Whether you’re looking for a picnic dish, making a simple bento for your little ones, or need a quick rice-based to-go, I promise this Japanese-style salmon rice ball recipe will always come in handy.
Table of Contents
- About This One-Pot Salmon Rice Ball
- Recreating Convenience Store–Style Salmon Rice Balls at Home
- Key Ingredients
- How to make Salmon Rice Balls in a Rice Cooker
- Useful Tips:
- Serving Suggestion
- Other Rice Recipes
About This One-Pot Salmon Rice Ball
Inspired by salmon onigiri (Japanese salmon rice balls shaped into triangles), this recipe is made from scratch in a rice cooker. Yup, everything cooks in the convenience of a rice cooker pot (except for seasoning, which goes in after cooking).
Packed with protein and healthy fats, you will also get some fibre and beta-carotene from the broccoli and carrot chunks. That makes it a well-balanced meal on its own.
And just like salmon sushi, the rice is lightly seasoned with soy sauce and rice vinegar (without added sugar). I added grated garlic to balance the umami and lift the flavor better.
Recreating Convenience Store–Style Salmon Rice Balls at Home
Fish, rice and soy sauce combined have always been a comforting flavour that reminds me of my childhood. I grew up with grandparents who lived next to paddy fields, with the sea within walking distance, so fish and rice are part of our everyday meals.
Wherever I go, while my Persian husband prefers a cheese sandwich as a convenient, quick bite, I always look for salmon onigiri, though I’d be happy with a tuna version too. These days, with my health challenge, a convenience-store or vending-machine version is no longer an option.
So I’m sharing my version of homemade salmon rice balls from scratch, which are guaranteed convenient and tasty for anyone looking to make sushi–style rice balls with salmon.
Key Ingredients
Base
- Salmon fillet – Choose a fresh salmon fillet.
- Sushi rice – Short-grain rice is best for shaping. Its higher starch helps hold the rice together.
- Water/Dashi – If you have kombu dashi broth, it makes a nutritious swap that adds umami.
Vegetables
- Carrot – Fresh carrots are my usual choice, but frozen ones will definitely help speed things up.
- Broccoli – Broccolini or cauliflower work well too if that’s what you have.
Seasoning
- Rice vinegar – Vinegar is used to seasoned temper the salmon odour. You can use white condiment too. If white vinegar is all you have, reduce the amount to half.
- Light Soy sauce – I like to alternate between Kikkoman low-sodium and Lee Kum Kee less salty version. Both brands have gluten-free options if you can’t tolerate gluten.
- Garlic – I always use fresh garlic, but if powder might work too.
- Salt – This is optional.
How to make Salmon Rice Balls in a Rice Cooker
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Combine the ingredients (except the seasoning) in the rice cooker pot, then set it to cook on the normal rice setting. (If you wish to retain the nutrients in broccoli, add them 10minutes before cooking)
- Once cooked, remove the salmon skin, add the seasoning and gently mix it with the rice paddle until fully combined.
- Spread the rice mixture on a wide tray or dish and place near a fan to cool quickly.
- Once cooled, shape one heaping spoonful of the mixture into a medium-sized ball, using gloves if desired. Repeat until finished.
Useful Tips:
- Use gloves to avoid the fish odour on your hands. From my experience, the smell can linger for quite a while.
- If shaping by hand, lightly dampen your hands with water to prevent sticking.
- Add the broccoli 10 minutes before the rice finishes cooking to help retain the nutrients.
Serving Suggestion
- Kimchi
- Wasabi
- Ginger pickle
- Miso soup
Other Rice Recipes
One-Pot Salmon Rice Balls in Rice Cooker
30
Rice Balls40
minutes55
kcalOne-pot salmon rice balls with broccoli and carrot, lightly seasoned with soy sauce and garlic. A quick and easy way to make salmon rice balls from scratch.
Ingredients
- Base
1 Salmon fillet (I use about 250g)
1 and 1/2 cups Sushi rice
3 cups Water / (Swap with dashi broth from kombu for umami and added nutrients)
- Vegetables
1 whole Carrot – Diced thinly
1 cup Broccoli florets
- Seasoning
1 Garlic – freshly grated
2 tbsp Soy Sauce / Tamari for gluten-free option
2 tbsp Rice vinegar
Additional salt as needed (optional)
Directions
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear
- Combine the ingredients (except the seasoning) in the rice cooker pot, then set it to the normal rice setting. (If you wish to retain the nutrients in broccoli, add them 10minutes before cooking)
- Once cooked, remove the salmon skin, add the seasoning and gently mix it with the rice paddle until fully combined.
- Spread the rice mixture on a wide tray or dish and place near a fan to cool quickly.
- Once cooled, shape one heaping spoonful of the mixture into a medium-sized ball, using gloves if desired.
- Repeat until finished. For a visual step-by-step guide, see above.
Similar Equipment and Tools Used
- Zojirushi Multifunction Rice CookerCheck on Amazon
🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you think!
