Description
Chicken Onigiri is a delicious Japanese rice ball filled with flavorful marinated chicken glazed in a homemade teriyaki sauce. This recipe features sushi rice mixed with salt and furikake, tender chicken marinated with soy sauce and sake, and a sweet-savory teriyaki glaze. Wrapped with nori, these onigiri make a perfect snack or light meal combining savory chicken and seasoned rice in a handheld triangle shape.
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 (drumsticks preferred)
- 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 the sushi rice, mix it with ½ teaspoon of fine salt and 2 tablespoons of furikake for extra flavor. The furikake can also be sprinkled after shaping the onigiri if preferred.
- Marinate the chicken: Cut the chicken into small pieces and combine with soy sauce, sake (or water), baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Make the teriyaki sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- 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 cooked through.
- Add garlic and glaze: Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the teriyaki sauce mixture and cook while stirring until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze coating the chicken. Remove from heat.
- Shape the onigiri: Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Scoop about ⅓ cup of seasoned rice into your palm, make a small well in the center, and place 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling inside. Cover the filling with another ⅓ cup of rice and mold the rice ball carefully into a triangular shape.
- Wrap with nori: Wrap each onigiri with a small rectangle of nori for added flavor and easy handling.
Notes
- Use fine salt to ensure even distribution in the rice.
- Furikake seasoning adds umami and can be mixed into the rice or sprinkled on top.
- Wet your hands before shaping the onigiri to prevent rice from sticking.
- If sake is not available, water can be used as a substitute in the marinade.
- Serve onigiri fresh for best texture, but they can be stored in the refrigerator and gently reheated.
- Adjust teriyaki sauce sweetness by varying brown sugar to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
