By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 10
114 cal · 50 min
Spanish Yaki Onigiri
Recipe GLPRc9a77f44180c2b
Crispy pan-seared Japanese rice cakes infused with Spanish flavors, featuring tender manzanilla olives folded into seasoned sushi rice, then shaped and seared until golden. This fusion dish combines the best of Mediterranean and Japanese cuisines, creating savory, caramelized exterior with a soft, flavorful center.
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Ingredients
2 cups Japanese sushi rice
10 pieces Pitted manzanilla olives
¼ cup Virgin olive oil
Directions
Cook the sushi rice according to package directions. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Roughly chop the pitted manzanilla olives into small pieces.
Gently fold the chopped olives into the cooled rice, distributing them evenly throughout.
Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Divide the rice mixture into 10 equal portions and shape each into a compact ball or triangle, pressing firmly so the rice holds together.
Heat 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, place the rice cakes in the hot oil without overcrowding. Sear for 3–4 minutes on the first side until golden brown and crispy.
Flip each rice cake carefully and sear the other side for another 3–4 minutes until evenly browned and caramelized.
Transfer the finished yaki onigiri to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining rice cakes, adding more oil as needed.
Serve warm and enjoy immediately while the exterior is still crispy.
Comments
Sushi rice and olives are reliable finds at any Charlotte supermarket—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart all stock both—so no special trips needed. At roughly $0.40 per serving for rice, olives, and oil, this is genuinely cheap eating, though the final cost depends heavily on olive quality. The stated 50 minutes is honest if you account for rice cooking time, but the real bottleneck is cooling the rice to handle safely, which the recipe should flag upfront. These griddle-fried rice balls are leftovers-friendly and hold well, making them solid for meal prep, though they work best eaten the same or next day before they dry out.
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