Authentic home cooking from Japan, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Japan as ささっと！こども用★焼きおにぎり★簡単

Quick & Easy Grilled Rice Balls for Kids

Name: Quick & Easy Grilled Rice Balls for Kids
Yield: Makes about 8–9 small rice balls (using about 1 rice cooker cup of rice).
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked rice (about 350 grams); 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon mirin; 1/2 teaspoon Japanese soup stock granules (dashi); 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (for frying)

ぶどうなすび @cook_40093265

These grilled rice balls are lightly seasoned for kids, but still delicious! You can use frozen rice, cold rice, or freshly cooked rice. I was even able to eat these during morning sickness.

Recipe background:
I prefer milder flavors, so I wrote down the amounts that suit my taste.

Inspired by smapkayo's recipe (ID: 19218159) on cookpad.com.

These grilled rice balls are lightly seasoned for kids, but still delicious! You can use frozen rice, cold rice, or freshly cooked rice. I was even able to eat these during morning sickness.

Recipe background:
I prefer milder flavors, so I wrote down the amounts that suit my taste.

Inspired by smapkayo's recipe (ID: 19218159) on cookpad.com.

ぶどうなすび @cook_40093265

These grilled rice balls are lightly seasoned for kids, but still delicious! You can use frozen rice, cold rice, or freshly cooked rice. I was even able to eat these during morning sickness.

Recipe background:
I prefer milder flavors, so I wrote down the amounts that suit my taste.

Inspired by smapkayo's recipe (ID: 19218159) on cookpad.com.

These grilled rice balls are lightly seasoned for kids, but still delicious! You can use frozen rice, cold rice, or freshly cooked rice. I was even able to eat these during morning sickness.

Recipe background:
I prefer milder flavors, so I wrote down the amounts that suit my taste.

Inspired by smapkayo's recipe (ID: 19218159) on cookpad.com.

Saved

Ingredients

Makes about 8–9 small rice balls (using about 1 rice cooker cup of rice).

2 cupscooked rice (about 350 grams)
2 teaspoonssoy sauce
1 teaspoonmirin
1/2 teaspoonJapanese soup stock granules (dashi)
1 teaspoontoasted sesame oil (for frying)

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Steps

1

Use freshly cooked rice or heat cold rice in the microwave until hot.
At home, I microwave at 500W for about 3 minutes.
2

Mix the soy sauce, mirin, and dashi granules together in a bowl. It's okay if the dashi doesn't fully dissolve.
3

Add the hot rice to the bowl and mix well. The rice may seem sticky at first, but keep mixing until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
4

Shape the rice into firm balls (wet your hands slightly with water to prevent sticking), then grill on all sides in a frying pan with sesame oil over medium to high heat.
5

Grill all sides for about 3–5 minutes until golden brown. Done!
(Tip: Use chopsticks or a spatula to quickly turn the rice balls for even cooking.)
6

These seasonings also make delicious fried rice. On this day, I added komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and egg.
7

It also tastes great when made with 2 1/3 cups hot rice (about 400 grams).
8

Adding ground sesame seeds lets you use a little less seasoning and still enjoy great flavor (lower sodium).
9

Tastes great with roasted seaweed.
Calories: 651 kcal (total)
Sodium: 2.4g (total)
10

Grilling the rice balls does not kill foodborne bacteria, so be especially careful if shaping them by hand.
11

Steps 2 and 3 can be swapped. Lately, I've been pouring the seasonings directly over the rice.

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Cooksnaps

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ぶどうなすび @cook_40093265

Published in the US on August 15, 2025 14:01

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