Yaki onigiri is a type of onigiri that is grilled over charcoal covered in a sweet and savory sauce. It has a crispy outer layer and a charred soy sauce flavor that makes it a perfect bite for any occasion. This post is all about how to make the easiest and tastiest yaki onigiri (Japanese grilled rice ball) in an air fryer.
Yaki Onigiri in Air Fryer
The word “yaki” in yaki onigiri means grilled and onigiri means rice ball. The grilling process in the yaki onigiri is what distinguishes a yaki onigiri from onigiri. Many restaurants and izakayas in Japan grill yaki onigiri over a charcoal grill which adds a smokey and irresistible flavor to the dish. However, since many homes do not have a grill, one of my favorite ways to make yaki onigiri is in an air fryer.
First, you want to air fry the onigiri bare so it can develop a crispy outer layer. I put my onigiri at 400F for 15 minutes and the longer you keep it in, the more it will crisp up. However, it will also cause the onigiri to dry up a bit, so I find that 15 minutes is the sweet spot.
When you put the tare on (soy sauce mixture) it becomes prone to getting burnt because of the sugar content. Make sure to keep an eye on them! I brushed on the tare every 2 minutes and repeated for 3 times. This will give layers of the sauce – some being more charred than others parts. I like my yaki onigiri with a little charred pieces that mimic the yaki onigiri made on the grill, however, if you don’t like it too charred, lessen number of times you put on tare. So instead of brushing on tare 3 times, only brush it on twice.
What if I don’t have an air fryer?
If you don’t have an air fryer that is ok! You can make these in the conventional oven or in a pan. The process is similar but here are some tips:
- Make sure to crisp both sides of the onigiri before putting on tare sauce
- For oven, preheat oven to 450F and place onigiri on the rack or a baking sheet. Then put it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until desired crispiness
- For pan, on low to medium heat, oil pan and then place the onigiri. Once one side is done, flip to crisp the other side. This will take about 10-15 minutes on each side or until desired crispiness
- Once you put the tare, it is prone to burning so be careful. Brush on tare 2-3 times.
- For the oven, you may have to put it on broil setting for a few seconds to get the charred effect (it only takes a few seconds so keep an eye out)
Short grain rice for onigiri
Using short or medium grain Japanese rice is crucial in making onigiri. This is because short or medium grain rice is sticky and will keep the onigiri shape. If you use long grain rice such as Jasmine rice, the rice ball will break apart, making it difficult to make onigiri. I have linked a few short grain rice examples below.
Places to get these ingredients:
- Japanese Grocery market (Mitsuwa, Nijiya, Tokyo Central)
- Asian Grocery markets (H-Mart, 99 Ranch)
- Asian isle at your local grocery market
- Amazon (links to some of my favorites below)
INGREDIENTS
- 300 gram Cooked rice (Use hot rice. If it is a day old, then heat it up before molding. If the rice is cold, it will not hold its shape)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin (if you don’t have, you can replace it by increasing sugar content to 1.5 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp Cooking Sake (if you don’t have, you can replace it with water, but keep in mind the flavor will not be the same)
- Water (small bowl of water to wet hands when shaping onigiri so the rice does not stick to hands)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Gather ingredients
- Wet hands before touching rice so rice does not stick to hands
- Take about 100g of cooked hot rice and mold into onigiri triangle (you can use your hands or an onigiri mold)
- Make 3 onigiris
- Put it in the air fryer
- Air fry at 400F for 15 min (flip once in between)
- Then coat both sides in soy sauce mixture and air fry for 2 minutes
- Repeat this process 2 more times for a total of 6 minutes (lessen number of times or minutes if it is too charred. You don’t have to use the entire sauce mixture)
- Yaki onigiri should have some charred areas
- Serve hot and enjoy!
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Yaki Onigiri
Ingredients
- 300 gram Cooked rice Use hot rice. If it is a day old, then heat it up before molding. If the rice is cold, it will not hold its shape
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Sake
- Water small bowl of water to wet hands when shaping onigiri so the rice does not stick to hands
- 1 slice Mozzarella cheese this is optional but you can put it in the center of onigiri for a cheesy pull
Instructions
- Gather ingredients
- Wet hands before touching rice so rice does not stick to hands
- Take about 100g of cooked hot rice and mold into onigiri triangle (you can use your hands or an onigiri mold)
- Make 3 onigiris
- Put it in the air fryer
- Air fry at 400F for 15 min (flip once in between)
- Then coat both sides in soy sauce mixture and air fry for 2 minutes
- Repeat this process 2 more times for a total of 6 minutes (lessen number of times or minutes if it is too charred. You don't have to use up the sauce mixture)
- Yaki onigiri should have some charred areas
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Video
@tiffoodss Yaki Onigiri in the air fryer (grilled riceball) 🍙 #onigiri #riceball #yakionigiri #japanesefood #easyrecipe #homemadefood #airfryerrecipes
♬ Chill Vibes – Tollan Kim
528 says
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