Description
Quick & Easy Spicy Tuna Onigiri is a fun, flavorful twist on Japanese rice balls. Tender, seasoned short-grain rice is filled with creamy tuna mayo spiked with sriracha for a kick, then shaped into portable triangles wrapped in nori. Perfect for lunches, picnics, road trips, or a cozy snack, these onigiri are fast to make (just 20 minutes) and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
For the Rice:
3 cups cooked short-grain rice (about 675 g)
1/2 sheet nori (cut into strips) or 2 full sheets for extra wrapping
1/2 tsp salt (3 g)
1/2 tsp black or toasted sesame seeds (optional, 2 g)
Water (for moistening rice paddle)
Spicy Tuna Filling:
5.29 oz canned tuna in oil (150 g, drained well)
2 tbsp mayonnaise (30 g)
1 tbsp sriracha sauce or other hot sauce (15 ml)
Instructions
Transfer cooked rice to a large bowl, season with salt, and mix well. Keep covered and warm.
Drain tuna thoroughly, pressing out extra liquid. Mix tuna with mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth.
Lay a 15 x 15 in (38 x 38 cm) piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Moisten your rice paddle with water and divide rice into 4 equal portions.
Place 3/4 cup rice (about 170 g) onto the wrap, spreading into a circle about 1.25 cm thick.
Add a spoonful of tuna filling to the center. Lift plastic wrap corners and shape rice around filling into a ball.
Gently flatten into a triangle about 4.5 cm thick. Wrap a strip of nori around the base (rough side facing rice). Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Serve warm or wrap tightly for later.
Notes
Keep hands damp when shaping rice to prevent sticking.
Use short-grain rice for the best texture and hold.
Adjust sriracha to taste for more or less heat.
If storing, keep nori separate until serving to maintain crispness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0minutes
- Category: Snack / Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: Japanese