get the epicurious iPhone app

Yaki Onigiri

Epicurious  | May 2011

The Japanese Grill

be the first to rate and review this recipe

0 reviews

Yaki Onigiri recipe

photo by Todd Coleman

As any Japanese kid, or former kid, can tell you, onigiri are rice balls, the versatile national snack found in homes, convenience stores, and every school lunchbox. These balls are typically stuffed, mixed, or sprinkled on the outside with a multitude of tasty flavorings. They're also typically formed into oval or triangular shapes, despite being called "balls." Onigiri go way back in history; people in Japan ate rice balls over a thousand years ago, before chopsticks became common. Samurai carried onigiri wrapped in bamboo leaves to fortify themselves during battle; there's mention of onigiri enjoyed at picnics in an eleventh-century diary. In Japan today, onigiri are still the go-to food for picnics, or any outdoor or on-the-run eating, for that matter. It's not surprising that they started being grilled, too, which is what yaki onigiri are—grilled rice balls. Fire crisps up and caramelizes the rice on the outside, creating a delicious crust, which makes them even more irresistible.


Use 1 cup of hot (or warm) cooked Japanese short grain rice per serving. Add the rice to a small bowl (like a cereal bowl) just big enough to hold it. Jiggle the bowl, moving it in a flat, circular motion, like the motion of a hula hoop, until the rice forms into a ball on its own—a neat kitchen trick Tadashi's mom taught him. This motion packs the rice so it holds together when it grills.

Wet your hands and place the ball of rice between your cupped palms. Now squeeze, flip, and turn the rice ball several times to form it into a triangular shape. This motion takes a little practice, but after a few yaki onigiri, you'll get the hang of it. Make sure not to compact the rice too tight; you want it to just stick together.

Grill yaki onigiri over medium heat. If the fire's too hot, the rice will burn. We like to place the yaki onigiri along the cooler edges of a grill while other foods cook in the hotter center. Watch the rice carefully while it grills; perfect yaki onigiri need constant attention.

How to Cook Japanese Rice
There are two basic ways to prepare Japanese rice: rice cooker or stovetop. If you have an electronic rice cooker, wash and rest the rice as we describe below, then follow cooker instructions. To prepare rice on the stovetop, an enameled cast-iron or cast-iron pot works best because these heavy pots do such a great job distributing heat.

Makes 4 cups of rice
2 cups Japanese short-grain white rice
2 cups water

Wash the rice to remove surface starch by placing the rice in a bowl, filling it with water, and swirling the rice with your hand. Drain off the milky liquid. Repeat 3 or 4 times until the water becomes clear enough to see the rice. Wash quickly; the entire process should take no longer than 3 minutes (soaking the rice in the washing water too long can cloud its flavor). Strain the rice into a colander, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes, so the grains naturally rehydrate, which helps them cook evenly.

Add the rice and 2 cups of water to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, until you smell a beautiful rice aroma in the steam escaping from the pot. Be careful not to overcook, or you'll burn the rice. Turn off the heat and let the covered pot sit for 10 minutes, a critical step that completes the cooking process. Uncover the pot, gently stir the rice with a large spoon to fluff it up, and it's ready.

The Japanese Grill


my notes


write your own review


recipe at a glance

main ingredients: Rice/Grain, Rice

cuisine: Japanese, Asian

holiday/celebration: Grilling, Party

Epicurious Asks

Get Daily Recipe Ideas and Inspiration Delivered Straight to Your Inbox

You've got great taste!
Thank you for signing up to receive our newsletters.
ERROR: Please enter a valid e-mail address.
ERROR: Please select a newsletter preference.

download an app

device thumbnail


learn more >

food innovation group: bon appétit and epicurious