Learn how to make onigiri! If you are new to onigiri, it may look overwhelming, but I promise it’s not. With the right ingredients and a few tools – they are easy! I’ve made a salmon onigiri, but I’m also sharing other filling ideas below, and you can also leave them plain. They are regularly requested by my kids for lunch.
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Table of Contents
What You’ll Love About Onigiri
- Easy to make
- Fun and different
- Looks impressive, but it’s simple
- Delicious way to pack up a carb for lunch
- Easily customizable
How to Make Onigiri Video
Onigiri Ingredients
You’ll need just a few basic ingredients to make onigiri:
- Sushi rice – Sushi rice is a must or your rice will dry out and get hard, especially if you make them a day in advance.
- Rice vinegar – This will help give the sushi rice classic flavor. Many people also add sugar and salt, but I typically omit those as I don’t taste a big difference. If you want to include them, simply heat the vinegar and dissolve sugar and salt in the vinegar. (Typical amounts: 2 cups dry sushi rice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt.)
- Sushi nori wrappers – I cut these to place a little bit around the bottom of the rice ball for a traditional look and flavor. You can also leave this off if you prefer.
- Furikake – This blend of seaweed, salt, and sesame seeds is delicious on rice balls and you can also mix it right into the rice.
- Fillings – See list below! I made a salmon filling with soy sauce, a little mayo, and sesame oil.
How to Make Onigiri
If you are new to onigiri, I know they can look a little intense, but I promise you can do it!
- Prepare sushi rice. I use a rice maker for perfectly cooked rice, but you can also make on stovetop, follow package instructions. Stir in rice vinegar.
- Assemble onigiri. Using the onigiri rice mold, pack some rice down in the bottom half (if filling). Add any fillings and then top with more rice and lightly pack down with cover.
- Finish rice balls. Remove onigiri from mold and place sushi nori wrapper shiny side out at the bottom of rice ball. Dip edges in furikake if desired.
Onigiri Filling Ideas
There are so many options for onigiri fillings, but you can also leave them totally plain, which is what I do most of the time. Try one of these fillings for a fun and extra-filling meal:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Teriyaki chicken
- Cooked veggies
- Sesame seeds
- Furikake
Storage Instructions
The rice balls are best served within a few hours, although I will say my children don’t mind when I make them a day or two in advance. You’ll definitely want to be sure to use sushi rice however as other rice will get dry, hard, and crumbly after a day.
You can also wrap them individually in plastic wrap to help save them even longer.
How to Serve Onigiri to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
My kids love having these rice balls for lunch, so that’s typically when we serve them. Serve them with a few items you know they will eat if it’s a new or “learning-to-like” food.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
More Recipes featuring Rice
We love rice at our house (so much so that I would say my rice cooker is one of my most valuable kitchen appliances!), here are a few more recipes that feature one of our favorite carbs:
- Ground Pork Stir Fry
- Shrimp Teriyaki
- Fajita Chicken and Rice Burritos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
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Helpful Tools to Make Onigiri
There are some tools that you either need – or that you’ll want if you’re going to make onigiri!
- Onigiri rice mold – You can definitely make the rice balls without a mold, but I find it easier to use one. This one will make six rice balls and is easy to store in the refrigerator.
- Animal rice molds – We also have these animal molds, which are fun and the kids love. The smaller size makes them perfect if you have just a little leftover rice.
- Rice maker – The key to perfectly cooked sushi rice. I use this once a week and it has truly been a game changer.
- Sushi nori wrappers – These are optional, but fun.
How to Make Onigiri
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 onigiri rice balls 1x
- Category: Lunchbox
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Learn how to make onigiri! If you are new to onigiri (rice balls), it may look overwhelming, but I promise it’s not. With the right ingredients and a few tools – they are easy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry sushi rice
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- seaweed
- furikake
- cooked salmon (if using!)
- soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Prepare sushi rice according to package instructions.
- Stir rice wine vinegar into rice until incorporated.
- Using the onigiri rice mold, pack some rice down in the bottom half (if filling). Add any fillings and then top with more rice and lightly pack down with cover.
- Store in refrigerator if not using right away.
- Remove onigiri from mold and place sushi nori wrapper shiny side out at the bottom of rice ball.
- Dip edges in furikake if desired.
Notes
- TIP: If including a filling, make sure to only place it in the very center of the rice ball or it won’t properly seal, you want the top and bottom rice pieces to be able to connect around the perimeter.
- TIP: If you have trouble getting your rice ball out, pry gently with a butter knife. You can also spray mold with cooking spray.
- TIP: The nori wrapper has two sides, the shiny side goes on the outside or it won’t stick as well.
Keywords: onigiri, how to make onigiri, rice balls
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Ella
Ok these looks super fun! I definitely want to try as I think my boys would love them 🙂
Emily
Yes, give them a try!