Onigiri with Chicken

Ingredients

• Boiled White Round Rice 20 oz
• Skin-On Chicken Breasts 15 oz
• Sweet Pepper 5 oz
• Mayonnaise 5 oz
• Dried Nori Seaweed to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Thoroughly rinse the rice. Pour in 550 ml of cold water, place the pot over high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Do not add salt — the rice for onigiri should be plain. Allow the rice to cool for 10 minutes. The rice needs to be warm for onigiri. Cold rice will not stick together well enough to shape and hold its form. If the rice has been prepared in advance, reheat it to 40 degrees.

Step 2

Cut the boiled chicken breast into small cubes.

Step 3

Finely chop the bell pepper, add mayonnaise, and mix everything thoroughly.

Step 4

You can shape the onigiri by hand, or use plastic wrap, which is easier. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap, place 70 grams of warm cooked rice on it, and spread it out into an even layer, but not too thin.

Step 5

Place the filling in the center. The filling should be about one third the amount of the rice to ensure everything sticks together well.

Step 6

Carefully wrap the filling in the rice using the film, like a pouch. Start by forming a ball.

Step 7

Loosely open the plastic wrap and seal the top of the pouch with a cap made of rice (for this, take a little extra rice from the pot, just a few grams). Wrap the onigiri in the plastic wrap again and continue shaping it with gentle, careful presses.

Step 8

Cut a strip about 2.5–3 cm wide from the sheet of dried nori seaweed and attach it to the onigiri (it will adhere easily to the rice). This will make it convenient to hold the onigiri.