Description
Delicious Chicken Onigiri, a Japanese rice ball filled with flavorful teriyaki chicken and wrapped with crisp nori. This recipe combines seasoned sushi rice with juicy marinated chicken glazed in a sweet soy-based teriyaki sauce, perfect for a savory snack or light meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Rice
- 4 cups cooked sushi rice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons furikake (optional)
Chicken Marinade
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken meat (preferably drumsticks)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake (or water)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
The Rest
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 sheet nori, cut into small rectangles
Instructions
- Prepare the Rice: After cooking sushi rice, mix in ½ teaspoon of fine salt and 2 tablespoons of furikake for added flavor. You can sprinkle the furikake on the finished onigiri if preferred, but mixing it directly into the rice gives the best flavor distribution.
- Marinate the Chicken: Cut the chicken into small pieces and combine with soy sauce, sake, baking soda, and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes to tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Combine Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves to make the teriyaki sauce.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
- Add Garlic and Glaze: Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the teriyaki sauce mixture, cooking until it thickens and coats the chicken pieces with glaze. Remove from heat.
- Shape the Onigiri: Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Scoop ⅓ cup of the seasoned rice into your palm, make a small well or indentation in the center, and add 1 tablespoon of the teriyaki chicken filling. Cover with another ⅓ cup of rice, then gently but firmly shape the rice into a triangle around the filling.
- Wrap and Serve: Wrap each onigiri with a strip of nori for added texture and flavor. Serve immediately or pack for later consumption.
Notes
- Using fine salt helps distribute seasoning evenly throughout the sushi rice.
- Allowing the chicken to marinate with baking soda tenderizes the meat for a softer texture.
- You can substitute sake with water if sake is unavailable.
- Furikake is optional but adds umami and texture to the rice.
- Keep your hands wet when shaping onigiri to prevent rice from sticking.
- These onigiri are best enjoyed the same day to keep nori crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
