Quick & Easy Spicy Tuna Onigiri
Rice balls stuffed with creamy spicy mayo tuna wrapped in roasted seaweed. This quick and easy spicy tuna onigiri is ready in 20 minutes with cooked rice and minimal ingredients! It's a great as a snack, light meal, picnic food or breakfast.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 cups cooked short grain rice
- 1/2 sheet nori (or feel free to use 2 sheets of nori if you prefer more)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds (or regular toasted sesame seeds (optional))
- water ( to moisten rice paddle)
- 5.29 oz canned tuna (in oil ideally or use canned tuna in water)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise (or regular mayo)
- 1 tbsp sriracha (or any hot sauce)
Instructions
- 1
Transfer freshly cooked or warm rice to a large bowl and season with salt. Mix well. Cover with a lid and keep warm. (Or feel free to use cold day-old rice that has been stored in an airtight container and reheat it in the microwave for 1-3 minutes covered until hot).
- 2
Open the canned tuna and strain it of its liquids using a fine sieve. Remove as much of the liquids as possible by pressing it into the sieve using a fork. Then in a small bowl mix together strained canned tuna, Japanese mayo and sriracha sauce. Set aside.
- 3
Next spread out a large fresh sheet of plastic wrap or cling film (about 15 x 15 inches) on a clean surface where the plastic will cling to (like a large ceramic plate or on a countertop with the corners taped down). Moisten the rice paddle or a silicone spatula with water and divide cooked rice into four equal portions.
- 4
Scoop one portion (3/4 cup) of the warm rice into the center of the plastic wrap. Spread out evenly into a circle, about 1/2-inch thick.
- 5
Divide the spicy tuna mayo mixture into four equal portions. Scoop one portion of it into the center of the flattened rice.
- 6
Lift and twist the corners of the plastic wrap so you form a circular rice ball while pushing the filling into the center. Gently flatten the rice ball until it’s about 1.75 inches thick. Then shape it into a triangle using the L-shape of your thumb and pointer finger until you’re satisfied with the shape.
- 7
Then remove one sheet of nori from its packaging. Horizontally fold it into half to create a rectangle and cut at the fold line with clean scissors. Then horizontally fold the half sheet to create a square and fold again. Cut at the fold lines to make 4 vertical strips. (Or you can also use half a sheet of nori per rice ball if you prefer more seaweed!)
- 8
Remove the triangle rice ball from the plastic wrap and stick the rough side of the nori strip on the base of the ball starting from the middle down. Garnish with black sesame seeds and enjoy fresh!