Tuna mayo onigiri is a Japanese rice ball typically filled with canned tuna and Japanese mayonnaise. Tuna mayo onigiri has a savory and creamy filling, and it is the perfect on-the-go snack or a light meal. It is a popular item in Japan and can be found in Japanese convenience stores, bento boxes, and homemade lunches. It’s also super easy to make, so here’s the best recipe for making tuna mayo onigiri at home.
Tuna Mayo Onigiri Ingredients:
- Cooked Japanese short grain rice – it is essential to use Japanese medium/ short-grain rice because it is stickier than most rice and can easily be molded. You can buy premade short grain rice like this or cook it in a rice cooker, instant pot, pot, donabe (Japanese clay pot), etc. Koshihikari rice is a popular type of rice, but any medium/ short-grain rice will work.
- Canned Tuna – any brand of canned tuna works, but I recommend canned tuna in water and not oil, as the one in oil may be too greasy.
- Kewpie mayo – Japanese Kewpie mayo has a different taste than American mayo. I recommend Kewpie mayo if you want it similar to the ones you find at convenience stores in Japan.
- Dashi powder – this is optional; however, it will enhance the flavors of the filling. You can add a dash of soy sauce to replace it.
- Nori (seaweed) – nori is seaweed sheets that wrap around the onigiri. It adds more flavor while making it easier to hold.
- Pinch of salt – salt is used to salt hands along with water so the rice does not stick to the hands—any salt works.
- Onigiri wrap – this is optional, however, this not only wraps the onigiri but also keeps the nori from getting soggy when you take it to go. If you do not want to use this, you can use plastic wrap or aluminum foil to wrap onigiri.
Where to buy ingredients:
You can find these at Japanese grocery stores and most Asian grocery stores.
Tips on Making the Best Onigiri:
- Use Japanese short grain rice. Japanese medium grain or short grain rice is the best type of rice to make onigiri because it is stickier than most rice. Because it is sticky, it will mold and hold its shape. If you use long grain rice, Jasmine rice, etc, it will not stick together because of its dryness.
- Use water and salt on hands before molding onigiri. If you use your hands to mold onigiri, use water and salt beforehand to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands. Because medium/ short grain rice is sticky, using your hands without water and salt will be challenging.
How to Store Tuna Mayo Onigiri:
Ideally, onigiri should be eaten within a few hours of making it, usually at room temperature. I recommend making onigiri the day you are going to eat it. If you cannot eat onigiri that day, keep it in the fridge since it will spoil. However, it does not refrigerate well because rice dries up and hardens in the refrigerator. When it is time to eat, heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. If you heat it too long, the filling will spill out since it is made from mayo. Keep in mind this will not be better than freshly made onigiri.
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Tuna Mayo Onigiri
Ingredients
- 3 cups Uncooked Japanese short grain rice (or about 9 cups cooked rice)
- 1 can Tuna
- 4 tbsp Kewpie mayo
- 1 tbsp Dashi powder
- Pinch of salt to taste
- 6 Nori sheets (half sheet per onigiri)
Instructions
- Wash and drain rice 4-5 times until water is less cloudy. It will not be completely clear.
- Cook rice. Depending on the rice cooker, it will take about 30-60 minutes.
- If you are using premade rice, make rice per package instructions
- In the meantime, make tuna mayo filling
- Drain water from canned tuna
- Add tuna in a medium-sized bowl and mash the tuna until tuna pieces are small and flakey
- Add in mayo, dashi powder, pinch of salt and mix together
- Once the rice is done, take hot rice and transfer a few scoops in a different bowl. This will allow the rice to cool faster so you don’t get burned.
- When the temperate of the rice drops (it is still hot, but not burning hot), water and salt your hands to prevent rice from sticking to your hands
- Take a scoop of rice and place it in the palms of your hand
- Then place a scoop of tuna mayo mixture in the center
- Add more rice on top to cover the tuna mayo mixture
- With your other hand, add pressure to the rice from the top. Just enough pressure for the rice to come together. It should look like a glob of rice lying horizontally on your hands
- Now bring the onigiri up on its side so it is sitting vertically on your hands
- Form a triangle or v shape with the bottom of your hand, and with your other hand, apply pressure, keeping your palms straight. Think of your hands creating a triangle shape – your bottom hand is the pointed top, and your top hand is the flat bottom
- Rotate the onigiri so all three sides of the triangle shape are evenly shaped and onigiri is firm
- If you are eating the onigiri now, wrap the onigiri in nori and enjoy!
- If you are using plastic wrap, then place half a sheet of nori in between the plastic dividers
- With the plastic sheet placed vertically, put the onigiri on the top half with the pointed side up
- Bring the bottom of the sheet to the top to cover the onigiri
- Wrap onigiri and tape the loose ends
- When you are ready to eat it, remove the string at the top and bring it down the onigiri, remove the plastic sheets from both sides and wrap the onigiri with the nori and enjoy!
