Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is one of my favorite snacks. It is made with rice and a slice of spam wrapped together with nori. It is a very simple to make, and everyone loves them!

When I make spam musubi, I usually use at least 3 cans of spam. Since I’m already putting in the effort to make it, why not share some with my friends as well? They are a great and popular item to bring to potlucks!

Rice

Cook the sushi rice in your rice cooker. Depending on how much rice you put in each musubi, you can cook more or less rice. I usually add just a little bit more water than normal rice so that it is easier to mold later.

Once the rice is cooked, add in some rice vinegar. I start with around 1/3 cup of rice vinegar for every 3 cups of rice. It doesn’t need to be exact, but the taste of vinegar in the rice should not be overpowering. With your rice paddle, thoroughly mix the vinegar into the rice so that it is evenly distributed.

Let the rice cool. This is important! It is very difficult to make your spam musubi if your rice is steaming hot. Your nori sheets will tear, which will make your whole spam musubi fall apart! Wait until your rice is closer to room temperature before making your spam musubi. I recommend taking the rice out of the rice cooker and even fanning it if you can!

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Teriyaki Sauce

To make your own teriyaki sauce, you just need soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white sugar! You can adjust the amount as you mix them together. In a clean bowl, mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup oyster sauce, and 1/2 cup white sugar and stir until there are no clumps. Test out the taste to see if that’s how you like your sauce!

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Spam

Open your can of spam and remove it from the can. Place the spam on a plate or cutting board. Be careful when you are opening the can, and make sure you don’t cut yourself! One way to get the spam out of the can is to hold the can upside down, a few inches above your plate, and pat the bottom of the can with your palm. A few pats should do the trick!

With your knife parallel to the longer side, slice the spam evenly. The thickness will depend on how much meat you want in your spam musubi. I like my musubi to have more meat, so I usually cut it into eight slices! If you have a luncheon meat slicer, you can use it to cut the spam too. I found one at a Mitsuwa, and it is very easy to use and clean.

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Get your frying pan ready! Place your pan on the stove and add a bit of oil. As you wait for your pan to heat up, decide on when to use your teriyaki sauce. You can dip your slices of spam into the sauce and then cook it, or cook the spam then dip or spread it. I like to cook my spam with the teriyaki sauce.

With chopsticks, grab a few slices of spam and put them into your bowl of teriyaki sauce. I make sure both sides of the spam has sauce on it, so I only do a few slices at a time. Once it is covered in teriyaki sauce, carefully place it in your frying pan. Repeat this step until your frying pan is full, with none of the slices overlapping with each other.

Have a plate ready for your cooked spam. When one side of the spam is lightly browned, flip it over to cook the other side. Don’t rush this part, because it tastes better when it is lightly browned. When I first started cooking spam, I didn’t really have a preference on whether the spam is lightly browned, but after a friend suggested waiting a bit longer before flipping it, the results were worth the wait! Remove the spam from your pan when both sides are ready.

If you are like me and cooking more spam than your pan could fit in one round, repeat the steps above until all of your spam is cooked.

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Assembling the Spam Musubi

It is easier to assemble your spam musubi on a regular table instead of your kitchen counter. Have a nice flat area for your rice, cooked spam, and your workspace. You will also need a bit of drinking water. To start, I would first lay out one layer of plastic wrap on the table, larger than the size of your nori sheet. This will be your workspace. If you want the plastic wrap to be sturdier and not move around as much, you can also put a layer of aluminum foil under your plastic wrap.

Place a nori sheet on top of the plastic wrap. Line up your spam musubi mold on top of one end of the nori sheet, leaving at least half an inch of space between the edge of the mold and the edge of the sheet. Make sure the ends of your spam musubi mold don’t go past the edge of the nori sheet, or else you will have rice falling off the sheet! I got my spam musubi molds at Daiso, but you can also find them at other supermarkets or stores too.

Put a layer of rice in the mold, and with the press, push down the rice tightly. You can adjust the amount of rice to your liking. This is my favorite part of making my own spam musubi – I can put as much or as little rice as I want! Make sure the rice is packed tightly (not too loose) and that the rice is flat and evenly distributed. Check that the corners also have enough rice.

Place two slices of spam on top of the layer of rice. If you did not cook your spam with the teriyaki sauce, you can add some teriyaki sauce on the spam or rice. Keep in mind that if you add too much sauce, it might leak through the rice and wrinkle your nori sheet! I typically leave a bit more space in the middle, between the two slices of spam, because it will make it easier to cut in half later on.

Add another layer of rice on top of the spam and press tightly. I try to add an amount of rice similar to the first layer so that the spam musubi looks more even. Again, check that the corners also have enough rice.

You’re almost done! With the press held gently on top of the second layer of rice, slowly remove the mold by lifting it up. The press will keep the rice and spam down as you lift up the mold. You can now remove the press and wrap the nori sheet around the rice. I fold the half inch of nori sheet first, then fold the rest of the sheet. You can even lift the plastic wrap to help you fold easier. At the last fold, seal the edge with a small amount of water. I use a spoon to dip some water, then spread the water on the edge of the sheet with the back of the spoon. This way, you can also tilt the spoon forward a bit if you do need some more water. No need to put too much water though – it’s almost like sealing an envelope!

Transfer your spam musubi to a flat surface and cut it in half – you now have two pieces of spam musubi! I like to continue making more spam musubi before cutting them in half. This allows the rice to cool down a bit more, so the nori sheet does not tear as easily. It is also important that your knife is not too dull. Make sure not to cut on top of the plastic wrap. If you are not sure where to cut, you can gently push down on the musubi to feel where the spam is, then avoid cutting there.

If you are bringing your spam musubi to a potluck, you can even cut it in half one more time. Wrap the spam musubi in plastic wrap if it is not served immediately.

Enjoy your spam musubi, and don’t forget to share!