Description
Delicious Sweet Potato & Avocado Yaki Onigiri is a Japanese-inspired rice ball recipe featuring sticky short grain rice flavored with rice vinegar, filled with tender baked sweet potato and creamy avocado, lightly coated in a homemade teriyaki glaze, finished by pan-grilling for a crispy exterior and wrapped with nori for an authentic touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice & Seasoning
- 1 1/2 cup Short Grain White Rice
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Fillings
- 1/2 Sweet Potato
- 1 ounce Avocado
Sauce & Coating
- 3 tablespoon Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 piece Nori Sheet
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to prepare for baking the sweet potato.
- Cook Rice: On the stovetop, bring the short grain white rice and 2 cups of water to a low boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice becomes sticky.
- Rest Rice: Remove the rice from heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes to fully steam and soften.
- Prepare Sweet Potato: Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/4 inch slabs, trimming to fit your onigiri mold or shape size.
- Make Teriyaki Glaze: In a bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and honey. Toss the sweet potato slabs lightly in this mixture to coat evenly.
- Bake Sweet Potato: Spread the coated sweet potato pieces on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through for even cooking.
- Season Rice: In a small bowl, dissolve granulated sugar and salt into the rice vinegar. When the rice has cooled slightly, mix the vinegar solution into the rice and fluff it with a fork to evenly coat.
- Prepare Nori: Cut the nori sheet into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide for wrapping later.
- Prepare Avocado: Slice and dice the avocado into small pieces suitable for filling the onigiri.
- Assemble Onigiri: Line a measuring cup or mold with plastic wrap for easy removal. With wet hands, press about 2 tablespoons of seasoned rice into the mold.
- Add Filling: Place a piece of baked sweet potato dipped in remaining teriyaki sauce along with some diced avocado on top of the rice layer.
- Top with Rice: Wet your hands again and cover the filling with another 2 tablespoons of rice, pressing firmly. Flip the mold and tap it onto a plate, gently removing the plastic wrap to release the shaped onigiri.
- Grill Onigiri: Sprinkle each formed onigiri with sesame seeds, and grill them in a pan over high heat using a little sesame oil—about 3 to 4 minutes per side—until browned and crispy.
- Wrap and Serve: Wrap the grilled onigiri with a strip of nori and serve with additional teriyaki sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Use wet hands when shaping rice to prevent sticking.
- Sweet potato pieces can be customized in size depending on the mold or shape preference.
- Teriyaki sauce can be store-bought or homemade for best flavor.
- Using a mold or measuring cup helps create uniform onigiri shapes but is optional.
- Grilling gives the rice ball a crispy and flavorful crust that complements the soft filling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Sweet Potato Onigiri, Avocado Onigiri, Japanese Rice Balls, Yaki Onigiri, Teriyaki Onigiri, Baked Sweet Potato Recipe, Vegetarian Japanese Snack
