Tuna Mayo Onigiri (Print Version)
Classic Japanese rice balls stuffed with creamy tuna mayonnaise filling. Ready in 35 minutes.
# What You'll 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 (such as Kewpie)
05 - 1 teaspoon soy sauce
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
→ Assembly
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 6 small sheets nori (seaweed), cut into strips
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 - Rinse the rice several times under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
02 - Combine rice with 2½ cups of water in a rice cooker or pot and cook according to package instructions. Once cooked, let the rice rest for 10 minutes.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir until creamy and well blended.
04 - While the rice is still warm but cool enough to handle, wet your hands with water and rub a small amount of salt onto your palms to prevent sticking.
05 - Take approximately ½ cup of rice and flatten it into a round disc in your palm. Place a spoonful of the tuna mayo filling in the center, then gently fold the rice over the filling and shape into a triangle or oval. Repeat with the remaining rice and filling.
06 - Wrap a strip of nori around each onigiri. Serve immediately or pack for later.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The filling is essentially a three minute tuna salad that tastes like something far more special thanks to Kewpie mayo and a splash of soy sauce.
- Once you nail the basic shaping technique you will start making these for every road trip, picnic, and lazy lunch that comes your way.
02 -
- Do not use freshly harvested new rice because it holds too much moisture and the onigiri will turn mushy and fall apart in your hands.
- Shape the rice while it is still warm because once it cools completely the grains lose their stickiness and refuse to hold any shape at all.
03 -
- If the rice keeps sticking to your hands no matter what, try rubbing a thin film of sesame oil on your palms instead of salt, which changes the flavor slightly but works beautifully.
- Press gently but firmly when shaping, because packed rice becomes dense and heavy while loose rice falls apart the moment you pick it up.