Japanese Creamy Tuna Grilled Rice Balls - Tuna Yaki Onigiri

By Tiffy Cooks

5 from 4 votes

Welcome to DAY 1 of my Street Food Series, where I share 15 of my favorite street foods that are delicious and easy to make at home! For the first day, we will be making Japanese Creamy Tuna Grilled Rice Balls - Tuna Yaki Onigiri that is finger-licking good! With only a few simple ingredients, you will be able to make Yaki Onigiri in less than 20 minutes. Japanese Creamy Rice Balls was the most requested recipe from my most recent “What I Eat In a Day,” and I am excited to share with you how to make it!

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Prep Time:5

Cook Time:15

Total Time:20

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Asian Recipe Easy, asian snack, easy snack, rice, rice ball, snack

Servings: Rice Balls

Calories: 301kcal

Ingredients

2 cup Cooked Rice
1 can Tuna dump excess water and oil
3 tbsp Japanese Mayo
1 tsp Black Pepper
0.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Furikake Seasoning
1 tsp Korean Chili Paste optional
1 tbsp Melted Butter
Roasted Seaweed

Instructions

In a bowl mix, 1 can of tuna, 2.5 tbsp of Japanese mayo, 0.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce, and 1 tsp of Black Pepper. If you like it spicy, you can also add in 1 tsp of Korean Chili Paste
Mix cooked rice and furikake seasoning
Add 2 tbsp of rice to the bottom of the rice mold, add 1.5 tbsp of filling and add 2 more tbsp of rice ontop. Put the mold on top and press it down for 3-5 seconds to ensure the rice is tightly packed. Push the back button to pop the rice ball up. Repeat the process (amount varies base on the size of your mold)
In a pan, drizzle in 1 tsp of oil, and using a paper towel wipe off any excess oil. Turn the heat to medium-low and add on the rice ball. Grill the rice ball for 1-2 minutes on each side. Keep an eye out as you don’t want to burn the rice ball.
Optional - add some melted butter to the rice ball and grill for another 30 seconds on each side.
Serve with roasted seaweed and enjoy!

Video

Notes

To save time and make perfect onigiri every single time, I am using a Triangle Onigiri Mold. Onigiri molds are affordable ($7) and are super convenient for quick and easy lunches. Using a mold, you can ensure that the rice is tightly packed and doesn’t fall apart. If you don’t have a mold, you can also use your hands instead. Quick tip - to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands, make sure to wet your hands with water first.

RICE MOLD: https://amzn.to/3szLd0G

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 11gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 512mgPotassium: 146mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 33IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 2mg