Description
These Japanese Tuna Onigiri are creamy, portable rice balls filled with a savory tuna mayo mixture and wrapped in nori. A beloved staple of Japanese food culture, they’re quick, budget-friendly, and perfect for school lunches, breakfasts, snacks, or easy meal prep at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (sushi rice), cooked
- 1 can (5 oz) tuna, drained
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (or regular mayo)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Nori (seaweed sheets), cut into strips
- Salt, for seasoning rice and hands
- Optional: sesame seeds or furikake for garnish
Instructions
- Cook rice: Prepare Japanese short-grain rice and let it cool slightly until warm.
- Mix filling: Combine drained tuna, mayonnaise, and soy sauce in a bowl until creamy.
- Shape onigiri: Wet hands with water, sprinkle with salt, and flatten 1/2 cup rice into a disk. Place a spoonful of tuna filling in the center and fold rice around it.
- Form shape: Gently press into a triangle or ball, applying light but firm pressure.
- Wrap with nori: Add a strip of nori around the rice ball.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or wrap in plastic for later. Best consumed within a few hours if unrefrigerated.
Notes
- Use Japanese short-grain rice for best stickiness and texture.
- Season hands with salt to prevent sticking and lightly flavor the rice.
- Don’t overfill with tuna mayo to keep onigiri intact.
- Use fresh, crisp nori for best taste and texture.
- For meal prep, freeze without nori and add seaweed fresh when reheating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes (for rice)
- Category: Snack, Lunch
- Method: No-Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri
Keywords: Japanese tuna onigiri, Tuna mayo rice balls, Easy Japanese lunch ideas, Onigiri recipe, Portable Japanese food