Tuna Mayo Onigiri
A quietly elite Japanese rice ball filled with creamy tuna mayo and wrapped in salty nori — pantry-friendly, comforting, and effortlessly chic.
Ingredients
Rice
- 3 cups cooked short-grain white rice warm
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Tuna Mayo Filling
- 1 5-ounce can tuna, well drained
- 3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Assembly
- 3 sheets nori cut in half
- Toasted sesame seeds or furikake optional
Instructions
- Place warm rice in a bowl and gently fold in the salt using a slicing motion to avoid mashing.
- In a separate bowl, mix tuna, mayonnaise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and black pepper until creamy.
- Lightly wet your hands. Scoop about 1/2 cup rice into your palm and gently flatten.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of tuna mayo to the center.
- Fold rice around the filling and gently shape into a triangle or round. Do not compress.
- Wrap with nori just before eating. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or furikake if using.
Notes
Use leftover rice reheated with a damp paper towel for best texture. For toddlers, skip soy sauce and pepper and serve deconstructed. Great as mini onigiri for apéro-style snacking.