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Spam Musubi

Spam Musubi: Easy and Flavorful Twist with Turkey Bacon and Chicken Ham

Spam Musubi is a delicious and portable snack that combines savory grilled spam with sushi rice, wrapped in nori.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 346 kcal

Equipment

  • medium saucepan
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Large nonstick pan
  • Musubi mold
  • Cutting board

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 12 ounces Spam
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin rice wine or water
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar optional
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil optional
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 sheets sushi nori about 8" pieces
  • 2 teaspoons furikake optional

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool running water, scrubbing with your fingers until the water runs clear, about 1 minute. Drain well, then add the rice and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered to steam. Meanwhile, prepare the Spam.
  • Slice the Spam lengthwise into 8 pieces to create rounded rectangular pieces, about ⅜" thick.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the slices to the pan in a single layer and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • Reduce the heat to low and pour the glaze into the pan. Flip the Spam slices to evenly coat both sides, then simmer until the sauce slightly thickens and clings to the meat, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Do not overheat the sauce or it will burn. Transfer the pieces to a plate.
  • Cut the nori sheets into 4 strips, about 2-inches wide to expose the meat and rice for a nice presentation. You can also cut them wider for a fully wrapped musubi, especially if you enjoy more seaweed flavor.
  • Make one musubi at a time. Lay a strip of nori, rough side up, on a clean cutting board. Place the musubi mold in the center, positioned perpendicular to the nori. Gently fluff the rice, then add about ½ cup into the mold. Use the musubi lid to gently but firmly press the rice down until it’s ¾ to 1 inch thick. It should hold together but not feel dense. Sprinkle a ¼ teaspoon of furikake evenly over the surface. Carefully unmold the rice, then add a slice of glazed Spam on top.
  • Fold one end of the nori over the Spam and rice stack. Lightly brush the edge of the opposite nori with water to help it stick, fold over, then press to seal where the ends overlap.
  • The musubi tastes best served warm right away, or you can individually plastic wrap to enjoy on the go.

Notes

Musubi mold alternatives: Shape the rice by hand to match the size of the Spam. Alternatively, use the empty Spam can. Rinse, dry, and line it with plastic wrap. Press rice inside with a spoon, sprinkle with furikake, then lift it out. Place on the nori, add Spam, wrap, and seal. Rice alternatives: Medium-grain rice, like Calrose, can be used instead of short-grain rice. Increase the water to 2 ½ cups. Do not use long-grain rice. For seasoning the rice, add seasoned rice vinegar to the hot steamed rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1010mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 34IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 3mg
Keyword glazed meat, rice, seaweed, snack, Spam Musubi, sushi
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