How to Make Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is sticky rice and crispy fried spam coated in a sweet, smoky sauce and then wrapped in seaweed. This savory pocket-sized treat is ideal for a quick snack, light lunch, or a delicious side.

Want more tasty handheld snacks? Try my Homemade Lumpia recipe and this easy Air Fryer Crab Rangoon recipe.

Jump to:

• Why We Love This Spam Musubi Recipe:
• What is spam musubi?
• Spam Musubi Origin
• Spam Musubi Ingredients:
• How to Make Spam Musubi:
• Alternatives and Variations:
• Pro-Tips:
• Storing and Reheating:
• FAQ:
• More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!

Spam musubi is so incredibly tasty but it is also easy to make! The spam makes it salty, the sauce makes it sweet, the cooked rice makes it filling, and the nori seaweed holds every morsel together. In just 20 minutes, you will be chowing down on the best spam musubi!

Why We Love This Spam Musubi Recipe:

Great to Make Ahead! Make a batch now so you can have them readily available whenever the craving strikes!

Perfectly Portable! They are so convenient. You can eat them hot, cold, or at room temperature. Wrap them individually in saran wrap and grab one to go when you are on your way out the door.

Ideal for Any Occasion! Serve them at parties, as a light snack at a game, for lunch, or at a potluck.

What is spam musubi?

Spam musubi is a dish with roots in Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine. It is like sushi but with spam instead of raw fish. Sliced, grilled spam tops a block of cooked rice, wrapped in nori.

There are many variations but this is the Asian dish in its most basic form.

Spam Musubi Origin

Restaurateur Barbara Funamura invented spam musubi in 1983 in Hawaii. It became so popular among the islands, that now you can find it everywhere, including convenience stores and gas stations.

Musubi originated in Japan, as a form of onigiri (Japanese rice balls). Spam is a super popular meat product in Hawaii, dating back to World War II, and that is how this Japanese-Hawaiian fusion came to be.

Spam Musubi Ingredients:

• Spam: Spam is a salty processed pork. Use original spam or low-sodium spam.
• Soy sauce: This adds a pop of umami flavor.
• Sugar: This complements the saltiness of the spam.
• Fish sauce or Oyster sauce: Fish sauce is the saltier option while the oyster sauce is on the sweeter side.
• Nori roasted seaweed: Thin and crispy, this holds everything together.
• White rice: Use sushi rice or any short-grain rice (traditional Hawaiian spam musubi recipes do not use sushi rice). Unlike long-grain rice, short-grain rice is starchy so it is a great sticky rice. It should be cooked and semi-cool.

How to Make Spam Musubi:

Slice Spam and Prepare Musubi Sauce

Begin by slicing your spam into 6-8 pieces about ¼ inch thick (or thicker if you would like) on a cutting board. 

Add your soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce or oyster sauce into a small bowl, and mix it until it is fully incorporated. Set the sauce to the side. 

Fry Spam Slices

Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your sliced spam into the skillet in one single layer. Fry it on each side for about 2-3 minutes, or until it begins to brown and form a crust. 

Add Spam Musubi Sauce

Once both sides are fried, gently pour the sauce directly into the skillet with the spam. Cook for another two to three minutes, turning the spam to coat it in the sauce. This ensures each piece is covered. 

Once the spam is coated in the sauce and it begins to reduce, remove the skillet from the heat. 

Assemble

Use kitchen shears to cut the nori sheets into thin pieces; about 2-3 inches wide. You can either cut them in half, or cut them in thirds. 

Place your thin nori sheet on a clean dry work surface, place a musubi mold (musubi maker) directly over the nori seaweed, add a thick layer of rice, and then top it with a piece of spam. Press the spam and rice down firmly.

Remove the rice and spam mixture from the musubi mold, and wrap the nori around it as tight as possible. Use a few pieces of cooked sushi rice to help seal the edges together. 

Repeat these steps until each piece of spam is used. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Alternatives and Variations:

• For spam musubi with egg, add a fried or scrambled egg. Place it between the rice with the spam.
• If you do not have a spam musubi mold, you can use a small spam can instead.
• If you cannot find nori, use small seaweed sheets instead.
• Sandwich the fried spam between two layers of rice.

Pro-Tips:

• As the spam cooks with the musubi sauce, you may need to lower the heat so the sugar in the sauce does not burn.
• Dip your fingers in water in between rolling each musubi so the rice does not stick to your hands.
• Have your sauce and rice ready to go before you fry the spam so you can assemble the musubi immediately.

Storing and Reheating:

Spam musubi lasts at room temperature for several hours. For longer storage, seal them individually in plastic wrap then place them in the fridge for up to one week.

Enjoy them straight from the fridge or warm them up in the microwave in 30-second intervals.

FAQ:

Is Spam musubi Hawaiian or Japanese?

Spam musubi originated in Hawaii. However, it is a spin on Japanese onigiri.

What is Spam musubi sauce made of?

The sauce in this recipe includes soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce or oyster sauce. There are many variations that include everything from teriyaki sauce and dark brown sugar to rice vinegar and sesame oil. Use whatever you would like to make a savory-sweet sauce.

Is Spam musubi cooked or raw?

It is completely cooked when served. You can eat the canned meat straight from the container but fry it for texture and more flavor. The rice is also premade.

More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try

• 20 Minute Shrimp Lo Mein 
• The Perfect Chili Oil Recipe
• Copycat PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Quick and Easy Beef and Broccoli
• Kimchi Fried Rice

Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!