I love Salmon Onigiri! There are so many onigiri recipes out there, this one is filled with leftover salmon wrapped with delicious sushi rice. If you love sushi then you will love this salmon onigiri recipe. You can make this into yaki onigiri, its just pan frying it so it has a crispy exterior.
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Salmon onigiri or yaki onigiri is great for lunch or a light dinner.I love using leftover rice and salmon. If you don't have salmon, my tuna onigiri is just as good. I love making this for lunches for my boys and I make an extra for me.
If you need a side try this Asian Sesame Coleslaw or my Katsu Chicken, I cooked the chicken in the air fryer which makes it so much healthier but will not sacrifice flavor.
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Why I love onigiri
- Easy to make: You can use a mold or wet your hands with some water to make the rice less sticky on your hands.
- Uses leftovers: I hate food waste, this recipe is awesome if you have leftover salmon and leftover rice.
- Versatile: This salmon onigiri is very versatile. You can use canned tuna or sushi grade tuna or salmon. You can even use leftover chicken teriyaki. Basically, you can put whatever filling you want.
How to make salmon onigiri
There are different ways to perfect your Japanese Salmon Onigiri recipe, but here's my step-by-step guide in making it!
- Step 1: Prepare the salmon filling
- Step 2: Place rice in the bottom of the mold.
- Step 3: Place the salmon filling. Then top it up with more rice.
- Step 4: Pack it really well.
- Step 5: Remove the mold.
- Step 6: Add furikake or nori (seaweed) to finish.
Tuna Onigiri
If you're more into tuna, you need to see this!
Substitutions
- Instead of leftover salmon or canned salmon, you can use cooked chicken, cooked shrimp, or tofu as a vegetarian option.
- For kewpie mayo, you can use regular mayonnaise or a mixture of mayonnaise and a bit of rice vinegar for tanginess.
- Sriracha can be substituted with any hot sauce or chili paste you prefer.
- Instead of leftover cooked plain rice, you can use freshly steamed rice.
- Rice vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar mixed with a pinch of sugar.
- Mirin can be replaced with a mixture of water and a small amount of sugar or honey.
- Use sesame oil for pan-frying the onigiri or simply omit if you prefer not to pan-fry.
- Cut nori sheets lengthwise to wrap around the onigiri.
- Furikake is optional but highly recommended for added flavor. If unavailable, you can sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, seaweed flakes, or a pinch of salt for seasoning.
Equipment
- Onigiri mold (optional) - you can easily use your hands. But the molds make it look cleaner and less sticky.
- Bowls to mix the salmon filling and warm up the rice and make sushi rice.
- Skillet if you're pan frying the onigiri to make yaki onigiri
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with salmon onigiri:
Easy 10 minute Salmon Onigiri Recipe (using leftover salmon and rice)
I love Salmon Onigiri! There are so many onigiri recipes out there, this one is filled with leftover salmon wrapped with delicious sushi rice. If you love sushi then you will love this salmon onigiri recipe.
Ingredients
Method
Step 1: Prepare the salmon filling
- If you have leftover salmon, use a fork and flake it.
- In a small bowl, combine the flaked salmon with 1 tablespoon of Kewpie mayo (a Japanese-style mayonnaise) and 1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce. Adjust the sriracha to your preferred level of spiciness. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly combined.
Step 2: Season the Rice
- Take your leftover cooked rice and place it in a microwavable large bowl.
- Heat up your rice in the microwave for 1 minute or until it is warmed and soft.
- Add 2 tablespoon of mirin and 2 tablespoon of rice vinegar - adjust the taste to your liking.
Step 3: Shape the Onigiri (BY HAND)
- Wet your hands with a small bowl of water to prevent the rice from sticking. Take a handful of seasoned rice and place it in your palm.
- Flatten the warm rice in your hand and create a small well in the center for the salmon filling.
- Add a spoonful of the salmon mixture in the middle.
- Encase the filling with the rice and shape it into a triangle shape or oval triangular shape, whichever you prefer. Press the rice gently to ensure it holds its shape.
Shape the Onigiri (BY MOLD)
- Place seasoned rice in the mold, filling it halfway, and create a slight hollow for your chosen fillings.
- Spoon your desired filling into the hollow, then top with more rice to fill the mold completely.
- Seal with the lid, and press down firmly. Uncover, invert the mold, and press the bottom button to release your onigiri.
Step 4: Pan fry and make yaki onigiri
- Brush the onigiri with a little bit of sesame oil. Pan-fry the onigiri until it becomes slightly crispy and the rice develops a golden-brown crust.
- Take nori strips (nori seaweed) and wrap them around the onigiri. The nori strips will not only add a different flavor but also make it easier to hold and eat.
Step 5: Garnish (Optional)
- If desired, sprinkle some black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, or toasted sesame seeds over the top of your onigiri for extra flavor and texture.
Notes
- use a mold to make it easier to assemble.
Sylvia says
I would prefer sushi rolls. Nothing wrong with recipe.
Carmen Spillette says
sounds good
Carol Vilevac says
Just happened to have skin on salmon left over after using most in another recipe. Marinated it in soy, oj, ginger and brown sugar, then baked until flaky.
Had all the other ingredients except Nori and futomaki. Coated some with toasted sesame seeds and fried them. Some fell apart, but we loved them just the same.
onigiri molds on their way.
Carmen Spillette says
Thank you so much, the onigiri molds definitely help.
Lorra says
Super and delicious, i also buy onigiri molds haha
Stella says
My kids have fun making this one, Thanks Carmen!
Emory says
I'm trying this recipe to pack my kids' lunch, trying to make it a little fancy.