Tuna Mayo Onigiri Japanese Rice Balls (Print Version)
Creamy tuna-filled Japanese rice balls, handheld and portable
# What You Need:
→ Rice
01 - 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice
02 - 2½ cups water
→ Filling
03 - 1 can (5 oz) tuna in water, drained
04 - 3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred)
05 - 1 teaspoon soy sauce
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, optional
→ Assembly
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 6 small sheets nori, cut into strips
# Directions:
01 - Rinse the rice several times under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
02 - Combine rice and water in a rice cooker or pot. Cook according to package instructions. Once done, let the rice rest for 10 minutes.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir until creamy and evenly combined.
04 - While the rice is still warm but cool enough to handle, wet your hands with water and rub a pinch of salt onto your palms to prevent sticking.
05 - Take about ½ cup of rice and flatten it into a round disc in your palm. Place a spoonful of tuna mayo filling in the center, then gently fold the rice over the filling. Seal and shape into a triangle or oval. Repeat with remaining rice and filling.
06 - Wrap a strip of nori around each onigiri. Serve immediately or pack for later.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tuna mayo filling is outrageously simple but tastes like something from a professional kitchen.
- These rice balls travel beautifully, making them the quiet heroes of road trips and desk lunches.
- Shaping them by hand is weirdly therapeutic and way easier than it looks.
02 -
- If the rice cools down completely before shaping, it loses its stickiness and will fall apart in your hands.
- Draining the tuna thoroughly is the difference between a neat filling and a soggy mess that leaks out the sides.
03 -
- Regular mayonnaise works in a pinch but add a squeeze of lemon juice to mimic the tang of Kewpie.
- Slightly underseasoning the filling is better because the salted rice exterior balances every bite.