Description
Delicious and savory Chicken Onigiri, a Japanese rice ball filled with flavorful teriyaki chicken and seasoned with furikake. This recipe combines tender marinated chicken glazed in a homemade teriyaki sauce, wrapped in perfectly shaped sushi rice and nori seaweed strips, making it a perfect snack or meal on the go.
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 fine salt and 2 tablespoons furikake. Although furikake can be sprinkled after shaping, adding it directly into the rice ensures even flavor throughout.
- Marinate the Chicken: Cut the chicken into small pieces and place them in a bowl with soy sauce, sake (or water), baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly to combine and refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance tenderness and flavor.
- Make Teriyaki Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, and firmly packed brown sugar until the sugar dissolves, creating a smooth teriyaki sauce.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly browned.
- Glaze with Teriyaki Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add minced garlic to the pan. Sauté for 30 seconds until aromatic. Pour in the prepared teriyaki sauce mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze. Remove the pan from heat.
- Shape the Onigiri: Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Scoop ⅓ cup of seasoned rice into your palm, create a small well in the center, and place 1 tablespoon of the glazed chicken filling inside. Cover with another ⅓ cup of rice and gently but firmly shape the mixture into a triangle.
- Wrap with Nori: Take a small rectangle strip of nori and wrap it around the formed rice ball to hold it together and add an extra layer of flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use fine salt to ensure even seasoning of the rice without grainy texture.
- Marinating the chicken with baking soda helps tenderize the meat for juicy results.
- If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with additional sake and a pinch of sugar.
- Keep your hands wet while shaping the onigiri to prevent rice from sticking.
- Furikake is optional but adds an authentic Japanese flavor to the rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri (approx. 150g)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
