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:
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3 cups cooked short-grain rice (about 675 g)
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1/2 sheet nori (cut into strips) or 2 full sheets for extra wrapping
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1/2 tsp salt (3 g)
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1/2 tsp black or toasted sesame seeds (optional, 2 g)
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Water (for moistening rice paddle)
Spicy Tuna Filling:
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5.29 oz canned tuna in oil (150 g, drained well)
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2 tbsp mayonnaise (30 g)
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1 tbsp sriracha sauce or other hot sauce (15 ml)
Instructions
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Transfer cooked rice to a large bowl, season with salt, and mix well. Keep covered and warm.
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Drain tuna thoroughly, pressing out extra liquid. Mix tuna with mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth.
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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.
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Place 3/4 cup rice (about 170 g) onto the wrap, spreading into a circle about 1.25 cm thick.
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Add a spoonful of tuna filling to the center. Lift plastic wrap corners and shape rice around filling into a ball.
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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.
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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