Miso Yaki Onigiri – This Simple Miso Grilled Onigiri Is Hard to Stop Eating
Ingredients
400 g cooked Japanese rice (about 2 cups)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- 1
Make the miso glaze
In a small bowl, mix the miso, sugar, mirin and soy sauce until smooth.
- 2
Shape the onigiri
Lightly wet your hands with water first so the rice doesn’t stick. Divide the rice into 6 portions and shape into triangles. Press firmly so the onigiri hold their shape, but don’t press too hard. I often use cling wrap to shape the onigiri, so I don’t have to touch the rice and it is easier to shape. I used cling wrap for this recipe as well.
- 3
Cook the onigiri
Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Place the onigiri in the pan and cook slowly until the surface becomes lightly golden and crisp.
- 4
Add the miso glaze
Once the onigiri are lightly golden on all sides, spread the miso glaze on the surface. Turn them over and cook until the miso is caramelised and slightly crisp. After adding the miso glaze, the onigiri can burn easily. Keep the heat low and cook slowly so the miso becomes nicely caramelised.
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Helpful for this recipe
Tomoka's Note
For yaki onigiri, the rice makes a big difference. This time, I used Japanese rice and cooked it in a donabe, a Japanese clay pot. The rice turned out soft and fluffy, which works really well for yaki onigiri. Sushi rice from the supermarket works well too.
When shaping the onigiri, try not to press too hard so the inside stays soft. Many people in Japan make onigiri by hand, but I like using cling wrap. It is easy to use and very common at home in Japan. The flavour will change depending on the miso you use. Red miso gives the glaze a deeper, stronger flavour, while white miso makes it sweeter and milder. You can also mix two types of miso if you want a balance of depth and sweetness. I like to spread on a little more miso glaze and cook them a bit longer until the outside becomes lightly toasted. A little bit of char also adds a nice flavour. Once you get the balance of soft rice, savoury miso glaze and a lightly toasted outside, miso yaki onigiri becomes a very comforting snack or light meal. If you like sweet miso flavour, this is worth trying.
