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Chicken rice balls in a pile on a plate.

Chicken Rice Balls

Emily
Sushi without the seaweed. These chicken rice balls make for a delicious snack and are so simple to make.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
ESTIMATED COST : $4.70, or $0.24 a rice ball
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 20 balls
Calories 56 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 125 grams (4.40 ounces) chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
  • 1 cup sushi rice
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons sushi vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons caster sugar (super fine sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon salt plus extra for chicken
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 (20 grams, ¼ cup) spring (green) onions finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
  • Japanese mayonnaise to serve
  • Soy sauce to serve

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine chicken and teriyaki sauce. Lightly salt chicken. Mix well and let it marinate for 20minutes.
  • Rinse the rice under cold water until the water becomes clear. Drain well.
  • Place rice and 1 ½ cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and bring it to a simmer. Gently stir the rice. Cover the rice and simmer for 15minutes. Remove from heat and then allow to rest for 15 minutes covered.
  • Transfer the cooked rice to a glass bowl. Break up the rice using a wooden spoon and gently mix through the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
    When the rice has become cool, cover with a damp tea towel. Set this aside. Place rice in fridge for 5 to 10 minutes, covered. This will make it easier to roll out later.
  • Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan. Place on medium to high heat. Cook the chicken until it is cooked through. Remove from heat. Finely chop the chicken.
  • Place chopped chicken in a small bowl. Add chopped spring onions and any juices from the frying pan. Mix to combine. Allow to cool.
  • Dampen your hands with water. Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of rice and shape into a ball. Repeat until all the rice has been used up.
  • Take one rice ball and gently flatten. Add 1 teaspoon (5 grams, 0.176 ounces) of chicken in the centre. Do not overfill. Cover the chicken in rice. Repeat.
  • Sprinkle each rice ball with sesame seeds. Serve with Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, or wasabi. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Make sure your hands are damp when you are shaping the rice balls.
  • I like to weigh my rice and filling into even portions before I start putting them all together. To do this, I weighed the rice into approximately 30 gram (1.058 ounces) balls and the filling into 5 gram (0.176 ounces) portions.
  • Marinate your chicken in the teriyaki sauce for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to infuse into the chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 rice ballCalories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 190mgPotassium: 28mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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