Description
Savory Japanese rice balls filled with tender chicken, wrapped in nori, and shaped by hand—perfect for lunch boxes, snacks, or a light meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (warm, not hot)
- 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, finely shredded or chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon mirin (optional)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional, for creamier filling)
- Salt to taste
- 1–2 sheets nori (seaweed), cut into strips
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
- Plastic wrap or damp hands, for shaping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cooked chicken with soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, and mayonnaise if using. Stir well and adjust salt to taste.
- Divide the warm rice into 4 equal portions.
- To shape onigiri, place a piece of plastic wrap in your palm (or use damp hands), spread one portion of rice into a round or triangular shape.
- Add a spoonful of chicken mixture in the center and fold the rice around it, enclosing the filling completely.
- Shape firmly but gently into a triangle or round ball.
- Wrap with a strip of nori at the bottom for easy handling.
- Repeat with remaining rice and filling.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve immediately or wrap tightly for later—best eaten the same day.
Notes
- Keep your hands damp or use plastic wrap to prevent rice from sticking.
- Best eaten the same day for freshness.
- You can skip mayonnaise for a lighter version.
- Substitute with leftover rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Add furikake or pickled vegetables for variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Hand-shaped
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
