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Flavorful Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls Three Easy Ways with Salmon Tuna and Umeboshi

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These onigiri rice balls are a quick, tasty, and portable snack featuring three delicious fillings: salmon, tuna mayo, and umeboshi. Perfect for lunchboxes, picnics, or cozy snacks, they combine fluffy rice, flavorful fillings, and crispy nori.

Ingredients

  • Japanese short-grain rice (1 ½ cups / 270g)
  • Water (1 ¾ cups / 420ml)
  • Rice vinegar (2 tbsp)
  • Sugar (1 tsp)
  • Salt (½ tsp)
  • Fresh salmon fillet (4 oz / 115g), skinless, boneless, lightly salted and cooked
  • Light soy sauce (1 tsp)
  • Sesame seeds (optional, ½ tsp)
  • Canned tuna in water (1 can, ~5 oz / 140g), drained
  • Japanese mayonnaise (2 tbsp)
  • Rice vinegar (½ tsp)
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Umeboshi pickled plums (2 small plums), pitted and chopped
  • Roasted nori sheets (3 full sheets, cut into halves or thirds)
  • Salt for sprinkling on hands to prevent sticking

Instructions

  1. Rinse the Japanese short-grain rice in cold water 3-4 times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.
  2. In your rice cooker or pot, combine rinsed rice and 1 ¾ cups (420ml) water. Let it soak for 20-30 minutes if time allows.
  3. Cook according to your rice cooker’s instructions or bring to a boil in a pot, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steam for 10 minutes with the lid on. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking to keep steam trapped for perfect texture.
  4. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt until dissolved.
  5. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and gently fold in the vinegar mixture using a spatula. Be gentle to avoid mashing the grains. Allow the rice to cool slightly; it should be warm but not hot when shaping.
  6. Prepare the fillings:
  7. Salmon: Lightly season the salmon fillet with salt and steam or pan-fry until cooked through (about 8 minutes). Flake the salmon with a fork and mix with 1 tsp light soy sauce and optional sesame seeds.
  8. Tuna Mayo: In a bowl, combine drained tuna, 2 tbsp Japanese mayo, ½ tsp rice vinegar, and a pinch of black pepper.
  9. Umeboshi: Remove pits and chop the umeboshi into small pieces.
  10. Wet your hands with salted water to prevent sticking.
  11. Take about ½ cup (90g) of rice and flatten it slightly in your palm.
  12. Place 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen filling in the center.
  13. Fold the rice over the filling and gently press into a triangular shape, about 3 inches (7-8 cm) wide.
  14. Wrap each ball with a strip or half-sheet of nori, shiny side out. Don’t pack the rice too tightly; it should hold together but stay soft.
  15. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap for lunchboxes.
  16. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours (though best fresh).

Notes

Rinse rice thoroughly to remove excess starch for perfect sticky texture. Wet hands with salted water to prevent rice sticking while shaping. Wrap nori just before eating to keep it crisp. Store onigiri without nori if refrigerating. Use plastic wrap to help shape if needed.

Nutrition

Keywords: onigiri, Japanese rice balls, salmon onigiri, tuna mayo onigiri, umeboshi, rice balls, Japanese snack, picnic food, easy Japanese recipe

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