We’re making some easy, delicious Korean rice balls today! These rice balls are called jumeok bap (fist rice) in Korean. This super simple, super delicious Korean rice balls recipe are so good and so easy to make! Using fresh white rice, we will transform them into a delicious, simple meal! Today, we will show you 4 new ways how to make korean rice balls!
Watch how to make Korean rice balls
Korean rice balls - The perfect lazy lunch!
Korean rice balls are one of the easiest lunches you can make! Take some fresh hot white rice, mix it with your favorite fillings, roll it in a ball, and serve!
The only difficult part is making the different fillings, but I use “difficult” loosely! Today, I’m showing you how to make 4 different kinds of fillings so you can enjoy these Korean rice balls 4 ways! The first is a delicious mix of canned tuna, kimchi and mayonnaise. The second is a savory meaty combination of kimchi and bacon. The third is perfect for Korean food lovers: a bulgogi-inspired jumeok bap. And the forth is a unique namul-mixed rice ball wrapped in a thin egg omelette! Let’s take an in-depth look at each of them!
How do Korean Rice Balls Differ from the Japanese version?
If you’re not familiar with rice balls, you may think that they’re all the same. However, there is a huge difference between the rice balls found in Korea and the ones found in Japan. Korean rice balls tend to be very much as their name implies: balls of rice. Often times, the ingredients are mixed into the rice directly, then it’s shaped into a ball.
Oftentimes, the Korean rice ball will season the rice with sesame oil and salt, which provides a nutty, tastiness, while adding a little bit of greasiness. These are definitely better eaten with a pair of chopsticks or with some wet wipes on hand!
Japanese rice balls tend to be the more complex, triangular shape that you may have seen on TV or in Japanese anime. The fillings are stuffed into the middle of the rice ball and it’s usually wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed.
The rice is usually seasoned simply with salt, and that’s to let the fillings shine. You may find, though, that the flavor isn’t as strong as their Korean counterparts, even when they’re filled with some delicious tuna and mayo or salted salmon!
Korean Rice Ball #1: Tuna, Kimchi, & Mayo
This one takes its cue from the classic Japanese tuna mayo onigiri, but with the added kimchi twist! If you don’t think these three ingredients would taste any good together, think again!
The mayo gives a lovely creaminess to the tuna and the kimchi provides that sour, salty, fiery crunch! The combination of all these ingredients is so good and once you try it, you’ll definitely agree!
For this recipe, I highly recommend using good quality Japanese mayonnaise (See it on Amazon)! I love the Kewpie brand of mayonnaise because its flavor isn’t as cloyingly thick and heavy as American mayo, and it lends itself perfectly to Asian dishes!
Korean Rice Ball #2: Kimchi & Bacon
Who can say ‘no’ to this delicious combination?? Kimchi already goes perfectly with pork belly, so if you add some cured, smoked pork belly, it’s even better! The smoky saltiness of the bacon lends itself so well to the kimchi! Add in some chopped green onions and you have yourself something utterly delicious! This one is my personal favorite!
Korean Rice Ball #3: Bulgogi-style
This one is very delicious as well! Ground beef is mixed with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt, then left to marinade. Then it’s cooked together with some minced onion and carrot, then gets mixed into the rice.
This one really is like biting into a mouth full of bulgogi and rice! It’s so delicious, and when coated in shredded Korean seaweed, it’s AMAZING!
Korean Rice Ball #4: Egg-wrapped Namul
Namul are vegetables that are sauteed in sesame oil and lightly salted. For our namul, we’re using spinach and carrot. They are sauteed, then minced and mixed with the rice.
Then we take a pan, add a thin strip of Korean seaweed, then spread out some beaten egg across the egg. We take the rice and roll it up in the omelette making these deliciously adorable treats!
The Best Way To Carry Your Korean Rice Balls Around!
With so many delicious rice balls, you can easily wrap them in some foil or stick them in tupperware. However, the best way, in my opinion, is with a nice Japanese bento box! We used a large version that has a removable inner section. That way, we can make the most use out of the space. Plus it looks gorgeous! I use a bento box similar to this one with a removable inner tray (See it on Amazon)!
And to make the whole thing feel even more special and exotic, we wrapped it up in a furoshiki. It’s a large cloth used for wrapping things in Japan. These days, you don’t see it used that much, but when it is, you know there’s something really special inside!
Not only does it make it all look nicer, when you tie it up properly, it keeps your bento closed tight, and also has a convenient loop for carrying it around! You’ll definitely be turning heads when they see you unwrap your lunch. Then you’ll be making them drool when they see your delicious Korean rice balls!
If you want to take a look at some different furoshiki for yourself, you can find some on Amazon. By the way, make sure you pick up a large one, about 35 inches x 35 inches. If it’s too small, you won’t be able to wrap up a large bento box like this one properly (See it on Amazon).
Ingredients for Korean Rice Balls
The main ingredient you’ll need for these is rice. I need to point out here though, that you need to make sure that your rice is a short-grain Asian rice. Most long-grain rices in America don’t have enough starch for the rice to stick to itself. I’ve got my favorite brand of rice listed below!
- Japanese Short-grain Rice (See it on Amazon) – Short-grain rice that’s perfect for Korean rice balls
- Canned tuna
- Kimchi
- Kewpie Japanese Mayo (See it on Amazon) – The world’s greatest mayonnaise!
- Bacon
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy Sauce (See it on Amazon) – My favorite brand!
- Sesame Oil (See it on Amazon) – For that beautiful, toasted, nutty aroma.
- Carrot
- Spinach
- Egg
- Korean Seaweed (See it on Amazon) – Simple, addictive, delicious. A key ingredient for these rice balls, or eaten as is as a nutritional powerhouse of a snack!
- Japanese-style Lunch Box (See it on Amazon) – Optional, but if you’re interested in the bento box that I’m using, it’s similar to this one. The inner tray is removable, giving you plenty of space for your Korean rice balls.
- Japanese “Furoshiki” Wrapping Cloth (See it on Amazon) – Another optional item. Use this to tie around your bento to carry around and use as a makeshift bag. The one I used is 35 inches x 35 inches.
A great portable lunch for university, work, or picnic!
This makes an absolutely fantastic and beautiful meal for the busy college student, office worker, or to take with you and enjoy in the park with friends and family! My favorite part is that even though they’re so easy to make, the variety and amount of flavors is incredible! You can enjoy so many different flavors and textures with these Korean rice balls!
Make sure you check out some of my other delicious Korean recipes! I know you’ll absolutely love them!
Sign up for the FREE Straight Up Eats Newsletter to have the latest news delivered to your inbox! Let’s stay in touch on Facebook and our Facebook group, on Youtube, and Instagram!
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest Straight Up Eats news!
Korean Rice Balls - 4 Ways To Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Cooked Short-grain rice
- Korean Seasoned Seaweed 3 packs
- Sliced green onion 2 stalks
- Toasted sesame seeds 4 tbsp
[Tuna Kimchi Rice Ball]
- Tuna 1 can
- Kimchi chopped, 1/4 cup
- Japanese mayo 3 tbsp
[Bacon Kimchi Rice Ball]
- Bacon or ham, sliced, 1/4 lb
- Kimchi chopped, 1/4 cup
[Bulgogi Rice Ball]
- Ground beef 1/4 lb
- Onion finely minced, 1/4 cup
- Carrot finely minced, 3 tbsp
- Garlic finely minced, 4 cloves
- Ginger finely minced, 1 tsp
- Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Sesame oil 1 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tsp
[Rolled Egg Rice Ball]
- Carrot finely minced, 3 tbsp
- Spinach finely sliced, 1/4 cup
- Eggs 2
- Nori seaweed 1 sheet, cut into 6-inch strips
- Soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1 tsp
Instructions
[Tuna Kimchi Rice Ball]
- Combine the tuna, kimchi, mayo, and 1/4 of your sliced green onions. Mix well.
- In a large bowl with about 2 cups of white rice, add a drizzle of sesame oil, 1 tsp of salt, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Mix well.
- Take a handful of rice and flatten it in your palm. Add a couple of spoons of the tuna kimchi mixture and wrap the rice around the filling. Press firmly so that it holds together.
- In a large mixing bowl, Add the Korean seasoned seaweed and crush it into small flakes. Add a rice ball to the seaweed and mix to coat. Continue with the rest of the rice balls and serve.
[Bacon Kimchi Rice Ball]
- Cook your bacon in a pan until it begins to brown slightly. Add the kimchi and continue to cook until most of the excess moisture has evaporated.
- Add the mixture to 2 cups of white rice, along with sliced green onions and mix to combine, being careful not to mash the rice.
- Squeeze firmly into balls and serve immediately.
[Bulgogi Rice Ball]
- Combine ground beef, half the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add in the carrots. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in the onions and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the marinated beef and cook until the meat is completely cooked through, about 5 - 6 minutes.
- In a large bowl with about 2 cups of white rice, add the bulgogi mixture, along with sliced green onions and the rest of the crushed seaweed flakes. Mix gently to combine.
- Roll the rice mixture into balls and squeeze firmly. Serve immediately.
[Rolled Egg Rice Ball]
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil. Cook minced carrots for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add in sliced spinach and cook for another minute. Add in toasted sesame seeds and mix well.
- In a large bowl with about 1 cup of white rice, add the vegetable mix along with salt, and mix gently. Taste and readjust seasonings.
- Grab a small handful of rice and shape it into an oval. Continue with the rest of the rice.
- Beat the eggs well in a bowl with soy sauce and sugar.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay a strip of nori seaweed down onto the pan and hold the ends down until it lays flat on the pan.
- Gently pour a spoonful of the egg mixture onto the pan. This works best if you only use the very liquid parts of the egg, rather than trying to use the mixed egg whites.
- Once you pour the egg mixture onto the pan, use the underside of the spoon to ""paint"" the egg across the seaweed strip. Add and shape the egg so it creates a large rectangle around the seaweed.
- While the top of the egg is still uncooked, add one of the ovals of rice to the end of the egg, then using a pair of tongs and a spatula, gently roll the rice and egg towards the other end of the omelette.
