Okinawan-Style Spam Musubi with Egg (Pork Tamago Onigiri)
Perfectly sweetened egg paired with salty spam—this spam musubi with egg, also known as pork tamago onigiri, is the easiest and most delicious onigiri ever!
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 cup uncooked Japanese short-grain rice 240 ml, note1
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water 270 ml
For the egg
- 4 large eggs
- 1.5 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping
- ½ can spam
- 2 sheets nori seaweeds
Instructions
Prepare the rice
- Rinse 1 cup uncooked Japanese short-grain rice about three times until the water is clear.
- Cook the rice:- Using a Rice Cooker or Slow Cooker: Transfer rinsed rice and add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water to the cooker. Soak for at least 30 minutes, then start the cooker and let it finish as per settings.- Using a Pot on the Stovetop: Transfer rinsed rice and add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water to the pot. Soak for at least 30 minutes. Cover and heat on medium until it boils, then reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes. (Avoid lifting the lid while cooking.)
- Fluff the rice to release extra steam.
Prepare the spam
- Cut ½ can spam into 0.5-inch (1.2 cm) thick slices. Heat a medium- large pan over medium heat and spray oil. Fry the spam until both sides become golden brown. Remove from the pan.
Prepare the egg (note2)
- Make egg mixture: Whisk 4 large eggs, 1.5 tablespoons white granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl. Don’t worry if the mayonnaise isn’t completely mixed.Note: If making more than four servings, prepare the egg in batches... mix the ingredients for four servings at a time, fry them, and repeat.
- Cook the egg: Wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Once the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture and gently stir to make it fluffy. Fold the edges so the omelet becomes a rectangle. Once the bottom sets, flip the egg over and fry for another 2–3 minutes until the bottom is cooked.
- Cut the egg: Transfer the egg to a cutting board and cut it into four pieces (try to match the size to the spam, but it’s totally fine if you can’t!).
Assemble the musubi (note3)
- Cut 2 sheets nori seaweeds into halves to make rectangles. Spread one serving of cooked rice on a sheet of nori, then place one slice of spam and one serving of egg on one half of the rice. Fold the nori over the rice and fillings into half.
- Serve: Serve at room temperature or warm it slightly in the microwave. Enjoy!
Notes
(1) Using leftover rice: If you want to use leftover cooked rice, you can microwave 10–12.5 ounces (290–350g) of cooked rice to make 4 onigiri.
(2) Using a tamagoyaki pan: You can make the egg more easily if you use a tamagoyaki pan.
(3) Assembling musubi: For more details, please take a look at the step-by-step photos.
🍙If you enjoy onigiri, be sure to try our tuna mayo onigiri recipe too!
💡If you can't find specific ingredients, check out how to substitute Japanese ingredients in this post.