Description
Japanese culinary delight Air Fryer Yaki Onigiri brings crispy grilled rice balls to your kitchen with minimal effort. Warm, golden-brown edges and umami-rich fillings make this snack irresistible when you crave authentic Japanese comfort cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 slice Mozzarella cheese
- 300 g (10.6 oz) Cooked rice
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsps Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Sake
- Water (small bowl for wetting hands when shaping onigiri)
Instructions
- Preparation: Moisten hands with water to prevent rice from sticking, then mold freshly cooked rice into three uniform triangular shapes using hands or a specialized mold.
- Initial Crisping: Position rice triangles in the air fryer basket with adequate spacing, then set temperature to 400°F and cook for 15 minutes, ensuring even exposure.
- Midpoint Rotation: Gently turn each rice triangle halfway through cooking to promote consistent golden-brown coloration and crisp exterior development.
- Soy Sauce Glazing: Remove onigiri and thoroughly coat both surfaces with soy sauce mixture, returning to air fryer for an additional 2 minutes to caramelize and intensify flavor profiles.
- Flavor Layering: Repeat soy sauce application and brief air frying process twice more, creating multi-dimensional taste and characteristic charred edges while carefully monitoring to prevent burning.
- Final Presentation: Transfer immediately to serving plate, preserving optimal temperature and textural integrity of the yaki onigiri, ready to be enjoyed as a delectable Japanese-inspired rice delicacy.
Notes
- Wet Hands Wisely: Rinse hands with cool water before shaping rice to prevent sticking and ensure smooth, clean triangular formations.
- Shape Precisely: Use consistent pressure and techniques to create uniform rice triangles that cook evenly and maintain structural integrity.
- Monitor Closely: Watch onigiri during air frying to prevent burning, adjusting cooking time and rotation for perfect golden-brown caramelization.
- Sauce Application Technique: Brush soy sauce mixture generously and repeatedly to build complex layers of flavor and achieve authentic yaki onigiri char marks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg