Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Miso Rice Balls)
Yaki onigiri are grilled rice balls, a street-stall and home snack across Japan, and the appeal is textural: a crackly, caramelized crust around a soft, chewy center. Short-grain brown rice has enough surface starch to press into a ball that holds, and toasting it dry in a nonstick pan builds the crust that oil is not needed for. The miso glaze is brushed on only at the end, once the surface is firm, because miso is both salty and quick to burn; a thin coat browns into a savory lacquer that flavors the outside without salting the interior. Make them ahead, then re-crisp in a dry pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups short grain brown rice, cooked warm and slightly sticky
- 1 1/2 tbsp White miso
- 1 tsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 piece Scallions, finely minced
- 1 sheet Nori, cut into 8 strips
Method
- Let the cooked rice cool just until you can handle it, then fold in the sesame seeds and scallion. Warm short-grain rice is sticky enough to hold together; if it has gone cold and stiff, warm it briefly so it presses cleanly.
- Wet your hands to keep the rice from sticking and pack about 1/2 cup (100g) at a time into firm triangles, pressing hard. Under-packed onigiri fall apart on the pan, so compress each one until it feels solid all the way through. You should get eight.
- Set a nonstick pan over medium heat and toast the triangles dry, 3 to 4 minutes a side, without moving them, until a pale golden crust forms. Building that crust first gives the glaze a firm surface to grip and keeps the ball intact when you flip it.
- Stir the miso and tamari together with 1 teaspoon water into a brushable paste. Brush it over the top face of each onigiri, flip, and toast 1 to 2 minutes until the miso darkens and smells nutty, then brush and toast the second side. Miso scorches fast, so it goes on only after the rice is already crisp and gets just enough heat to caramelize.
- Wrap a strip of nori around each warm onigiri and eat right away, while the crust is crisp. A tablespoon and a half of miso glazes all eight, so the salt lands as a thin savory lacquer rather than seasoning the whole ball through.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 190 calories, 5 g protein, 3 g fiber, 210 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
