Create crispy, chewy Hawaiian Spam Musubi just like the ones from a food truck you'd find on the Big Island. These delicious bites make an easy lunch or snack.
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What is Spam Musubi?
Spam musubi is a classic Hawaiian snack/meal made with sticky, white rice topped with a crispy seasoned slice of Spam. It's then all wrapped together with a piece of seaweed (nori). With the Japanese influence on Hawaiian cuisine, it's no surprise Spam Musubi is considered a type of (American) sushi. (Psst...Try out vegetarian Spam Musubi)
You'll find Spam Musubi being sold in food trucks and corner stores in Hawaii. Fortunately, you don't need to travel too far to access these delectable bites.
Is Musubi Hawaiian or Japanese?
Musubi is a dish found in both Japanese and Hawaiian cuisines.
In Japanese, "musubi" (結び) is a term that means "to tie" or "to bind." It can also be interpreted as "connection" or "bond." In the context of food, "musubi" refers to a rice ball or a rice-based dish that is often shaped or wrapped in a particular way, such as onigiri or spam musubi.
So really, Musubi is Japanese in it's origins but has it's place in BOTH Japanese and Hawaiian cultures.
Spam Musubi Ingredients
- Spam
- Cooked sushi rice (or normal long-grain jasmine rice)
- Seaweed (nori)
- Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
How Do You Make Spam Musubi Not Fall Apart?
- Use wet hands to gently press and shape rice into the perfect oblong-shaped disc
- Shape the rice when it's room temperature
- Make sure to press the rice firmly enough or else it'll fall apart too easily when cooking and eating
- Don't use brown rice. Period. Brown rice is not sticky enough!
Ideas to Dress Up Spam Musubi
- Grill the musubi with a bit of hot sauce for a spicy musubi
- Sprinkle the sides of each rice ball with sesame seeds or furikake (Japanese rice seasoning)
- Mix green onions into the rice before shaping into a ball for an extra pop of fresh flavour
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Spam Musubi Recipe
Hawaiian Spam Musubi (Food Truck Style)
Ingredients
- 1 can Spam
- 3 cups cooked white sushi rice
- 4 sheets nori, cut into thin strips
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
Instructions
- Cut entire can of spam into 10 equal slices. Set aside.
- With wet hands, shape rice into equal-sized rice balls. Press firmly and gently flatten each ball to match the length of each spam slice. Set aside.
- Set a greased frying pan on medium heat. When hot, brush each slice of spam with teriyaki sauce. Sear each side for about 3 minutes or until lightly crispy.
- Place a spam slide on each rice ball. Wrap nori slice around each musubi and gently tuck loose nori strip end under the musubi. Let musubi rest for 20 minutes to firm up and stick together.
