Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Balls) 焼きおにぎり

Yaki onigiri are delicious, crispy grilled Japanese rice balls brushed with miso and soy sauce and fried in butter. With just a few typical Japanese pantry items, you can whip up this tasty snack in no time! They're perfect for bentos too!

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Jump to:

• What is Onigiri?
• Yaki Onigiri (焼きおにぎり)
• Tips for making yaki onigiri perfect every time
• Storing
• FAQ
• Check out our video for How to Make Onigiri Rice Balls At Home
• Step by step recipe
• Community feedback

What is Onigiri?

Onigiri (おにぎり) is a popular Japanese snack made with white rice shaped into a ball or triangle. In English they are often known as "rice balls" and much like a sandwich, they're portable, great for lunchboxes and can be stuffed with all kinds of tasty fillings.

A brief history

Onigiri has been around for thousands of years, it's probably one of the most ancient foods in Japan and there's evidence to show that it even existed around 350BC!

Due to its long history, you can expect that it's picked up a few different names along the way. Some other words for onigiri are nigiri (にぎり), nigiri-meshi (にぎりめし), omusubi (おむすび) and musubi (むすび). All of these are still used in modern times but I'd say "onigiri" is the most popular and well known worldwide.

Yaki Onigiri (焼きおにぎり)

While onigiri is usually made with cooked rice and fillings, yaki onigiri goes through a second cooking process.

Traditionally, yaki onigiri was brushed with soy sauce or miso paste and then cooked over a charcoal grill, giving it a wonderful smoky flavour and crispy texture. These days, most people just make them in a frying pan or cast iron pan, but you can fry them on a BBQ if you like!

Yaki onigiri fillings

It is possible to put fillings inside yaki onigiri, but its much more common to make it with plain rice. That way, you can really appreciate the taste of the sauce and the texture from the grilling / frying.

Yaki onigiri sauce

Traditionally, yaki onigiri would be brushed either with soy sauce or miso. Well in my opinion, why not enjoy both?! I put together a delicious and fragrant sauce flavoured with garlic. Here is what I use:

• Soy sauce
• Mirin
• Sesame oil
• Miso paste (I use this Hikari yellow "Awase" miso paste)
• Garlic paste (I use S&B oroshi ninniku, you could also crush a small garlic clove)

The beauty of yaki onigiri is the fact that you don't need any fresh ingredients. If you cook Japanese food often, then you probably have all these things in your fridge or pantry already!

Rice to use for yaki onigiri

It's important to use Japanese short grain white rice to make onigiri. The sticky texture helps the rice ball to hold its shape, other types of rice tend to fall apart because they're not sticky enough.

When shopping for rice, look for Japanese short grain white rice, koshi hikari or sushi rice.

Most Japanese people cook their rice in a rice cooker (it's pretty much fail-proof!) but if you don't have one then check out my post to learn how to cook Japanese style rice on the stove here.

Tips for making yaki onigiri perfect every time

One of the most common problems when making yaki onigiri is making it stable enough that it holds its shape when it's fried. Brushing it with the sauce makes the rice wet and more likely to fall apart.

Luckily I have a few tips to ensure that you can make yaki onigiri perfectly every time!

Shaping

Firstly, you need to make sure to shape your ongiri firmly.

While I usually shape onigiri by hand, when I make yaki onigiri I prefer to use a mold so that I can really pack the rice in.

I use a plastic mold like this one on Amazon. (Associate link)

If you don't have a mold, you could use plastic wrap instead. Just make sure to press the rice tightly because yaki onigiri is prone to falling apart.

Drying

My most important tip is allowing the onigiri to dry out for 10 minutes.

Once you've shaped the onigiri, place it on a plate and allow it to air dry. This forms a thin, dry crust on the outside of the ongiri.

Not only does this give it a crispy texture, but it also allows the rice grains to bond together so your rice ball doesn't fall apart when you brush it with the sauce.

Brushing the sauce

I recommend using a pastry brush or something similar to brush the sauce over the surface of the ongiri. This allows you to add a thin and even layer of sauce, which in turn, stops it from getting too wet.

Fry with butter

Soy sauce and butter is considered a golden combination in Japan, so frying your yaki onigiri in butter adds a rich and delicious taste to the surface!

If you're using a grill or bbq and still want that buttery flavour, just melt it and mix it with the sauce!

Storing

It's my personal preference but I always love eating yaki onigiri straight out of the pan when they're freshly made. Despite this, it's also common to eat them cold and even put them in a bento box and eat them later.

If you have leftovers, you can also wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Place the wrapped onigiri in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn and then microwave before eating!

FAQ

Check out our video for How to Make Onigiri Rice Balls At Home

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