Yaki Onigiri or Japanese Grilled Rice Balls are a traditional Japanese side dish or snack. They’re prepared with a crunchy soy sauce crust outside and sticky rice inside.
They’re naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Yaki Onigiri translates to “Grilled Rice Ball”. These simple Japanese rice balls are prepared with sticky rice, covered with tamari soy sauce and then cooked in a cast iron pan on stove or BBQ.
They have a salty, smoky and savoury flavor. Onigiri are typically shaped into ovals then grilled on a frying pan or griddle pan.
I love making these onigiri as part of a Japanese feast with Vegan Avocado and Mango Sushi , Vegan Katsu Curry and a side salad dressed with this Wagamama Katsu Salad Dressing .
About the Yaki Onigiri Recipe
Onigiri, also known as omusubi, are typically made by shaping cooked rice into a triangular or round shape and often filled with various ingredients such as pickled plums (umeboshi), salmon, or tuna. It is then grilled or fried resulting in a crispy outer layer.
To make yaki onigiri, Japanese short-grain rice is cooked and allowed to cool slightly. Then, the rice is shaped into triangular or round balls, optionally creating a small indentation in the centre to hold the filling.
The filling ranges from traditional ingredients like pickled plums or grilled fish to modern variations like bacon and cheese.
Once the rice balls are formed, they are either grilled or pan-fried until they develop a golden-brown crust on the outside. This grilling or frying process gives yaki onigiri its distinct texture and flavor.
Traditional yaki onigiri is made over charcoal grill (BBQ), which lends smoky flavours and makes rice balls crispier and caramelises outside crust, but these can be cooked in a cast iron pan too.
The result is a crispy exterior with a soft and chewy interior, providing a delightful contrast in every bite.
Yaki onigiri is a popular street food in Japan and is also enjoyed as a snack or side dish. It can be eaten on its own or served with various accompaniments such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or miso soup.
Some people also brush the rice balls with sauce or seasonings before grilling to add additional flavour.
Yaki Onigiri Ingredients
You’ll require only 4 ingredients to make yaki onigiri
Japanese short-grain rice
Also known as japonica rice, it is a variety of rice that is characterized by its short, plump grains and sticky texture when cooked. It is the preferred type of rice in Japan for its ability to hold together well, making it suitable for dishes like sushi, onigiri, and other Japanese rice-based meals.
You can find it in Asian grocery stores or online stores. You can also purchase “sushi rice” from local grocery stores.
Ensure the rice is warm prior to using as cold rice will not shape
Soy sauce
for gluten-free yaki onigiri , use tamari
Alternatively, use miso
Oil – use any neutral flavoured oil here
Salt to taste. Note that soy sauce is salty so you may not need much
Sauce for Yaki Onigiri
Usually, Yaki Onigiri is glazed with soy sauce, but you can use other sauces that go well with white rice:
Soy sauce – the most common
Tamari – for a gluten-free version
Miso – has umami.
Unagi sauce or teriyaki – has slight sweetness to it
Gochujang – makes spicy yaki onigiri
How to make Onigiri
Onigiri is so simple to make.
Boil and cook Japanese short grain rice according to packet instructions.
You can use make it on the stove top, use a rice cooker or the Instant Pot. It should be warm before using.
Add a small pinch of salt to the cooked rice and mix well.
- Take a small portion of cooked rice and shape it into a triangular or round ball. You can wet your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking.
- You may want to use an onigiri mold for this.
- If desired, create a small indentation in the center of the rice ball to hold the filling. Place your chosen filling into the indentation. Ensure the filling is fully enclosed within the rice ball.
- Repeat the shaping process with the remaining rice, until all the rice balls are formed.
- Preheat a grill or a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add a small amount of oil to the grill or pan to prevent sticking. Place the rice balls on the grill or in the pan, ensuring they have some space between them.
- Grill or pan-fry the rice balls for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they develop a crispy, golden-brown crust. Be gentle when flipping them to avoid breaking.
- Brush the rice balls lightly with soy sauce or your preferred seasonings and grill for a further 15-20 seconds or so. Be careful here as the sauce can easily burn.
- Once the rice balls are grilled to your desired crispness, remove them from the heat.
- Let the yaki onigiri cool slightly before serving. They can be enjoyed hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Garnish and Serving
Optionally garnish with sesame seeds or a sprinkle of furikake (Japanese rice seasoning). Note furikake is not vegetarian as it is made with dried fish.
Serve it alongside miso soup, vegetable tempura or as part of a bento box
Storage
Refrigeration
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or on a pan on low heat.
Freezing:
Yaki Onigiri is suitable for freezing and it freezes well. Just wrap each onigiri individually in cling film (plastic wrap) before freezing. Once you are ready to eat, reheat in the microwave.
Do not thaw on the worktop or refrigerator.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Yaki Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Ingredients
- 500 gram rice Japanese short-grain rice or sushi rice
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, unagi sauce, teriyaki sauce or miso
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral flavoured oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook rice according to packet instructions, add salt and allow to cool slightly.
- Wet your hands with water and divide cooked rice into equal balls and flatten them slightly, shape into a triangle with flattened sides.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on each onigiri (rice cake) and lightly pat it with your hands.
- Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet on your BBQ or grill and gently cook each onigiri on both sides.
- Try not to turn often, once all the sides are lightly golden brown, transfer it onto plate.
- Brush all sides of onigiri with sauce and put it back in the skillet to crisp again, making sure not to let the soy sauce stick.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Yaki Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Ingredients
- 500 gram rice Japanese short-grain rice or sushi rice
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, unagi sauce, teriyaki sauce or miso
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral flavoured oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook rice according to packet instructions, add salt and allow to cool slightly.
- Wet your hands with water and divide cooked rice into equal balls and flatten them slightly, shape into a triangle with flattened sides.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on each onigiri (rice cake) and lightly pat it with your hands.
- Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet on your BBQ or grill and gently cook each onigiri on both sides.
- Try not to turn often, once all the sides are lightly golden brown, transfer it onto plate.
- Brush all sides of onigiri with sauce and put it back in the skillet to crisp again, making sure not to let the soy sauce stick.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This Vegan Pistachio Olive Oil Cake is prepared with good quality olive oil and pistachio nuts. It is moist, rich and nutty – perfect as it is or warm with ice cream.
This cake was perfectly sweet, nutty, and rich, and the addition of the edible flowers really brought out the orange! I followed @jcookingodyssey ’s delicious recipe for vegan pistachio olive oil cake and my whole family loved it! I added my own twist with the edible flowers 🌺 because I didn’t have enough pistachios for topping the cake 🙊 I also didn’t turn the cake upside down because it was easier for me to transport it in the pan it baked in, and it still tasted great! Annasvegannonsense
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and when life gives you olive oil… you make olive oil cake.
I first tried pistachio olive oil cake at a restaurant because I absolutely love anything pistachio and anything cake. I was sold from the first bite so I dragged my Mum back to the same restaurant so that she could try it too!
We thought about making an eggless version at home and played about with the recipe. In the end, we settled on a completely vegan and dairy-free cake as it ended up being so much lighter with a delicate crumb, just like this Vegan Mango and Coconut Loaf Cake .
I made this cake for my brother’s birthday and it went down a treat! A generous amount of pistachios, good quality olive oil and polenta make this cake extra special.
It turned out just how we wanted. Just don’t limit yourselves to serve this nutty cake only for birthdays, mother’s day or father’s day, I think it would be perfect for an afternoon tea or morning coffee as well.
Pistachios in desserts are just something otherworldly! They’re fabulous in this pistachio halwa and saffron pistachio shortbread .
For olive oil cake, you’ll need mild or light extra virgin olive oil, but if you don’t mind strong overpowering flavours in the cake then you can use the stronger flavoured olive oil, which I used.
Use instant fine polenta and gluten-free plain flour that is easily available in the market.
No, you’ll need normal raw pistachio for this recipe, with or without skin doesn’t matter.
Usually, this cake is served as it is, but you could try a lemon icing sugar glaze once the cake is cooled.
My forte is definitely cooking more than baking but I truly blieve this cake is straight forward to make. You do not need advanced baking skills to bake this cake – just add dry ingredients into wet, mix it and bake.
Ingredients in vegan pistachio olive oil cake
Because the main ingredients of this cake are pistachio, olive oil, we will start with them.
If you are trying this cake for first time, try to use light or extra light extra virgin olive oil. The flavour is less intense.
You will need fine polenta aka maize flour too, and in India, you can use makki ka atta.
Use unsalted and unroasted pistachios as the salted variety will be far too salty. So, now we have all the main three ingredients out of the way, let’s talk about how to make this cake vegan.
I have used flax eggs – the flax egg is the perfect natural vegan egg replacer. It’s inexpensive and works great in any baking recipes. To make flax egg at home, you will just need flax seeds, grind it in a coffee blender and use 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp water when recipes require 1 egg. Leave the mix for at least 15 minutes and then add in your wet ingredients.
Next on the list is milk, and we used rice milk but you can use almond, hazelnut, soy or oat milk. All that’s left is sugar, plain flour (all purpose flour), orange or lemon zest and good quality baking powder.
Serving suggestions for vegan olive oil cake
This cake tastes so delicious on its own even when it is cold, but you can serve it warm with ice cream, sorbet or any poached fruit such as apricot, strawberries or rhubarb.
I loved it with espresso or this coconut milk coffee .
Other vegan or eggless baking recipes
Eggless chocolate orange cake
Ras Malai Cake Eggless
Vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Vegan Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 200 gram unsalted pistachio
- 200 millilitres extra virgin olive oil
- 125 gram fine polenta
- 75 gram plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoon flax seeds 3 tbsp flax seed powder + 9 tbsp water mix and leave it for 15 minutes
- 200 gram caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 60 millilitres vegan milk 60-80ml
Topping
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 30 millilitres orange juice
- slivered pistachio
- pinch salt
Instructions
- First mix flax seeds powder and water and leave it aside for 15 minutes to make flax egg.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180C or 350F.
- Grease a 20cm/7″ cake tin with extra virgin olive oil.
- Add pistachio nuts into food processor and grind till you get finely crushed pistachio.
- In one bowl, mix the crushed pistachio, polenta, plain flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix olive oil, caster sugar and flax eggs and 60ml milk.
- Then add dry ingredients and mix gently, if you need to, then add more milk.
- Pour the cake mixture into the greased cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool on a wire cake.
Topping
- In a bowl, mix sugar and orange juice, and heat in the M/W until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour it over the cake, then garnish the cake with pistachio slivers or crushed pistachios.
- Serve with ice cream, sorbet or poached fruit.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
