ONIGIRI

Ingredients

For the Rice Cakes

  • Cooked short-grain rice

  • Neutral oil

For the Salmon Filling

  • 1.1 lb (500 g) salmon fillet

  • 1 tsp (5 ml) neutral oil

  • 2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce

  • 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

  • 1 tsp (4 g) sugar or honey

  • ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper

  • Pinch (0.5 g) MSG

  • 2 (20 g) scallions, finely chopped

For the Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce

  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) black vinegar

  • 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

  • 1 tsp (4 g) sugar or honey

  • 1 tsp (2 g) red pepper flakes

  • 1–2 tsp (5–10 ml) water

  • Pinch (0.5 g) MSG

For Serving

  • Honey-sriracha mayo

  • Sesame seeds

Method

  1. Lightly oil the salmon. Air fry at 375°F / 190°C for 7–9 minutes. Cool slightly.

  2. Flake salmon. Mix with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar or honey, black pepper, MSG, and scallions.

  3. Form rice cakes with filling. Chill 15–20 minutes.

  4. Whisk dipping sauce ingredients together.

  5. Shallow fry: ¼–⅓ inch oil, medium–medium high, 3–4 minutes per side.

  6. Air fry: oil cakes lightly, 400°F / 205°C, 8–10 minutes, flip halfway.

  7. Drizzle with honey-sriracha mayo, sprinkle sesame seeds, serve with dipping sauce.

Additional Notes

I shallow fried two cakes and air fried the others. Shallow frying gave a nicer, deeper crust, but it’s harder to control because the cakes tend to break apart if they aren’t compact enough. My approach was to shallow fry the sturdier cakes and move the weaker ones to the air fryer.

  • Shallow fry:
    ¼–⅓ inch neutral oil, medium–medium high heat, 3–4 minutes per side, flipping once and not moving them while frying.

  • Air fry:
    400°F / 205°C, 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway. These could have gone 2–3 minutes longer for a crispier finish.

Overall, they were delicious, but the structure needs improvement. I want the cakes to hold their shape while eating, not fall apart mid-bite. It’s the same issue as a burrito that breaks down into a burrito bowl — the flavor is there, but the form fails.

The problem could be:

  • The shaping tool not applying enough compression

  • The rice grain being too large or too loose

  • Not enough cohesion when forming the cakes

This will need another pass to dial in structure. Flavor-wise, between the salmon and the sauces, everything was a home run.