Onigiri is made with short grain white rice and then formed into a triangle or ball. In English they are called "rice balls". Ingredients are either mixed in with the rice or stuffed in the middle. Onigiri are commonly eaten for lunch and put in bento boxes.

What kind of rice is used for onigiri?

To ensure onigiri keeps its shape, we use Japanese short grain white rice which is a bit sticky (the same kind used for sushi).

Is onigiri the same as sushi?

Sushi is made with rice that has been mixed with vinegar, salt and sugar whereas onigiri is made with simple salted rice. They are also shaped differently so no, onigiri and sushi are not the same.

Can I store onigiri and eat it later?

Onigiri is best eaten the same day. Most people keep it in a lunchbox with an icepack. If you have leftovers, wrap the onigiri in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer (without the nori). You can microwave it to defrost. I don't recommend refrigerating onigiri as it dries out the rice.

Chicken Soboro Onigiri (Japanese Ground Chicken Rice Ball)

Description

How to make Chicken Soboro Onigiri (Japanese Ground Chicken Rice Ball). Recipe doesn't include how to cook rice. (See this post to learn how to make Japanese style rice without a rice cooker) Makes 5-6 rice balls.

Ingredients

660g Japanese short grain white rice cooked/hot (300g before cooking - check out my post on how to cook Japanese style rice here)
1 tsp vegetable oil
100g ground chicken mince
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sake
6 strips of nori dried seaweed

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Instructions

Heat up a frying pan on a medium high heat.
Once it's hot, add 1 tsp vegetable oil and 100g of ground chicken.
Fry the chicken until browned.
Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp sake to the pan and fry everything together until the liquid has evaporated.
Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken to a large bowl.
Add the cooked rice to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Divide the rice into 5-6 even portions.
Wet your hands with cold water and rub a pinch of salt over your palms.
Take a portion of rice/chicken and start to press it together, pressing the edges to form a triangle shape. See this post for more information on how to shape the perfect rice ball.
Once your onigiri are shaped, wrap with nori.
Eat straight away or put in your lunch box with an ice pack. See note for storage options.
Enjoy!

Notes

If you have leftovers, wrap each individual onigiri in plastic wrap without nori and place them in an airtight container in the freezer. (This prevents freezer burn.) Best eaten within 1 month. Microwave to defrost.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Rice
Method: Fry
Cuisine: Japanese

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