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
Laurie Rasor says
Have A Great Day
Laurie Rasor says
Have Good Day
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you! You, too ๐
BingBing says
Love it, thank you for the recipe I now make my Musubi at home. First time I make it and it was a family plate every want to have.
Hope says
This was soooo good. Is the calories for all of them or one?
Carrie says
I made your Spam musubi recipe for dinner tonight with a citrus/spinach salad. So so good! Thank you!!
Gela says
I'm gonna use this recipe for my project. Can this be considered as an appetizer? Thank you for this recipe btw ๐
์์ ๊ณต์ says
You can find the tools for this to make easily at chinese or korean grocery store.
Helena says
Does the recipe calls for brown sugar or granulated fine sugar?
Rolf says
Has anyone thought to try agglutinous (aka: "sticky") rice? Seems that would be even more 'agreeable' to work with. Additionally, Velveeta Cheese spread on the grilled Spam should add a little taste of its' own, too. Think?
Sharm says
Thanks for the recipe! It tastes similar to the one I used to buy in Manila. Would try adding cooked egg next time para perfect breakfast on the go! ๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Sharm! I've seen it made with eggs here in the US and you're right, it's the perfect breakfast on-the-go!
Sasha says
Lalaine - your recipe was perfect and my perpetually hungry teenage boys gave me a 10/10. First time ever making and successful. Thanks ever so much. We used the Spam can too ๐
Cheers and Happy Cooking to you too!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much!
Erica says
My friend has always made this and I loved it but I never knew how to make it it given that I'm Mexican and we don't often eat it. I made this recipe and it tastes exactly like the one my friend makes! I'm so happy!! Thank you for putting it up; I love it! ๐
Lalaine says
You're welcome, Erica. I am glad you enjoyed it. Spam musubi is my favorite snack and good thing it's easy to make at home, I can eat a dozen!
Sandy Vargas says
we liven in Hawaii for 4 years and this was one of my families favorite snacks. I recently told my husband I was going to make it for him because he love it so much. He told me don't even try you can't replicate the taste of what we had in Hawaii. The challenge was on. I found your recipe and made it. He took one bite closed his eyes and said "OH this is perfect". Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Lalaine says
Thank you for the Feedback, Sandy. I am glad I was able to help bring back some of your favorite "food" memories. ๐
Dunia Jamil says
Hello !
Iยดm writing from a Swedish food magazine โMattrenderโ and we are looking for a picture of Spam Masubi . I found it on your page . Now Iโm asking if its okay that we can have one picture from you, high resolution, for print .
We canโt pay but of course we will say its from YOU !
Raymund says
I had a lot of these when we were in Hawaii, such an nice snack and very filling
Lalaine says
Hi Raymund
Yes, they are so delicious and filling, I'll usually eat two for lunch and gets me through to dinner.
Did you enjoy your vacation? Hawaii is definitely on my bucket list ๐