Spam Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball with Spam, Tamagoyaki & Nori)

If you grew up around Hawaii or Okinawa, you already know how good Spam can be when it’s sliced thick, pan-fried until the edges turn caramelised, and tucked into a rice ball. The Hawaiian version — Spam musubi — is the famous one. But the Japanese version we make at home is a little different: there’s a layer of sweet tamagoyaki underneath the Spam, a thin squiggle of Kewpie mayo on the rice, and the whole thing gets shaped using the empty Spam can as a mould. It’s part onigiri, part sandwich, and one of the most satisfying things you can pack in a bento.

This version takes about 20 minutes and uses one can of Spam to make four onigiri — enough for two people as a light meal, or four people as a snack. The technique is dead simple once you see it.

How Is This Different From Hawaiian Spam Musubi?

The Hawaiian Spam musubi most people know has just two ingredients sitting on the rice: a slab of Spam glazed in soy sauce and a strip of nori to hold it together. It’s simple, salty, satisfying.

The Japanese home version adds two more things:

• A layer of tamagoyaki (sweet Japanese rolled omelette) between the rice and the Spam. The mild sweetness of the egg balances the saltiness of the Spam beautifully.
• A squiggle of Kewpie mayo on the rice, which adds a little richness and umami underneath everything.

And we don’t glaze the Spam in soy sauce — we just pan-fry it dry. The Spam itself is already salty enough; let the tamagoyaki and mayo do the seasoning work.

About the Spam (or Spam-Style Meat)

For this batch I used a Danish brand called TULIP Pork Luncheon Meat — it’s the same style as Spam and sold widely in Japanese supermarkets, often in the “low-salt” (うす塩味) version, which I prefer for onigiri. The original American SPAM brand works just as well — use the Classic flavour or the Less Sodium version if you can find it.

👉 SPAM Classic Luncheon Meat — available on Amazon

Ingredients

Makes 4 onigiri (serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a snack)

Ingredient	Amount
Spam or Spam-style luncheon meat	1 can (about 250g)
Cooked Japanese short-grain rice	Roughly 2 cups (slightly warm)
Eggs	2
Sugar	1 tsp
Salt	A pinch
Neutral oil	For the pan
Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise	To taste
Nori (toasted seaweed sheets)	2 full sheets, cut into 4 strips each

For the pantry staples, here’s what I use:

• 👉 Japanese toasted nori sheets on Amazon

For Kewpie mayo, your best bet is the refrigerated condiment aisle at a Japanese, Korean, or Asian grocery store. The real Kewpie comes in a soft squeeze bottle with a red cap and a baby logo on the front — you’ll know it when you see it. Regular American mayo works in a pinch, but the Japanese version is noticeably richer and slightly tangier, which makes a real difference here.

If you can’t make it to an Asian grocery store, a Japanese-style mayonnaise from Amazon is a solid substitute that captures most of what makes Kewpie special.

👉 Japanese-Style Mayonnaise on Amazon

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How to Make Spam Onigiri

Step 1: Make the Tamagoyaki

Crack two eggs into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt, and mix well with chopsticks. Don’t whisk it into a foam — just blend the eggs and seasoning together.

Heat a tamagoyaki pan (rectangular Japanese egg pan) over medium-low heat. Add a thin layer of oil and wipe with a paper towel. Pour in about 1/3 of the egg mixture and tilt to spread evenly. When the surface is just set, roll the egg from one side to the other. Push the roll back, add another 1/3 of the mixture, lift the roll to let the new egg flow underneath, and roll again. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Slide the finished tamagoyaki onto a cutting board and cut into 4 slices — one for each onigiri. Aim for slices roughly the same size as a slice of Spam.

If you want a deeper look at the tamagoyaki technique on its own, see my dashi tamagoyaki recipe. The Spam onigiri version is simpler — just sugar and salt, no dashi needed.

Step 2: Slice and Fry the Spam

Open the Spam can but keep the can — you’ll use it as the mould in Step 3. Slide the Spam block out onto a cutting board and slice it lengthwise into 4 even slices, each about 1cm thick.

Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat — no oil needed since the Spam has plenty of fat. Add the slices and cook for about 2–3 minutes per side, until both sides are deeply golden and the edges look a little crisp.

Step 3: Pack Rice Into the Can

This is the fun part — the empty Spam can becomes the perfect rice mould. Wash the can well so there’s no oily residue.

Line the inside of the can with a piece of plastic wrap, letting the edges hang over the sides. Add a portion of warm rice — about enough to fill the bottom 1/4 to 1/3 of the can. Don’t pack it too tight: pressing it firmly into shape is enough. Lightly-packed onigiri is tender and falls apart pleasantly in your mouth; over-packed rice gets dense and gummy.

Lift the plastic wrap to remove the rice block from the can. You now have a neat rice rectangle exactly the same shape as a slice of Spam. Repeat to make 4 rice blocks.

Step 4: Assemble With Mayo and Nori

Set out a fresh piece of plastic wrap. Lay a strip of nori across the centre (shiny side down). Place a rice block on top, oriented so the nori will wrap around the long axis.

Pipe a thin squiggle of Kewpie mayo across the top of the rice. Add a slice of tamagoyaki, then top with a slice of fried Spam.

Bring the ends of the nori strip up and over the Spam to wrap. Then gather the plastic wrap around the whole thing and twist it tight underneath, pressing gently so everything holds together.

Let them sit in the plastic wrap for 1–2 minutes — this helps the nori soften slightly against the rice and everything settle. Unwrap and serve, or leave wrapped if you’re packing them into a bento.

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Tips From My Kitchen

• Use slightly warm rice, not cold or hot. Warm rice sticks together properly. Cold rice falls apart and steamy-hot rice will make the nori go soft too quickly.
• Don’t over-pack the rice. A light press is all you need. Onigiri should be tender enough to break apart in your mouth, not a dense brick.
• The Spam can is the magic. Using the can as a mould guarantees the rice is exactly the right shape and size to match the Spam slice. Way easier than trying to shape rice by hand.
• Try the low-sodium version if you can find it. Regular Spam is quite salty, especially against the tamagoyaki. Less Sodium SPAM (or the うす塩味 versions of Japanese-market brands like TULIP) gives a better balance.
• Great for bento. Spam onigiri hold up beautifully in a lunchbox — the layers stay intact and the flavour is even better at room temperature an hour or two later.

Variations

• Hawaiian-style — Skip the tamagoyaki and mayo. Glaze the Spam in 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp mirin + 1 tsp sugar while it fries. Classic Spam musubi.
• Cheese version — Add a thin slice of sliced cheese between the tamagoyaki and the Spam. Surprisingly good.
• Furikake rice — Mix a teaspoon of furikake (rice seasoning) into the rice before packing it. Adds colour and extra flavour.
• Spicy mayo — Mix a little sriracha into the Kewpie mayo for a kick.