Nikumaki Onigiri Recipe (Japanese Meat Wrapped Rice Balls)
Nikumaki onigiri (Japanese meat wrapped rice balls) are delicious, small balls wrapped around white rice. They are great for a quick bite or a packed lunch. The meat wrap is strongly flavored and balances well with the white rice.
Ingredients
Meat Wrapped Rice Ball
- 2 cups cooked rice (500 grams)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.75 lbs thinly sliced beef (350 grams)
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
Cooking Sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp cooking alcohol
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Optional
- Sesame seeds (We use these for a garnish)
Instructions
Meat Wrapped Rice Ball Preparation
- Cook short-grained rice (sticky rice) using your preferred method
- Place 2 cups of cooked rice into a mixing bowl and add 0.5 tsp of salt
- Moisten your hands with water and form small rice balls with a diameter of about 2-3 cm
- Wrap the rice balls with thinly sliced beef ~16 rice balls
- Add corn starch to the outside of the meat ball and firmly press together
Cooking the Nikumaki Onigiri
- Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to a pan
- Add the nikumaki onigiri to the pan and sear the surfaces on medium heat. Roll the balls as necessary to heat all surfaces.
- After the surfaces are cooked, add 2 tbsp of cooking alcohol, 1 tbsp of mirin, 1 tbsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of soy sauce into the pan
- Let the flavor soak into the beef over low heat. Roll the balls as needed to evenly soak all surfaces.
- (Optional) - add sesame seeds on top as a garnish