Tuna Mayo Onigiri is an easy Japanese rice ball with a creamy tuna filling inside. It's one of the classic and popular items in Japanese convenience stores, and making it at home is so easy. Warm rice, savory mayo-dressed tuna, and crisp nori create a simple yet irresistible harmony of flavors. Homemade onigiri is fresher and more flavorful. Perfect for an easy, comforting meal or light snack.
Growing up in Japan, I've eaten so much tuna mayo onigiri! From mom's homemade to convenience stores, tuna mayo onigiri is easy, affordable, and always delicious.
My mom always packed tuna mayo onigiri to school. Onigiri is easy to pack and bring outdoors, so it's perfect for a school lunchbox, picnic, or anytime you need a quick snack. And I believe rice tastes so much better in onigiri form!
Onigiri makes a great teishoku-style Japanese breakfast, too. Pair it with Miso Soup, Sunomono, and Shio Koji Chicken to create a satisfying meal.
Jump to:
- What Is Tuna Mayo Onigiri?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Best Rice for Onigiri
- How to Make Tuna Mayo Filling
- How to Shape Onigiri
- How to Wrap Onigiri with Nori
- Tuna Mayo Onigiri Variations
- What to Serve with Onigiri
- Pro Tips for the Best Onigiri
- Storage Tips
- Tuna Mayo Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
What Is Tuna Mayo Onigiri?
Onigiri (おにぎり), also called Omusubi (おむすび), means rice ball in Japanese. Tuna mayo onigiri is a rice ball with a creamy mayonnaise-dressed tuna filling, wrapped in nori seaweed.
It's one of the most popular onigiri fillings in Japan, especially at convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart. The combination is simple but incredibly comforting. Fluffy rice, savory tuna filling, and crisp nori all come together into a satisfying snack or light meal that you can easily carry around in your bag.
In Japan, onigiri is commonly eaten at home for breakfast and lunch, or as a on-the-go meal on road trips, picnics, and school lunchboxes. Tuna mayo is especially loved because it's rich, creamy, salty, and easy to make with affordable pantry ingredients at home.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Japanese Convenience Store Favorite: Dreaming about vacation in Japan? Wait no more! Make this classic Japanese convenience store food and bring Japan energy and nostalgia to your home.
- Simple Pantry Ingredients: You'll be surprised that this recipe only requires a few basic ingredients, like rice, canned tuna, mayonnaise, and nori, those things you might already have. So you can make this nigiri anytime your craving hits, or there's nothing to eat in your fridge (this onigiri saved me so many times).
- Easy Japanese Recipe for Beginners: Onigiri is surprisingly approachable once you learn a few simple shaping tips.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Great for lunchboxes, quick breakfasts, snacks, and busy days.
- Creamy, Savory, and Comforting: The creamy tuna mayo filling pairs perfectly with warm rice and crispy nori, creating an easy and comforting meal.
- Customizable: Add sesame seeds, avocado, scallions, or spicy mayo to make it your own.
Ingredients You'll Need
The best part of this recipe is that you'll only need a handful of pantry and fridge staples!
- Japanese Short-Grain Rice: Japanese short-grain rice is the best for making soft rice balls.
- Canned Tuna: Tuna is affordable, nutritious, and a great pantry staple! If you don't feel like using tuna, you can also use canned mackerel or salmon.
- Mayonnaise: I like Kewpie for this recipe for authentic Japanese flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Adds savory depth to the flavor.
- Nori Sheets: Use crisp nori!
See recipe card for quantities.
Best Rice for Onigiri
Japanese short-grain rice works the best for onigiri. The soft, sticky texture helps form rice into an onigiri shape without falling apart.
You can use brown or white rice, depending on your preference. Brown rice cooked in a pot or a regular rice cooker can be a little dry, so I recommend cooking in a pressure cooker or rice cooker's brown rice mode.
When at the store, look for Japanese rice labeled as short-grain rice or sushi rice. While the intended use for sushi rice is seasoned rice for sushi, the rice itself is the same type commonly used for onigiri.
Avoid using long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice. They are too dry and separate easily, so the rice balls won't hold together properly.
Freshly cooked rice works best for making onigiri. Warm rice is softer, slightly sticky, and much easier to shape. Cold rice tends to harden and crack when forming the rice balls.
If you're planning to use leftover rice, warm it up before use in the microwave or steamer. I always cook a large batch of rice and freeze individual portions. So that I can make an easy meal anytime I need.
The texture of the rice is just as important as the filling inside.
How to Make Tuna Mayo Filling
- Drain the canned tuna liquid well. Save the excess liquid.
- In a small bowl, place the drained tuna and flake it with the back of a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise and soy sauce. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of the reserved canned tuna liquid to create a creamy texture without making it too wet. Too much liquid can seep through rice in onigiri.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Mix until creamy.
How to Shape Onigiri
You can use mold to make onigiri. But here's how to make onigiri in the classic way, just like Japanese moms do: shaping with your hands!
- Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking, then lightly sprinkle your palms with salt.
- Scoop about ½ cup (100g) of warm rice into one hand.
- Gently flatten the rice and add about 1 tablespoon of tuna mayo filling in the center.
- Wrap the filling with rice. Make your bottom hand in a U-shape and your top hand in a V-shape, and gently shape it into a triangle.
- Try not to squeeze too hard so the rice stays soft and fluffy.
How to Wrap Onigiri with Nori
- Cut each nori sheet into 3 long strips.
- Place the nori on the work surface with the shiny side down.
- Place onigiri in the center.
- Bring the ends of the nori to the center to wrap.
- Tack the nori to the bottom.
Tuna Mayo Onigiri Variations
- Spicy Tuna Mayo Onigiri: Add sriracha, chili crisp, or shichimi togarashi to the tuna mayo filling for a spicy kick.
- Furikake Onigiri: Sprinkle some furikake seasoning on the outside for extra savory flavor and crunch.
- Salmon Onigiri: Swap the tuna filling with flaked salted salmon for another classic Japanese convenience store favorite.
- Yaki Onigiri Style: Lightly brush the rice balls with soy sauce and pan-grill until crispy and golden on the outside.
- Avocado Tuna Mayo Onigiri: Add a little mashed avocado to the filling for an extra creaminess, as I did in Halloween Pumpkin Curry Onigiri.
- Sesame Tuna Mayo Onigiri: Mix toasted sesame seeds into the rice or filling for a nutty flavor.
- Green Onion Tuna Mayo Onigiri: Add finely chopped scallions to the filling for freshness and extra flavor.
What to Serve with Onigiri
Tuna mayo onigiri is a delicious snack on its own, but serve it with these simple dishes to create your Japanese breakfast-style meal.
When making a Japanese teishoku-style meal, use the Ichiju Sansai principle: compose a meal with rice, soup, main dish, and two sides.
Here are fun recipe ideas to create a teishoku with onigiri:
- Soup: Kabocha Squash Miso Soup and Shio Koji Tomato Soup.
- Main dish: Shio Koji Salmon, Shio Koji Chicken, tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled egg omelette).
- Side Dish: Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono), green salad with Japanese Sesame Dressing, and Cold Soba Noodle Salad.
- Adding desserts like Hanami Dango, Mitarashi Dango, and Shiratama Dango is also fun!
Pro Tips for the Best Onigiri
- Use Warm rice: Warm rice is softer and easier to shape than cold rice. Freshly cooked is the best, but you can warm up leftover chilled or frozen rice for onigiri.
- Keep your hands wet: This prevents the rice from sticking to your hands while shaping.
- Salt your hands lightly: A little salt seasons the rice and helps preserve the onigiri slightly.
- Don't overfill the rice balls: Too much filling can make the onigiri break apart.
- Drain the tuna: Wet filling can seep through rice. So drain the tuna well and adjust the consistency with excess liquid after adding mayo. You want a creamy filling, not too wet.
- Shape gently: Squeeze gently, just enough for the rice to hold together while keeping the texture soft and fluffy.
- Wrap the nori right before eating: Soft nori or crisp nori, it's a whole debate among onigiri lovers. But if you're team crisp nori, wrap the nori right before eating.
- Use Japanese short-grain rice: The sticky texture is important for holding the shape properly.
Storage Tips
Tuna mayo onigiri is best enjoyed immediately while the rice is still soft and fluffy.
When storing, wrap each rice ball individually with plastic wrap, place it in a sealable bag, and freeze. Freezing helps prevent rice from drying out.
When enjoying, microwave briefly for 15-20 seconds to soften the rice before eating.
For the best texture, store the nori separately and wrap the rice balls right before serving so the seaweed stays crisp.
Tuna Mayo Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Japanese short-grain rice 300g, 2 rice cooker cups
- 1 canned tuna
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Kewpie preferred
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 nori sheets
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
Cook the Rice
- Rinse the rice several times under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour until grains are opaque.
- Cook the rice according to your rice cooker instructions or preferred stovetop method (see note).
- Gently fluff the rice. Let the rice cool slightly until warm but still easy to handle. Freshly cooked warm rice shapes best for onigiri.
Prepare the Tuna Mayo Filling
- Drain the canned tuna well. Save the excess liquid.
- In a small bowl, place the drained tuna and flake it with the back of a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise and soy sauce. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of the reserved canned tuna liquid to create a creamy texture without making it too wet. Too much liquid can seep through rice in onigiri.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Mix until creamy.
Shape the Onigiri
- Cut each nori sheet into 3 long strips. Set aside until ready to use.
- Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking, then lightly sprinkle your palms with salt.
- Scoop about ½ cup (100g) of warm rice into one hand.
- Gently flatten the rice and add about 1 tablespoon of tuna mayo filling in the center.
- Wrap the filling with rice and gently shape it into a triangle or ball shape. Try not to squeeze too hard so the rice stays soft and fluffy. Wrap each rice ball with a strip of nori. Repeat with the remaining rice and filling.
- Enjoy immediately for crisp nori, or pack for taking out.
Notes
- Rinse the rice several times under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour until grains are opaque. Drain well.
- Add rinsed, soaked, and drained rice to a heavy-bottomed pot. Add water equal to 1 to 1.25 times the amount of rice in volume, depending on your preferred texture. Firmer rice works better in onigiri, so I use 1½ cups of rice for 1½ cups of rice.
- Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil over medium heat. When the steam starts to escape from the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes to steam with the lid on.
- If you worry about whether rice is cooked, you can remove the lid, check if all the water is absorbed, and taste the doneness. If there's still water, cover and cook longer. If rice is still hard, add a splash of water and cook longer. If rice is done, cover with a lid, then cook over medium heat for 10 seconds to create a steamy environment in the pot. Then let it sit for 10 minutes.
- After steaming, use a wet spatula to fluff the rice, flipping the rice from the bottom to even out the moisture content.
Nutrition
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