Egg Onigiri Recipe (Japanese Rice Balls)

If you’re tired of your usual onigiri fillings and looking for new flavors, try this Egg Onigiri! Perfect combo of eggs and rice for a tasty twist you’ll love!

Looking for more onigiri recipes? Try my Kombu Onigiri, Umeboshi Onigiri, or Salmon Onigiri!

Egg onigiri served on a plate.

Regarding Egg Onigiri, this one with a boiled egg is highly recommended! The soy sauce-flavored egg adds a delicious taste to the steamed rice. Learn how to make this flavorful Onigiri with egg and enjoy the authentic taste!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

  • Well-seasoned Eggs – known as Nitamago, are the stars in this Onigiri, blending perfectly with the rice for a delicious combo that’ll keep you coming back for more!
  • Delightfully Filling – The combination of whole eggs and rice creates a delicious and filling Japanese rice ball.
  • Perfect On-the-Go Snack – Whether packing lunch or needing a quick snack, these egg rice balls are conveniently portable and easy to enjoy.

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Onigiri is a Japanese food made of steamed rice filled with ingredients, formed into a triangle shape, and wrapped in seaweed. It’s perfect for a quick meal or snack, and the best part is you can easily customize it by choosing your favorite onigiri fillings.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Egg Onigiri:

Egg onigiri ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

  • Nitamago, a filling in this onigiri recipe, is a delicious marinated egg infused with a soy-based sauce. You can learn how to prepare it with our Nitamago recipe.
  • Japanese Short-grain Rice is the ideal choice for crafting Onigiri due to its stickiness, making it easy to shape into a triangular shape. On the contrary, long-grain rice varieties such as Jasmine and Basmati lack the stickiness quality and may not hold the shape as effectively. You can learn more about How To Cook Japanese Rice on The Stove.
  • Nori seaweed serves as the rice wrapper. Get a black square sheet from a Japanese grocery store, and we’ll later divide it into three strips for wrapping Onigiri.

How To Make Egg Onigiri: STEP BY STEP 

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, you can go to the printable recipe card below.

How to make egg onigiri.

Step 1

Divide a Nori sheet.

How to make egg onigiri.

Step 2

Gather ingredients and equipment.

How to make egg onigiri.

Step 3

Put rice in a small bowl, add a Nitamago to the center, and cover it with more rice.

How to make egg onigiri.

Step 4

Wet your hands with water, sprinkle a pinch of salt on your palms, and hold the rice with both hands to shape.

Egg onigiri served on a plate.

Wrap the triangular rice with the nori, and your egg-filled Onigiri is ready to be enjoyed. The whole egg as the filling makes it look significant and satisfying. Let’s take a look inside!

Egg onigiri served on a plate.

Recipe Tips

  • You can work with freshly cooked rice or slightly warm rice for easier shaping.
  • Wet both hands to prevent the rice from sticking to the hands when shaping.
  • When shaping the rice, since eggs can be slippery and may not adhere well to the rice, using plastic wrap makes the shaping process easier and more manageable.

Storage and Reheating

Wrap each Onigiri tightly in plastic wrap to preserve their moisture and store them in the fridge for a couple of days. When ready to enjoy, microwave each Onigiri for about 20 seconds to restore its fluffy rice texture. By the way, freezing is not recommended as the process can alter the texture of the egg.

Variations

Scrambled egg onigiri served on a plate.

For more egg onigiri filling, I suggest trying scrambled eggs. It’s a quick and straightforward option—just mix them with rice.

Grab Your Onigiri Filling eBook!

Looking for more onigiri filling ideas? Check out our Onigiri eBook! From classics to creative options, all compiled conveniently in one place!

Onigiri filling ebook cover.

36 Fun and Flavorful Onigiri

Egg onigiri served on a plate.

Leave a Rating!

I hope you enjoy this Egg Onigiri! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a rating to share your thoughts—I love hearing from you!

Egg onigiri with nitamago.

Egg Onigiri Recipe (Japanese Rice Balls)

5 from 6 votes
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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 onigiri
Author: Juri Austin
If you're tired of your usual onigiri fillings and looking for new flavors, try this Egg Onigiri! Perfect combo of eggs and rice for a tasty twist you'll love!

Equipment

  • 1 Small Bowl

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Prepare Nori Strips: Divide a Nori sheet into three equal pieces.
  • Gather ingredients: Gather cooked Japanese rice, nori strips, Nitamago, a bowl of water, and salt.
  • Rice and egg: Fill a small bowl halfway with rice, creating a large dent in the center. Place a whole Nitamago in the dent and cover it with more rice.
  • Wet Hands: Wet both hands with water, sprinkle approximately 2 fingertips of salt on your palms, and rub your hands together, spreading the salt evenly.
  • Shape the Rice: Place the rice on your palm, holding it with both hands to form a triangular shape. Gently press and roll the rice between your palms, refining the shape into a perfect triangle.
  • Wrap with Nori: Wrap the triangular rice with nori.

Video

Notes

  • Storage: Wrap each onigiri tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for a couple of days.
  • Japanese short-grain rice (starchy and sticky) is ideal for making onigiri. If you are new to cooking rice, see “How to cook Japanese rice on the stove.”
  • Learn how to make Nitamago in Nitamago (Japanese Seasoned Egg Recipe)
  • Work with fresh cooked rice or slightly warm rice for easier shaping.
  • When shaping the rice, since eggs can be slippery and may not adhere well to the rice, using plastic wrap makes the shaping process easier and more manageable.
  • Wet both hands to prevent the rice from sticking to the hands when shaping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g
Course: Rice
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: egg onigiri
Did You Make this recipe?Please Leave a star rating!

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8 Comments

  1. I like the idea that you can use an egg in the onigiri. Also I love the idea of sandwiches……
    Also if one is using ordinary rice and it’s not sticking together one could always use some melted coconut oil.
    Fiona

  2. 5 stars
    This looks absolutely delicious. I will definitely make this soon. I gave it a 5 rating because I like eggs, I like onigiri, and I know it will be great.

  3. 5 stars
    This sounds so good! I’ll be making some as soon as I get some mirin. 🙃
    I think I’ll also try my favorite marinated eggs too. (Hard boild eggs, peeled, with small holes through the whites into the yolk. Then drop the eggs into the brine from pepperoncini peppers. Let them soak at least three days in the fridge.)