Onigirazu, or Japanese rice sandwiches, are a fun twist on the lunchbox sandwich. Instead of bread you use seasoned sushi rice and a sheet of nori, wrapped around your filling and cut in half to show off the layers inside.
They are brilliant for a light lunch, a quick snack or a picnic, and the fillings are yours to play with: tuna, salmon, chicken, egg, or tofu for a vegetarian version. My step-by-step photos make the folding easy to follow. The recipe card below does two versions, smoked tofu or the classic tuna mayo, switched with one tap.
If you like quick Asian dishes, try my Traditional Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles next.
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Pin itWhat is Onigirazu?
Onigirazu is a modern twist on the traditional Japanese onigiri, a much-loved rice ball filled with savoury ingredients and wrapped in nori seaweed. Unlike onigiri, which requires hand-moulding into its classic triangular shape, onigirazu is assembled like a sandwich - flat, layered, and packed with fillings. These Japanese rice sandwiches are easy to adapt, and they suit bento boxes, picnics or party platters.
The History of Onigirazu
The concept of onigirazu was first introduced in the 1990s through a Japanese manga series called Cooking Papa. It presented these sushi sandwiches as a quick and versatile alternative to onigiri, capturing the imagination of home cooks. Unlike traditional onigiri, which has been a staple in Japanese cuisine for centuries, onigirazu embraced a more contemporary style that appeals to busy lifestyles.
What sets onigirazu apart is its flexibility. It allows for endless filling options - from classic Japanese flavours like teriyaki chicken, tuna mayo, or smoked salmon, to more creative or vegetarian-friendly combinations like smoked tofu, egg salad, or grilled vegetables. This adaptability has made onigirazu a global favourite for those looking to explore authentic Japanese cuisine in a fresh, modern way.
Why Onigirazu Stands Out
Onigirazu is more than just a sandwich. Its sushi rice base gives it a unique texture, while the nori wrapping keeps the fillings secure and adds a lovely umami flavour. It’s an ideal choice for meal prep, as it stays fresh and travels well, making it a favourite addition to Japanese bento boxes or as a creative party snack.
Whether you’re new to Japanese cooking or a seasoned fan, onigirazu offers the perfect balance of tradition and modern flair. Its endless variations mean you can enjoy it with your favourite fillings, all while experiencing the best of Japanese rice dishes in a portable, easy-to-make format.
Other Filling Options for Onigirazu
One of the best things about onigirazu is its versatility. While smoked tofu is a fantastic choice, you can easily swap it out for other fillings to suit your taste or dietary preferences. Here are some popular options to inspire your creativity:
Tuna Mayo
This is the one on the recipe card’s switch, with the amounts. A classic Japanese filling, tuna mayo combines canned tuna with Japanese mayonnaise for a creamy and flavourful option. Add a splash of soy sauce or a sprinkle of black pepper to enhance the flavour. For a fancier, fresher twist, you can use seared tuna steak instead. Lightly season the tuna steak with salt and pepper, sear it quickly on high heat to keep the centre rare, and slice it thinly. This option adds a luxurious texture and depth of flavour to your onigirazu.
Smoked Salmon
Thinly sliced smoked salmon is perfect for seafood lovers. Pair it with cream cheese or avocado for a luxurious twist. A touch of dill or lemon zest can also lift the flavour. For a lighter option, poached salmon can be used. Simply cook the salmon gently in seasoned water, then flake it into small pieces. The poached salmon brings a tender texture and subtle flavour that works beautifully in onigirazu.
Onigirazu also makes a lovely lunchbox companion to my Vegan Soba Noodle & Tofu Salad for a light, Japanese-inspired meal.
Teriyaki Chicken
Cooked and sliced chicken breast glazed in a sweet and savoury teriyaki sauce makes a hearty filling. Add some shredded lettuce or julienned carrots for crunch and balance.
Egg Salad
A creamy and satisfying vegetarian option, egg salad pairs wonderfully with the soft sushi rice. Mix boiled, chopped eggs with Japanese mayo, a pinch of salt, and a touch of mustard for extra flavour. For added variety, you can place a whole boiled egg in the centre of the onigirazu, surrounded by the creamy egg salad. This creates a striking visual and adds a unique texture to each bite.
Pulled Pork, Beef, or Sliced Steak
For a fusion twist, try shredded, slow-cooked pork or beef with a hint of BBQ sauce or teriyaki glaze. This filling is hearty, flavourful, and perfect for those who love meaty sandwiches. For a more refined option, thinly sliced steak works beautifully as well. Lightly season the steak, cook it to your preferred doneness, and slice it thinly to create a rich and satisfying filling with a tender bite.
Is Onigirazu Vegetarian?
This one is. The recipe on this page is built around smoked tofu, avocado and crunchy vegetables, with no meat or fish anywhere in it, so it is a genuinely good vegetarian lunch rather than a meat recipe with the meat left out. That is one of the quiet pleasures of onigirazu: the format works just as well with a plant-based filling as it does with chicken katsu or Spam.
To make it fully vegan, the only thing to change is the Japanese mayo, which contains egg. Swap it for a vegan mayo, or leave it out and lean on the soy sauce and the tofu glaze for flavour. Tamagoyaki, the rolled Japanese omelette, is the classic vegetarian filling if you eat egg, and mapo tofu makes a popular vegan one.
Choosing the Best Rice for Onigirazu
The key to perfect onigirazu lies in the rice. Traditional sushi rice is the best option because of its sticky texture, which holds the fillings together and ensures the sandwich doesn’t fall apart. Here’s what to consider when choosing and preparing rice:
1. Use Short-Grain Sushi Rice
Short-grain rice is ideal for onigirazu as it has a naturally sticky consistency. Avoid long-grain varieties like basmati or jasmine, which are too dry and won’t hold their shape.
- Recommended Rice: Premium Sushi Rice - Perfect for achieving that authentic Japanese texture and flavour.
2. Season the Rice Properly
Seasoning sushi rice with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt is essential. This adds the slightly tangy flavour that complements the other ingredients.
3. Invest in a Rice Cooker
A rice cooker takes the guesswork out of cooking sushi rice. It ensures evenly cooked, fluffy rice every time. If you frequently cook dishes like onigirazu or sushi, it’s a worthwhile investment.
- Recommended Rice Cooker: Using a rice cooker takes the guesswork out of cooking sushi rice, ensuring evenly cooked, fluffy rice every time. I use this rice cooker, and it has earned its place in my kitchen. If you often make dishes like onigirazu, sushi, or rice bowls, it’s a worthwhile investment.
4. Cool the Rice Before Assembly
Once cooked, let the rice cool to room temperature before using it. Hot rice can make the nori soggy and difficult to handle.
By choosing the right rice and cooking it properly, you’ll create the perfect foundation for your onigirazu. If you’re looking for the best tools and ingredients, check out the links above to lift your cooking game!
How to Make Onigirazu, Step by Step
The quantities are on the recipe card below. This is the same method with the reasoning attached, and the photographs follow each stage as it happens on the board.
1. Prepare the fillings
Blanch the okra for a minute in boiling water and drop it straight into cold water. That keeps it green and stops it going slippery. Pan-fry the slices of smoked tofu and glaze them with a little soy sauce, then slice the peppers, carrot and avocado thinly and evenly.
Thin and even matters more here than it would in a stir-fry. Anything chunky makes the stack sit unevenly, and an uneven stack is what tears the nori when you press it down. Let everything cool before it goes anywhere near the rice.
2. Season the rice
Fold the rice vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt through the cooked sushi rice while it is still warm, then spread it out and let it come down to room temperature.
Warm rice takes the seasoning up; cold rice only wears it, so this is the one part of the recipe worth doing straight away. Letting it cool afterwards is just as important, because the steam coming off warm rice will turn a crisp sheet of nori limp before you have folded a single corner.
3. Lay the nori and ring
Lay a sheet of cling film on the worktop, put the sheet of nori on top of it shiny side down, and sit the metal ring in the middle.
Putting the film down first is worth the two seconds. At the end you wrap the finished parcel by drawing the film straight up around it, rather than trying to lift an assembled sandwich across onto a fresh sheet, which is the moment it usually comes apart.
4. First rice layer
Wet your fingers, take roughly a quarter of the rice and press it into a thin, even layer inside the ring.
Wet fingers are not optional. Dry hands drag the grains about and leave you with a patchy layer that will not hold. Keep it thinner than feels right, too: two thin layers of rice with the filling between them is what makes this a sandwich rather than a rather large rice ball.
Pin it5. Add the fillings
Leaves first, so they sit against the rice and take the moisture from everything above them. Then the peppers, the carrot, a slice of tofu and the okra, with a drizzle of Japanese mayo or soy sauce if you like.
Keep the fillings on the moist side rather than dry: a moist filling glues the layers together, while a dry, crumbly one is what makes an onigirazu fall apart when you cut it. It also helps to lay one distinctive filling, like the salad leaves, in a line running the same way across the sandwich, so you know which direction to cut through the middle.
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Pin it6. Second rice layer
Add the second thin layer of rice over the fillings and press gently until the stack feels compact under your fingers.
Press evenly rather than hard. The job is to close the gaps so the sandwich holds together, not to compress it into a brick. This second layer is doing real work as well as looking neat: it sits between the wet filling and the nori, and it is what stops the nori going soft within ten minutes of being wrapped.
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Pin it7. Fold and enclose
Slide the ring straight up and off. Dampen the four edges of the nori with a wet finger, then fold the corners into the middle one after another, so each one overlaps the last and the parcel is completely closed.
Damp nori bends and dry nori cracks along the fold, and a cracked fold cannot be repaired. If a corner does not quite reach the centre, patch the gap with a small piece of spare nori rather than pulling the fold tighter and splitting it.
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Pin it8. Wrap and rest
Draw the cling film up around the parcel, wrap it tightly, and leave it seam side down for about five minutes.
The rest is the step people skip and it is the one that makes the difference. In those few minutes the damp nori seals to itself and the rice settles into the shape, so the whole thing holds under a knife instead of springing open.
Pin it9. Slice and serve
Cut it in half through the middle, following the line you laid your marker filling along. Run the knife under cold water first and wipe the blade between cuts, which gives you a clean cross-section instead of dragging rice and filling across the cut face.
Garnish with Japanese mayo and a sprinkle of nigella or sesame seeds. Eat it the same day. With mayo and avocado inside it is best within about twenty four hours, and it is at its best in the first hour or two, while the nori still has some bite to it. If you are making them ahead, wrap the rice parcel without the nori and put the sheet on only when you are about to eat, which gives you a crisp sheet rather than a soft one.
Pin itEquipment You’ll Need
Three simple things and the parcels hold their shape.
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
A rice sandwich is only as good as its parts:
- Sushi rice short-grain, seasoned so it holds together (see choosing rice above).
- Nori sheets to wrap the whole parcel.
- Your fillings teriyaki chicken, egg, avocado, cucumber, whatever you like.
- Seasoning a little soy, mayo or sesame to tie it together.
Recipe Card for Onigirazu (Japanese Rice Sandwiches)
Onigirazu Recipe: Japanese Rice Sandwiches Made Easy
Onigirazu, the Japanese rice sandwich: sushi rice and nori wrapped around smoked tofu, avocado, carrot and pepper, then cut through the middle.Onigirazu, the Japanese rice sandwich: sushi rice and nori wrapped around tuna mayo, avocado, cucumber, carrot and pepper, then cut through the middle.
Tuna mayo is the classic Japanese filling and the one most people know from Japanese shops. Squeeze the tuna really dry and use Japanese mayo if you can; it is richer and tangier than the usual kind.
Equipment I Use
Ingredients
Instructions
Drain the tuna well and press out as much water as you can, because wet tuna makes the rice soggy. Mix it with the Japanese mayo, a dash of soy sauce and a good pinch of black pepper. Slice the cucumber, avocado, peppers and carrot.
Add the fillings: leaves first, then peppers, carrot and cucumber, then a thick, even layer of tuna mayo. Lay one filling in a line so you know which way to cut later.
Chef’s notes
Keep the fillings moist, not dry. A moist filling glues the layers; a dry one makes the sandwich crumble when you cut it.
Add a second rice layer over the filling. The filling should sit between two thin layers of rice, so the nori never touches the filling directly. That rice buffer is what holds the sandwich together and keeps the nori from going soggy fast.
Rest before you cut. Wrap tightly in cling film and let it sit seam-side down for about five minutes, then slice with a knife run under cold water and wiped between cuts.
Same-day food. With mayo and avocado inside, eat within about 24 hours; for a lunchbox, keep the nori separate and wrap it on only at eating time for a crisp sheet.
Nutrition per serving
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Pin itFAQ for Onigirazu
What exactly is onigirazu?
It is a Japanese rice sandwich - a layer of filling between seasoned rice, wrapped in a sheet of nori. Think of it as a bigger, easier, sliceable version of an onigiri rice ball.
What fillings work best?
Almost anything: tuna mayo, teriyaki chicken, fried egg, tofu, avocado or crunchy vegetables. Mix a savoury protein with something fresh.
Can I make them ahead for lunchboxes?
Yes, they are made for bento, with one trick worth knowing. If you want the nori crisp at lunchtime rather than softened, do not wrap it in advance: make the rice-and-filling parcel, keep the sheet of nori separate, and only wrap it around the onigirazu just before you eat. Wrapped ahead, the nori always softens a little against the rice, which is fine but not crisp.
On keeping it safe: this filling has mayo and avocado in it, so treat it as same-day food. Cool the cooked rice quickly, keep the sandwiches refrigerated rather than just cool, and eat them within about 24 hours. For overnight storage, wrapping each one in a thick tea towel as well as cling film helps stop the rice hardening in the fridge.
What rice should I use?
Short-grain Japanese (sushi) rice, lightly seasoned. Its stickiness is what holds everything together.
How do I stop them falling apart?
Wet your hands, pack the rice firmly, and let the wrapped sandwich sit seam-side down for a minute before slicing so the nori seals.
Any tips for shaping them neatly?
Use a mould - or even a clean tin or small container - to press the rice into a tidy square in the centre of the nori. Then slice it in half so the colourful filling shows; that cross-section is half the appeal.
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- Try my Japanese Potato Curry and Osaka Style Okonomiyaki
A Few Words from the Chef
I’m a big fan of sushi, and onigirazu is a clever twist on the traditional flavours I love. It’s a fun, creative way to enjoy sushi in a portable, sandwich-style form. The endless filling possibilities make it even more exciting, and I hope you have as much fun making these as I do. If you try this recipe, let me know your favourite combinations in the comments below. Happy cooking, and enjoy every bite of these lovely rice sandwiches!
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