is to use the right ingredients.

1. 1. Use plain steamed rice. Japanese rice balls are made from plain Japanese short-grain rice. (Do not use sushi rice, which is a short-grain rice seasoned with rice vinegar and other ingredients.)
2. 2. Use fresh rice. Freshly steamed rice is easier to shape than day-old rice.
3. 3. Keep bowls of water and salt on hand. Dip your hands in water and sprinkle them with salt while shaping the onigiri to keep the rice from sticking to your hands and to lightly season the plain white rice.
4. 4. Embrace leftovers. Use up leftover miso salmon, shrimp tempura, or chicken teriyaki as onigiri filling.

Learn to make classic, triangle-shaped onigiri.

1. 1. Prep your hands. Dip your hands in water and sprinkle them lightly with salt.
2. 2. Indent the rice. Using your wet hands, scoop about a third of a cup of rice into your hand. Use the index finger of your free hand to poke a small indentation (about half an inch deep) in the center of the rice.
3. 3. Add filling. Place one to two teaspoons of filling into the indented well.
4. 4. Shape the rice. Use gentle pressure to seal the rice around the filling. Gently squeeze the hand that holds the rice while placing the other hand on top to form a triangular shape.
5. 5. Coat the onigiri. To finish, coat the onigiri with sesame seeds, arrange a strip of nori along the center of the onigiri, or wrap the entire onigiri in a sheet of nori. You may choose to place a tiny bit of filling at the top of the onigiri to indicate its filling.