How To Make Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Japanese Rice Balls) In 2 Flavors
Without a doubt, one of the simplest Japanese cuisine items is definitely “Onigiri”, or the Japanese rice ball. Even though it is a simple food, is a popular snack that is enjoyed by both children and adults every day in Japan. Recently, onigiri has also started gaining popularity in other countries.
One variation of onigiri is “Yaki Onigiri” which refers to a grilled rice ball covered in a soy sauce or miso-based glaze. The savory flavor of yaki onigiri is so mouthwatering that you’ll become an instant fan once you try it!
Yaki onigiri is easy to make, but there are some tips that you should keep in mind for making the perfect yaki onigiri:
- Prepare “warm” rice: The temperature of rice is important for making delicious yaki onigiri. When the rice is warm, it is easier to shape the rice because it sticks together more easily.
- Press tightly when making the iconic triangle shape: Pressing the onigiri tightly will help it to keep its shape and allow it to turn over easier without breaking in the pan. When shaping the onigiri, it is better to flatten the surface so that both sides can cook evenly.
- Don’t turn over the yaki onigiri too many times: Don’t touch the onigiri until the surface becomes crispy as it might break and you won’t get the right shape.
- Brush the onigiri with the sauce after the surface becomes golden brown: Once both sides become crispy, this is the best time to brush the onigiri with the prepared sauce. When the sauce becomes dry, flip the onigiri over and repeat the same process.
Yaki Onigiri is a very simple dish, so the choice of “Tare” or sauce is really what decides the flavor. For our recipe, we recommend amakuchi shoyu or “sweet soy sauce”. You can learn more about it here.
Amakuchi shoyu has a light sweetness, so you can enjoy delicious yaki onigiri with just this one seasoning!
As mentioned above, the taste of Yaki Onigiri is up to what seasoning you decide to use. In this recipe, we’re going to show you how to make a soy sauce-based yaki onigiri and a miso-based yaki onigiri.
Let us know in the comments below if you make our Yaki Onigiri recipe. We would love to hear from you!
Overview
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Total servings: 10
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 400g Rice (for the soy sauce version)
- 2 Tbsp Amakuchi Shoyu (Sweet Soy Sauce) or Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (optional, recommend if using dark soy sauce)
- 400g Rice (for the miso version)
- 2 Tbsp Miso Paste (any type is ok)
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
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