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How I Developed This Miso Onigiri

When I first started thinking about this recipe, I was set on using garlic and miso (known as ninniku miso) with a little sweetness.

There are lots of different ways to make garlic miso. I was using it for onigiri, so I knew I had to keep things simple. So I got creative and came up with an easy process.

If you’re looking for a rich and flavorful rice ball filling that is quick and easy to prepare, this rice ball is perfect for you! You can also use an additive-free miso to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans!

3 Miso onigiri rice balls topped with a small blob of miso filling lined up on a wooden chopping board on gray surface side view

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Garlic Miso Onigiri at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.

STEP

Prepare Garlic Miso Filling

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little sesame oil. Fry the minced garlic and Japanese leek until they release their aromas.

frying finely chopped Japanese leeks in a frying pan with wooden spatula on the stove

Next, add the sake and mirin to the pan and stir to combine.

sautéed finely diced Japanese leeks in a frying pan with condiments to make miso onigiri filling

Now, mix in the miso paste and chili powder, stirring all the while.

Miso onigiri filling in a frying pan with wooden spatula on the stove

Cook until the mixture thickens, then remove from heat. It’s important to get the paste to the right consistency so it’s easy to fill the onigiri, and so they don’t become soggy.

STEP

Shape Onigiri

If using a mold: Lightly salt the onigiri mold to enhance flavor. Add 50-60 grams of rice (half the total amount per onigiri) to the mold, creating an indentation in the center for the filling.

For hand-shaping: Wet your hands with cold water and sprinkle with salt to prevent sticking. Take the full amount of rice for one onigiri and flatten it on your palm.

STEP

Add Filling

For molded onigiri: Spoon the garlic miso mixture into the indentation in the center of the rice. I use about 1/2 a tablespoon per rice ball.

Rice with miso filling in an onigiri rice ball mold

For hand-shaped onigiri: Place the filling in the center of the flattened rice.

STEP

Complete Shaping

Mold method: Add the remaining rice on top of the filling. Use the mold lid to firmly press and compact the onigiri.

Using a plastic rice ball mold to make onigiri with miso filling

Hand method: Gently fold the rice over the filling, encasing it completely. Shape into a triangle using your palms, ensuring the filling stays securely inside.

STEP

Finish and Serve

Wrap each onigiri in a strip of nori seaweed. For the best taste and texture, serve immediately.

Holding an miso onigiri rice ball filled with homemade miso filling with wooden chopping board in the background

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How to Store

Rice balls are best eaten as soon as they’re made, but if you’re preparing them in advance, simply wrap them and freeze them without the nori. Reheat in the microwave until the rice has been revived to its hot and fluffy cooked state, then wrap with nori right before eating and enjoy!

Tip: Don’t refrigerate onigiri as it dries out the rice. If you’re transporting them to work or school, store them in a lunch box with an ice pack to help preserve them for longer and consume them within a few hours.

I hope you enjoy this Garlic Miso Onigiri recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!