An easy and delicious snack, appetizer, or on-the-go meal: Spam Musubi! A classic Hawaiian favorite featuring thick slices of Spam stacked on top of rice and wrapped in Nori seaweed sheets. Easy to make and fun to eat. If you love Spam, you’ll love this Island favorite!
What is Spam Musubi?
Spam Musubi is a Hawaiian snack, appetizer, or picnic food. Sliced Spam are coated with a soy sauce glaze and layered on top of a rectangle-shaped rice patty. Add a sprinkle of Japanese furikake seasoning for more flavor. And wrap everything with a crisp sheet of Nori. YUM!
In Hawaii, Spam Musubi is a staple that’s sold in convenience shops, grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants. It’s a local favorite that is filling, delicious, and convenient. A quick snack or light meal that always tastes good.
Inspired by Japanese Onigiri, you can think of Spam Musubi as a kind of rice ball. Instead of a rice ball with filling inside, a piece of spam is layered on top. Sometimes, it’s called Spam Sushi. But it’s definitely not sushi.
To make at home, there are 3 components: glazed Spam, white rice, and nori wrapping. Together, it creates the perfect balance of salty-sweet flavor.
Wrap with saran wrap for a portable, delicious snack. Good for the beach, picnics, and roadtrips. Anywhere, really!
What is Spam?
Spam is a canned meat product made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The main ingredients are processed ham, pork, and salt. The salty, fatty luncheon meat is fully cooked and shelf stable, meaning it lasts a long time and can be eaten straight from the can.
Due to its lack of need for refrigeration and cooking, it became a popular US army staple during WWII. As US army bases established themselves in Hawaii, Polynesia, the Philippines, and South Korea (plus the rest of the world), Spam became a part of the local cuisine. Today, Spam is a ubiquitous part of Asian food culture.
Ingredients
- Spam. There are many Spam varieties. Classic Spam (affiliate) is traditionally used in Spam Musubi recipes and tastes very good. I also recommend Less Sodium Spam (affiliate) because it contains 25% less sodium but the taste difference is minimal. Lite Spam (affiliate), with 50% less calories + fat, also works in this recipe but it will taste lighter.
- Short Grain Rice. Short grains are sticky and contain more starch. They are easier to shape into patties, as the rice sticks together. Also called Sushi Rice, short grain rice has a chewier, al dente mouthfeel. Recommended brands: Botan, Calrose, Japonica, Nishiki, or Mochi rice.
For best results, use freshly cooked rice. However, leftover rice also works well. Make sure to reheat leftover rice until hot and slightly sticking to each other.
- Nori. Roasted seaweed sheets.
- Soy Sauce, Sugar, Mirin, and Water. Creates a salty-sweet glaze. Mirin is Korean sweet cooking wine. The added water creates a sauce that is easy to reduce into a thick, syrupy glaze.
- Furikake. Japanese rice seasoning that contains crushed nori sprinkles. Note: there are many different kinds of furikake. I like Nori Komi (affiliate) which contains nori, sesame seed, sugar, and salt. But Wasabi Fumi Furikake (affiliate) and Kimchi Fumi Furikake (affiliate) also taste very good and adds a spicy kick.
How to make Easy Spam Musubi
- Cook rice. Rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl and cool briefly.
- Slice Spam. Slice Spam into 6 thick slices, about 1/4-inch thick. For one can of Spam, that makes 6 portions.
- Cook Spam. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the Spam slices and cook until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. *There’s no need to add oil, as the Spam slices will release oil as it cooks.
- Make glaze. While the Spam cooks, make the soy sauce glaze. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and water. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Add glaze. When the Spam has turned golden brown on both sides, add the glaze to the pan. Cook until the Spam absorbs the glaze. The sauce will reduce and become thick and syrupy. It should coat the Spam slices. *Add a little water if it reduces too much.
- Shape rice patties. In the large shallow bowl, divide the rice into 6 equal portions with the rice paddle. Shape the rice into patties. Use a musubi mold, an empty Spam container, or your hands. Dip clean hands into cold water to prevent the rice from sticking too much. Or, use food preparation gloves.
- Cut Nori. Use clean kitchen scissors to cut 3 Nori sheets in half cross-wise. You should have 6 half sheets of Nori. Set aside.
- Assemble. Add a sprinkle of furikake on top of each rice block. Then, add a glazed Spam slice on top. Wrap with a nori sheet, shiny side up (rough side touching the spam and rice). Repeat until all Musubi are assembled.
- Serve. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately. Or, wrap Spam Musubi individually in plastic wrap for later eating. Enjoy!
PRO Tips
- Freeze extras. Spam Musubi freeze well. Keep extras in the freezer for a quick snack or meal. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or ziploc baggie. To defrost, remove the plastic wrap and place on a plate. Heat in the microwave for 2-4 minutes (depending on your microwave), making sure to flip the Musubi at the halfway mark. Cool briefly and enjoy!
- Adjust the Spam to rice ratio. My recipe calls for slicing 6 pieces of Spam per container. The Spam slices will be thick and meaty. If you prefer less Spam per serving or you want to make it stretch into more portions, divide the package into 8 pieces of Spam instead of 6. Except for the nori, the other ingredients amounts can stay the same.
- Cover with Nori. Although it’s more aesthetically pleasing to serve Musubi with a thin strip of nori, I like to wrap the entire block of Spam and rice with Nori. The glazed Spam can be quite messy if not wrapped completely. It’s also easier and less messy to freeze.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Non-stick pan. The glaze is very sticky! A non-stick pan helps the sauce become syrupy and glazy without burning.
- Food Service Gloves. Prevents the rice from sticking. Otherwise, dip your clean hands in cold water before handling the rice.
- Musubi Rice Mold. Not necessary but very helpful! A Musubi mold (affiliate) helps to shape the rice easily and quickly.
- Rice cooker. For ease and convenience, use a rice cooker to cook the rice.
Do I need to purchase a Musubi Rice Mold?
No, you don’t need to buy a Musubi Rice Mold. Instead, shape the rice with your hands. Or use the empty Spam container to shape the rice.
However, if you love Musubi, I highly recommend buying one! Order a Musubi Rice Mold (affiliate) online or look for one at your local Asian grocery store. They are only a few dollars and make the process much easier and faster. I love mine and it’s also dish washer safe.
Serve with:
For a complete meal, serve Musubi with 5-minute Miso Soup. Or a scoop of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
Or, serve Musubi with other snacky foods like Tteokbokki or Mochiko Fried Chicken.
For sides, kimchi or Wakame Seaweed Salad make nice additions.
FAQ
Wrap leftovers individually in plastic food wrap. Make sure it’s wrapped tightly with no air bubbles. Store in the fridge for 1-2 days. Or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and place on a plate. For refrigerated Musubi, reheat for 30-45 seconds until the rice is warm. For frozen Musubi, reheat for 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway.
More recipes with Spam
Easy Hawaiian Spam Musubi recipe
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
- large, shallow bowl
- Non-stick Skillet
- Kitchen Scissors
- Musubi Rice Mold *optional, you can also use clean hands or an empty Spam container
- food preparation gloves *optional, to prevent sticking
Ingredients
- 2 cups short grain rice, uncooked
- 1 can Spam *Regular Spam or Less Sodium Spam recommended
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin *sweet cooking wine
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 sheets Nori *roasted, unseasoned
Instructions
- Cook rice. Rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl and cool briefly.
- Slice Spam. Slice Spam into 6 thick slices, about 1/4-inch thick. For one can of Spam, that makes 6 portions.
- Cook Spam. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the Spam slices and cook until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. *There's no need to add oil, as the Spam slices will release oil as it cooks.
- Make glaze. While the Spam cooks, make the soy sauce glaze. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and water. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Add glaze. When the Spam has turned golden brown on both sides, add the glaze to the pan. Cook until the Spam absorbs the glaze. The sauce will reduce and become thick and syrupy. It should coat the Spam slices. *Add a little water if it reduces too much.
- Shape rice patties. In the large shallow bowl, divide the rice into 6 equal portions with the rice paddle. Shape the rice into patties. Use a musubi mold, an empty Spam container, or your hands. Dip clean hands into cold water to prevent the rice from sticking too much. Or, use food preparation gloves.
- Cut Nori. Use clean kitchen scissors to cut 3 Nori sheets in half cross-wise. You should have 6 half sheets of Nori. Set aside.
- Assemble. Add a sprinkle of furikake on top of each rice block. Then, add a glazed Spam slice on top. Wrap with a nori sheet, shiny side up (rough side touching the spam and rice). Repeat until all Musubi are assembled.
- Serve. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately. Or, wrap Spam Musubi individually in plastic wrap for later eating. Enjoy!
