Musubi Recipe

Spam, the love-it-or-hate-it canned ham, was introduced in 1937 and gained popularity during World War II, when more than 150 million pounds were shipped to American troops overseas. Soldiers introduced it to locals, who used the product to create spin-offs of regional dishes like Japanese onigiri and Korean budae jjigae. According to Hormel Foods Corporation, residents of Hawaii eat more Spam than those of any other state. A popular way to eat it there is in the tradition of Japanese omusubi: Stack a pan-fried slice of Spam and a rice patty and wrap a piece of roasted nori around it. This version of the dish is adapted from “Aloha Kitchen: Recipes From Hawai‘i,” a cookbook of classic Hawaiian dishes by Alana Kysar. —Kiera Wright-Ruiz

Best-Ever Spam Musubi (Step-by-Step Photos)

Spam musubi is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Growing up on the mainland meant that my family was far away from our extended family in Hawaii. Whenever my mom pulled out her spam musubi mold, we knew we were in for a comforting treat that would transport us back to Hawaii after the first bite. Mom seriously makes the Best-Ever Spam Musubi – this is her recipe. In my experience, there are 3 secrets to making the best spam musubi: Nail the ratio of spam & rice: These 2 components need the perfect balance, so you’ll notice that we slice each can of spam into 7 pieces – not 8, not 6…7!!! – & this is exactly why. Make a killer spam musubi sauce: Mom’s is a simple teriyaki-style sauce made with a couple of pantry ingredients. When you pan-fry it with spam, it turns into a gloriously glossy & thick glaze that clings to the spam beautifully & its sweetness provides the perfect balance for the rich, savory flavor of spam. Cook the rice well & handle it with care: Musubi rice needs to have the perfect light-yet-sticky texture. We love medium-grain Calrose rice, but sushi rice works just fine if that’s what is most readily available to you. (Note! ⇢ If spam &/or musubi are new-to-you, be sure to read through the blog post to learn more about their delicious history in Hawaii!) While nothing beats a warm spam musubi on a beach in Hawaii, I think my family’s spam musubi is the next best thing. If you’ve never made homemade spam musubi before, this is a great recipe to start with! We wanted it to be as approachable as possible, so the directions are very detailed & we’ve provided step-by-step photos to help you along the way. We hope you love it as much as we do! ♡

Prep: 25min

Total: 45min

Yield: 7

Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 295 calories, Sugar 13 g, Sodium 915.5 mg, Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 4.4 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 31.6 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 9.6 g, Cholesterol 37.7 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Calrose rice, rinsed well
• simple teriyaki sauce, below
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 (one) 12-ounce can Spam, sliced lengthwise into 7 pieces
• 3 1/2 sheets sushi nori
• heaping 1/3 cup furikake
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, can sub light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• plastic wrap or wax paper
• rice cooker
• double musubi mold

Instruction:

1. Cook the rice: Place the rice in a fine mesh colander & rinse it well with hot water until the water runs clear. This will take a good minute or two – feel free to jostle the rice with your hands as you rinse it to help speed this process along. Once the water runs clear, drain any excess water from the rice, then transfer it to a rice pot. Following the ratios provided on the rice package directions, add water to the rice pot. Cover & cook. Once the rice is done, let it steam & rest for 5-10 minutes before assembling Spam musubi.
2. Combine all listed ingredients in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute to dissolve the sugar. Stir to combine then set aside to cool slightly. (Alternatively, you can combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat & cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes.)
3. Pan-fry the Spam & glaze with the teriyaki sauce: Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Very lightly spritz with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the sliced Spam in a single layer in the skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Flip the Spam. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the prepared teriyaki sauce over each slice of Spam. Cook 2-3 minutes longer. Repeat flipping & spooning sauce on the Spam 1-2 more times, until the Spam is as browned & saucy as you like & the teriyaki sauce is reduced to a thick glaze. Remove from the heat & set aside for Spam musubi assembly.
4. Place a large piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on your work surface. Grab a piece of sushi nori. Sushi nori has 2 distinct sides – one is rough & textured while the other is shiny & smoother – & is ever-so-slightly rectangular. Place a piece of sushi nori on top of the plastic wrap/wax paper such that its shiny & smooth side is facing down & one of its slightly longer sides is closest to you. Place the outer box of the musubi mold on the center of the nori such that its long edge runs parallel with the longer sides of the nori.
5. Build the Spam musubi: Use a rice paddle to scrape a small amount of rice off the top of the rice pot. Be sure to scrape off the top rather than digging, which compacts the rice – we want our musubi rice nice & light! Gently add the rice to the musubi mold, filling it almost entirely full. As you fill the mold, use the edge of the rice paddle to gently pat the rice down into a uniform level but, again, avoid pressing down on the rice too much. Once the mold is filled with rice, sprinkle a generous amount of furikake seasoning over top, about 1-2 tablespoons. Arrange two slices of the teriyaki Spam side by side in the musubi mold.
6. Assemble & wrap the Spam musubi: Place the musubi mold lid on top of the Spam. Press down on the lid firmly, starting at the center & working your way to the outer edge. Once you reach the outer edge, press down on the lid firmly with your thumbs & pointer fingers while using your pinky fingers to simultaneously pull the musubi mold box up. Set the box to the side, then remove the musubi mold top off of the Spam & set aside. Gently-yet-firmly pull the side of the nori sheet facing you up & tautly fold it over the Spam – the nori should stick to the Spam. Brush a little water over the opposite edge of nori, then tautly roll the musubi away from you, sealing the musubi shut. The musubi should be seam side down at this point. Set aside – it will continue to tighten up as it sits.
7. with the remaining rice & teriyaki Spam. Your last musubi will only have one piece of Spam, so simply slice the sushi nori in half crosswise & assemble the musubi using only one half of the mold.
8. Run a sharp knife under warm water, then slice the double musubis in half crosswise (between the two pieces of Spam), creating 2 individual Spam musubi. Be sure to rinse the knife with warm water before slicing the next musubi – this helps create a clean cut. Enjoy immediately!

Spam Musubi

You don’t need to fly to Hawaii to try this tasty, authentic Hawaiian Spam Musubi. With this easy recipe, you can make it yourself at home!

Prep: 25min

Total: 30min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 317 kcal, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 9 g, Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Sodium 1210 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 13 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Spam
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Nori (roasted seaweed used for sushi, cut into halves or thirds (I cut it into thirds to make it go further))
• 6 cups cooked sushi rice

Instruction:

1. Slice the SPAM into about 8-10 slices (depending on how thick you like it) and put in a Ziplock bag. Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar until sugar is dissolved and add to the bag with the SPAM. Marinate for about 15 minutes.
2. Drain off marinade and fry SPAM on each side over medium heat until slightly crispy or until desired doneness. Some people like to glaze the SPAM with the marinade/sauce AFTER frying, either way tastes great!
3. Place a strip of nori on a cutting board or clean surface (shiny side down). Place your Musubi mold across the middle of the nori. Add Sushi Rice to the mold, pressing down firmly and evenly so there is about 1-1 1/2 inches of rice. Dip the mold and your fingers in water as you go to prevent sticking.
4. Next, remove the mold from the rice. Now you will have a nice little block of rice right on the nori. Add some of the cooked SPAM to the top. Wrap up one side of the nori and stick it to the top of the SPAM, then wrap up the other side. Just like you are wrapping a nice little package. Use a little water on your finger to seal if needed. Serve warm.
5. Some like it dipped in soy sauce, some like it with ketchup, and some like it as is.

Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is an easy snack or lunch made with rice topped with fried slices of spam and wrapped in nori seaweed. Add sweet and savory teriyaki sauce, furikake, and egg (tamagoyaki) for a delicious Hawaiian snack!

Prep: 5min

Total: 10min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 215 kcal, Carbohydrate 28 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 21 mg, Sodium 673 mg, Fiber 0.4 g, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3 slices spam (sliced ⅓ inch thick; See Note 1)
• 3 pieces nori (cut 2 to 3 inches thick)
• 1 ½ cups cooked short or medium-grain rice (packed)
• 1 tablespoon furikake ((optional))
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons mirin (or sake, white wine)

Instruction:

1. Pan-fry spam: Heat a pan over medium-high heat and fry the spam slices in a bit of oil. Optional sauce: In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the soy sauce, sugar, and mirin to the pan and let it reduce and coat the spam pieces.
2. Form rice layer: Add ½ cup of cooked rice to an empty spam container lined with plastic wrap or to a musubi mold. Firmly press it down with the back of a spoon or the mold lid. Aim for 1⅔ inch height or more, depending on the thickness of the spam slices. Add more rice if needed. If using, sprinkle furikake on top. Repeat with the remaining rice for a total of three musubi.
3. Add spam and nori: Place the spam slices on top of the rice and wrap the musubi with strips of nori, placing it seam side down. If using, brush any remaining musubi sauce on top of the spam and serve. Enjoy!

Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is a classic Hawaiian snack or on-the-go lunch, made with a slice of seared spam on top of rice, all wrapped in crispy seaweed! It has a delicious soy sauce glaze that makes each bite extra flavorful.

Prep: 20min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1 musubi

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 musubi, calories 372 kcal, Carbohydrate 57 g, Protein 10 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 27 mg, Sodium 1016 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 3 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Spam, (low-sodium or lite)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 sheets Nori seaweed, (cut into thirds)
• 3 cups short grain rice, (or sushi rice )
• 1/4 cup Japanese rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• water, (for cooking the rice)

Instruction:

1. Whisk together the soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the spam with the mixture. Continue to cook until the sauce starts to thicken and caramelize. It will create a sweet glaze that clings to the spam and makes it delicious!
2. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let the rice cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
3. Serve musubi warm or chilled. It’s a perfect on the go snack!

SPAM Musubi Recipe — You Made What?!