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Enjoy the taste of Hawaii at home with these easy Spam Musubis that are perfect as a snack or for large gatherings! I love making these to enjoy while I daydream about my next trip to Hawaii!
Watch the Spam Musubi Recipe Video!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- Brown Sugar – if you don’t have brown sugar you can use white sugar as well
- Mirin – if you don’t have mirin, you can use rice vinegar and add a little bit of simple syrup (according to Food Network, about 1/2 teaspoon sugar per tablespoon of vinegar)
- spam – one container of Spam should yield about 6 slices, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces. If you have any leftover spam, make sure to try my childhood favorite Spam Fried Rice!
- sushi rice – I recommend using short grain Japanese rice, also labeled as sushi rice, for best results. However, if you don’t have it on hand or prefer to use a different rice, that is OK!
- seaweed (nori sheets) – you can use roasted or not roasted nori. Roasted holds up better and is easier to chew. I recommend buying full sheets so you can cut them into long strips to fully wrap your Spam Musubi.
- furikake – this is a popular Japanese seasoning that is usually made of dried seaweed, salt, sugar, sesame seeds and other flavors. I’ve seen it for sale at my local Ralph’s/Pavilions, Trader Joe’s, Amazon, as well as all of the Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can skip it.
From the Foodland-inspired Ahi Tuna Poke to the Chicken Katsu and Mochiko Chicken that comes on my beloved plate lunches (with a side of Hawaiian Mac Salad), I absolutely love how Hawaii infuses the flavors of so many different cultures into the local cuisine!
How to make Spam Musubis
Make the Rice and Cook the Spam – Rinse the rice until the water runs clear; cook the rice in a rice cooker (or in whatever method you prefer). Slice the spam into 1/2 inch slices (in one can of spam, you can expect to cut about 6 slices). To a dry nonstick pan add the spam slices and brown for 2 minutes on both sides over medium high heat.
Reduce the Sauce – In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin until the sugar is dissolved. To a pan with the spam, add the sauce mixture. Heat over high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the soy sauce has reduced by about half and the sauce turned into a sticky and thickened glaze.
Assemble and Enjoy! Take a 1/2 cup of cooked rice and use a musubi mold or your hands to form it into a rectangle. Sprinkle the top side with furikake, followed by the spam, then wrap it with the nori before enjoying! NOTE – If you don’t have a musubi mold, you can also use the Spam container as a mold – just make sure to clean it first! I recommend watching some tutorials online to get an idea of how before doing so.
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Storage/Make Ahead Tips
If you want to make these ahead of time or have any leftover Spam Musubis, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend wrapping each one individually in saran wrap (make sure they’re cooled before doing so) but you can also store them in an airtight container.
I personally do not prefer Spam Musubis that have been refrigerated – I think they taste best fresh. However, you can reheat any in the microwave for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.
If you tried this Spam Musubi Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Spam Musubi (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
Spam and Marinade
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Mirin
- 1 12-ounce can SPAM, cut into ½ inch thick slabs, about 6 slices
Rice and Seaweed
- 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
- Nori Sheets, nori sheets cut into strips 1 inch wide by ~9 inches long
- furikake
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear then cook the rice in a rice cooker.
- To a dry pan add the spam slices and brown for 2 minutes per side over medium high heat until golden brown.
- Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin in a bowl. To a pan with the spam, add the sauce. Heat over high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the soy sauce has reduced by half and the sauce has turned into a sticky glaze. Turn off the heat.
- Take a 1/2 cup of cooked rice and use a musubi mold or your hands to form it into a rectangle. Sprinkle the top side with furikake, followed by the spam, then wrap it with the strip of nori.
Notes
- I recommend using short grain Japanese rice, also labeled as sushi rice, for best results. However, if you don’t have it on hand or prefer to use a different rice, that is OK!
- You can substitute white sugar for brown sugar.
- If you don’t have mirin, you can use rice vinegar and add a little bit of simple syrup (according to Food Network, about 1/2 teaspoon sugar per tablespoon of vinegar)
- Furikake is a popular Japanese seasoning that is usually made of dried seaweed, salt, sugar, sesame seeds and other flavors. I’ve seen it for sale at my local Ralph’s/Pavilions, Trader Joe’s, Amazon, as well as all of the Asian grcoery stores. If you can’t find it, you can skip it.
- I recommend buying full sheets of Nori (Seaweed) so that you’ll be able to cut the strips evenly fully wrap the Spam Musubis.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
