Do you like crunchy and roasted savory flavor? If that’s so, how about this grilled rice ball recipe? Typical grilled rice ball is baked on both sides and coated with soy sauce or miso. This recipe use soy sauce and add cheese to make it more flavorful. The crunchy texture and the roasted flavor come together for the perfect and delicious rice ball.

Level: Easy Yield: 1 serving
Prep time: 0 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 7 ounces (200 g) steamed short-grain Japanese rice
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp shredded cheese
• Dash of ground black pepper

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• A plastic wrap
• A brush: If you don’t have, you can substitute a teaspoon for it.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Making rice balls:Cut plastic wrap about 12 inches square and spread.
   
   Put half steamed rice on the wrap.
   
   Gather the four corners of the wrap, settle the rice lightly, and put it on the one hand.
   
   The other hand makes a corner of the triangle and covers the rice from above. Press it to make a triangle. Apply force only to the outside without to the center. Shape 3-4 times while turning. Don’t worry that the form of your rice ball isn’t a beautiful triangle. That doesn’t relate to taste.
   
   
   
2. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and sugar.
   
   
   
3. Grill rice balls: In a pan or skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-low heat. Place rice balls in the pan and grill each side for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
   
   
   
4. Brush the sauce and grill: Brush sauce on the surface, flip, and grill for about 20 seconds until the surface dried. (Keep an eye on them because it’s easy to burn.) Do in the same way each side twice.
   
   
   These steps up to this one are typical grilled rice ball recipe.
   
   
5. Add cheese if you like: Set the rice balls aside on a plate. Put 1/2 Tbsp cheese on the pan and sprinkle a dash of ground pepper on cheese. Place a rice ball on it and cook until browned and crispy. On the other side, do in the same way.
   
   

TIPS

• A tip for maintaining the shape of rice ball:
  If flipping frequently or brushing a lot of sauce at once, it would fall apart. Therefore, try not to touch rice balls so much while grillig and brush a suitable amount of sauce.
  

WHAT IS…?

• About ”Grilled rice balls, Yaki Onigiri”:
  Grilled rice ball is often eaten at Izakaya (Japanese style pub) and BBQ. It’s generally made by brushing soy sauce or miso on the surface and grilling, but some people mix seasonings in and grill. I think the reason why a lot of people like grilled rice ball is that it has the best combination of savory aroma and crispy texture.
  The method of grilled rice ball over a charcoal fire has been used for a long time, and it’s also suitable for BBQ. If you’re making grilled rice balls at your BBQ, this recipe is good enough to make without the cheese. Give it a try at your next BBQ.