Spam Musubi is as fun to make as it is to eat! This popular Hawaiian treat made of Spam, sticky rice, nori seaweed, and a sweet and savory glaze, is a hearty, tasty, and handy snack the whole family will love.
Spam musubi is ubiquitous in Hawaiian food culture and sold at almost every convenience or Mom-and-Pop stores on the islands.
Adapted from the Japanese onigiri, this sushi-style treat is made of Spam, short-grain rice, and seaweed. It's a popular snack or lunch, traditionally served with soy sauce or Japanese mayonnaise.
These handy snacks are not only tasty and filling, but they're also easy to make and budget-friendly, too.
Slices of luncheon meat are grilled in a sweet and salty mixture, placed atop shaped Japanese-style rice blocks, and then wrapped in sheets of nori. It is also common to flavor the rice with furikake or sesame seeds and to add scrambled eggs or pickled vegetables for variety.
Sauce ingredients
The combination of sticky rice, smoky Spam, and crispy nori seaweed is a delightful treat on its own, but a generous dose of a sweet and savory glaze definitely kicks things up. You can use storebought or homemade teriyaki or the easy sauce using only two ingredients: soy sauce and sugar!
How to make omusubi without a mold
- If you don't have a musubi press mold to pack and shape the cooked rice, use the Spam can by cutting its top and bottom. It's the perfect size and works like a charm!
- You can also easily shape the rice by hand. Lightly wet your hands with water and sprinkle with salt in between shaping to keep the rice from sticking.
How to store
- Spam Musubi is best enjoyed fresh as the nori seaweed loses crunchiness over time.
- If making ahead, wrap in Saran wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Microwave at 30 to 40-second intervals until completely heated.
More appetizer recipes
Ingredients
- 3 cups short-grain rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 can (12 ounces) Spam, cut crosswise into 10 slices
- ยผ cup soy sauce
- ยฝ cup sugar
- 5 sheets Nori seaweed, cut lengthwise into two
Instructions
- Rinse rice two to three times and drain well. In a rice cooker, combine rice and water. Soak for about 30 minutes and then turn on the rice cooker to cook rice.
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add Spam slices in a single layer and cook, turning once or twice, for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until slightly crisp.
- Add soy sauce-sugar mixture and continue to cook, turning Spam slices once or twice, until liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from pan.
- Lay nori seaweed shiny side down on a flat working surface.
- Place musubi press in the center of the seaweed. Spoon about โ cup of cooked rice into mold. Press down rice to pack tightly into about 1-inch thick. Pull up mold to release rice block.
- Place a grilled Spam slice on top of the block of rice.
- Fold one end of the seaweed over and tuck between the Spam and rice and then fold the other side of the seaweed over to wrap around the rice and Spam. Moisten edge of seaweed with water to seal.
Notes
- If you don't have a musubi press mold to pack and shape the cooked rice, use the Spam can by cutting its top and bottom. It's the perfect size and works like a charm!
- You can also easily shape the rice by hand. Lightly wet your hands with water and sprinkle with salt in between shaping to keep the rice from sticking.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Tami says
OH EM GEE!!! This was so good, my family requested it 2 nights in a row!!! The first night, I made it exactly as written, didn't change a thing. Tonight I added a bouillon cube to the rice, and then I seasoned it with rice vinegar and furikake. Both ways were a huge hit! I think I may have to make it again tomorrow night. Lol
Thanks Lalaine for a wonderful recipe! โค๏ธ
CA says
is this considered an appetizer?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes ๐
Macaria Robinson says
Delicious
Grace says
Hi! I love it! Yummy and easy! How long would it possibly store for? Planning to make it for baon again!