Spicy Tuna Onigiri
What is onigiri?
Onigiri is a Japanese dish made of rice, formed into a triangular shape, and wrapped in nori seaweed. These are commonly enjoyed as a breakfast or snack, and I saw so many different versions during our family trip to Japan a few years ago. The rice is either flavored with furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) or plain and filled with almost anything, from pickled vegetables and fruits to various meats. I filled these with a light, spicy tuna mixture.
Helpful Tips
Make sure you use freshly cooked, short or medium grain rice. Long grain or day old rice will not stick together well, so the onigiri will not be able to stay in the triangular shape. When working with the rice, dip your hands in cold water and salt so the rice doesn’t stick to your fingers instead of the other grains!
Prep Time: 15 mins
Yield: 6-8 onigiri
Ingredients
- 600 g short or medium grain rice, freshly cooked (around 5 cups)
- 4.5 oz can tuna in olive oil, drained
- 4 tbsp plain fat-free Greek yogurt or light mayonaise
- 4 tsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 6-8 sheets of nori, each around 2x4 inches
- Kosher salt and bowl of cold water, for assembly
- Optional: toasted black sesame seeds, furikake
Directions
- In a bowl, evenly combine tuna, Greek yogurt, sriracha, and rice vinegar with a fork.
- Dip your hands in cold water and sprinkle a bit of salt into your palms and fingertips to prevent them from sticking to the rice.
- Scoop a ball of approximately 2/3 cups of rice into one hand, forming a small indent in the center. (I like to portion my rice and filling out into 6-8 equal scoops beforehand, so they are all the same size) Place a scoop of the tuna mixture into the center and mold the rice around the filling to cover.
- Press rice ball into a triangle shape and wrap one side with a nori sheet. Top with black sesame seeds, furikake, or a bit of filling.
- Repeat with remaining rice.
Per serving (for 6 onigiri, using Greek yogurt): 190 calories: 28.8 g carbs; 3.2 g fat; 9.5 g protein
