Grilled Yaki Onigiri
Yaki Onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are Japanese rice balls that are grilled until crispy on the outside. Japanese short-grain rice are seasoned with soy sauce and formed into triangle shape by hand. The same sauce is then brushed on the surface during Onigiri are grilled.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 1 recipe Steamed Rice
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- oil (for the grill)
Method
- Mix soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- In a medium bowl, mix steamed rice and 2 tbsp of the sauce mixture. (save 2 tbsp for later)
- Divide the rice to 8. Wet hands with water and place 1/8 rice in one hand, and press and form into a triangle shape onigiri. Repeat and make 8.
- Heat the grill at medium high heat and oil the surface of the grill. Place the onigiri rice balls on the grill. Cook one side for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Flip onigiri, and brush the sauce on the browned surface. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip and brush the sauce on the other side. Remove from the grill when both sides are browned.
Yaki Onigiri can also be made on a frying pan on the stove like we did in this Pan-Fried Yaki Onigiri recipe, but they taste the best when Onigiri are browned on the grill. In this recipe, we use a typical outdoor gas barbecue grill, but you can also use a charcoal grill. In fact, Yaki Onigiri is one of everyone’s favorite outdoor foods in Japan, and it’s a great side dish to serve with grilled meat and vegetables. Try a bunch of Yaki Onigiri next time you BBQ!
- Barbecue Grill
