This Onigirazu with Tori Soboro (sauteed ground chicken) and Iri Tamago (finely scrambled egg) is visually appealing and the savory teriyaki flavor goes great with the rice. Tori soboro and iri tamago can also be used as fillings for Onigiri rice balls or toppings for a donburi rice bowl.
Let’s make the tori soboro. In a pot, combine the ground chicken thigh, sugar, soy sauce, sake and grated ginger root.
Mix all the ingredients well. Combining the mixture thoroughly before cooking will help to remove any clumps of meat and give the Soboro a soft and moist texture.
Heat the pot on medium heat. Using a balloon whisk, continue to stir the mixture while cooking. You can also use 4 to 5 kitchen chopsticks instead of the whisk. Keep reducing the broth while stirring.
When the broth has almost disappeared, remove and place the tori soboro onto a plate.
Let’s make the iri tamago. In a pan, combine the 2 eggs, mirin and a pinch of salt. Using 4 kitchen chopsticks, beat the egg thoroughly. If the mirin is not available, add a half tablespoon of sugar instead.
Heat the pan on low heat. Stir the mixture continuously while cooking. Lift the pan to adjust the heat.
Now, the iro tamago is ready.
Let’s make the onigirazu. Place a sheet of toasted nori seaweed onto plastic wrap and sprinkle on salt. Then, place half the rice onto the nori and distribute. Use hot steamed rice so that you can easily shape it.
Arrange the tori soboro onto one side of the rice. Then, arrange the iri tamago onto the other side.
This is pickled nozawana, a Japanese leaf vegetable. Place the coarsely chopped nozawana between the tori soboro and iri tamago. Sprinkle on the toasted white sesame seeds.
Taking a small portion of the rice at a time, cover the fillings evenly. Lightly sprinkle on salt.
Fold the left and right corners of the nori seaweed along with the plastic wrap.
Then, fold the top and bottom corners. Wrap it with the plastic wrap and let the onigirazu sit with the folded side facing down.
Now, the nori and rice have firmly attached together. Remove the plastic wrap. Dampen the knife to help to make a clean cut and cut the onigirazu in half crosswise.
Alternatively, karaage or yakiniku, along with lettuce leaves can be a great substitute for the filling. You should definitely try your favorite ingredients that go great with rice.
Recipe Notes
The benefits of Onigirazu are that your hands stay clean and you can place lots of fillings in it.
The tori soboro can also be added to Tamagoyaki, a type of Japanese omelet or stir-fried dishes as an additional ingredient.
When you store the tori soboro in the freezer, partially freeze it and then shake the container to separate each piece. This will help you to take out only the amount you need when it's completely frozen.