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    Home » Recipes » Dairy-Free

    Updated: Sep 26, 2023 by Marc Matsumoto · 10 Comments

    Tuna Mayo Onigiri

    A fluffy Japanese rice ball filled with a savory tuna and mayonnaise filling, Tuna Mayo Onigiri (ツナマヨおにぎり) is a modern staple of Japanese bento lunches. In this recipe, I will show you everything you need to know to make the best tuna mayonnaise rice ball.
    Recipe Video Pin
    Tuna Mayo is a modern classic filling for onigiri rice balls that can be made with just canned tuna, mayonnaise and soy sauce. Learn everything you need to know to make these triangular Tuna Mayo Onigiri with this recipe.

    Tuna Mayo Onigiri (ツナマヨおにぎり)

    Tuna Mayo Onigiri is a modern take on traditional Japanese rice balls stuffed with canned tuna seasoned with Japanese-style mayonnaise and soy sauce. The combo was first popularized by the Japanese convenience store chain 7-Eleven in the early 1980s. Over the past 40 years it has grown to become the most popular flavor of onigiri in Japan, surpassing more classic flavors like umeboshi (pickled plum) and tarako (cod roe).

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • Because the filling needs to season the rice around it, the filling should be well seasoned and on the salty side. The mixture of Japanese-style mayonnaise and soy sauce is what gives tuna mayo it's trademark flavor. 
    • Onigiri should stick together, but they are meant to be light and fluffy, so it's essential not to over squeeze them, or they will turn into a dense, heavy ball of mochi. 
    • Wrapping the Onigiri in herbs or nori helps mask any fishiness from the tuna. 

    Ingredients for Tuna Mayo Onigiri

    • Rice - to make good onigiri, you need to use good rice. I recommend using a Japanese variety of short-grain rice. That's because short-grain rice has a higher ratio of amylopectin to amylose relative to medium-grain and long-grain rice. This is important because amylopectin has a branched structure that makes it sticky, helping the onigiri hold its shape. You should be aware that many brands of "Japanese rice" actually use Calrose, which is a medium-grain rice. 
    • Tuna - Any canned tuna will work, but I like using chunk tuna (a misnomer because it's more like mashed tuna) in oil. Be aware that canned tuna comes in a variety of sizes. I've calibrated this recipe to work with a small US-size can (85 grams) of tuna. 
    • Mayonnaise - The key to giving this rice ball filling that Japanese taste is using Japanese mayonnaise. I used Kewpie brand. Compared to American mayo, it's more tart and savory, and it has an eggier taste as well. 
    • Soy Sauce - The other seasoning for the filling is soy sauce. This not only increases the amount of umami in the tuna mayo mixture, but it also makes it saltier, so the rice is adequately seasoned. 
    • Wrapper - To smooth over any fishy notes in the tuna, I like to wrap my Tuna Mayo Onigiri with either wild sesame or green shiso leaves (both are varietals of perilla). If you can't find these, or you want to do a more traditional onigiri, you can use two nori sheets that have been cut into 3 strips each. 
    Easy onigiri rice ball recipe stuffed with a delicious mix of canned tuna, mayonnaise and soy sauce.

    How to Make Tuna Mayo Onigiri

    Wash and cook the rice either in the rice cooker or on the stove. If you are using new crop rice, reduce the amount of water slightly. See my recipe for cooking Perfect Japanese Short Grain Rice for the proper way to wash and cook rice on the stovetop. 

    While you wait for the rice, you can prepare the tuna mayo filling by opening and draining the can of tuna and adding it to a bowl with the mayonnaise and soy sauce. Stir this together well until there are no big chunks of tuna remaining. 

    You'll also want to prepare a bowl of water to wet your hands with, and a bowl of salt to season the outside of the onigiri. 

    After your rice is done cooking and steaming, use a spatula or rice paddle to fluff the rice using a folding  and cutting motion. Use a light touch, and be careful not to smash or break the individual grains of rice. 

    The rice is going to be too hot to shape into a rice ball, so transfer it to a bowl and cover it with a damp towel until it's still hot, but not so hot that you will burn yourself. This is important because the rice becomes more sticky and harder to shape as it cools, and you want to be able to shape it without squeezing and compacting it too much. 

    Once the rice has cooled enough to handle, wet both hands by dunking them in the bowl of water you prepared. Dip your index finger in the bowl of salt. Don't be shy here, as some of this is going to make its way onto the outside of your onigiri to season it. Rub the salt between your hands to distribute it evenly. 

    Cup one hand and scoop one-sixth of the rice into it. Poke a hole into the center of the mound of rice and scoop about two teaspoons of tuna mayo filling into the hole. 

    Cover the filling up with the rice around the edges, and then fold your fingers over, so your hand forms a u-shape. Use two fingers from your other hand to create an upside-down v-shape and press it into the rice cupped hand.

    Rotate the triangle onto another side and repeat the cupping and shaping to form an equilateral triangle (3 equal sides). Repeat until you're happy with the shape, but be careful not to compress the rice too much, or your rice ball will be very dense and heavy. 

    Wrap your Tuna Mayo Onigiri with a wild sesame leaf and repeat the process with the rest of the rice. 

    Other Onigiri Recipes

    • Umeboshi Onigiri (pickled plum)
    • Nozawana Onigiri (pickled mustard greens)
    • Yaki Onigiri
    • Meat-Wrapped Onigiri
    • Salmon Onigiri
    What is Tuna Mayo?

    Tuna Mayo (ツナマヨ) is a combination of canned tuna mixed with Japanese-style mayonnaise (usually Kewpie brand), and it's often seasoned with soy sauce. It's a popular condiment used as a filling for onigiri, sandwiches, and bread rolls; and a topping for salads and pizza.

    How do you say Tuna Mayo in Japanese?

    Tuna Mayo is pronounced Tsu-na-ma-yo in Japanese, and each syllable is pronounced as follows:
    tsu is two sounds combined into one. If you say the words "eat soup" quickly, the "t sou" makes the Japanese tsu sound. 
    na like nonsense
    ma like mom
    yo like yoyo

    Is Tuna Mayo Onigiri a type of sushi?

    Sushi is made with vinegared rice. Tuna Mayo Onigiri is made with plain rice, so it is not a type of sushi however this can also be made with sushi fillings like spicy tuna.

    Is Tuna Mayo a traditional onigiri filling?

    No, the combination was initially introduced as a filling for onigiri in 1983 by 7-Eleven. It is now supposedly the most popular filling for onigiri in Japan.

    How do I make spicy tuna mayo?

    Just make the tuna mayo according to this recipe, and add your favorite hot sauce or chili paste to taste. I usually add about a teaspoon of sriracha to once batch of this, but you can add more or less depending on how spicy you want it.

    📖 Recipe

    Easy onigiri rice ball recipe stuffed with a delicious mix of canned tuna, mayonnaise and soy sauce.

    Tuna Mayo Onigiri

    By: Marc Matsumoto
    4.44 from 23 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Yield 3 servings

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ½ cups Japanese short-grain rice 2 rice cooker cups
    • 1 ⅔ cups cold water
    • 85 grams chunk tuna in oil 1 small US can
    • 3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise such as Kewpie
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 6 wild sesame leaves green shiso or nori will work too
    • Salt

    Instructions

    • Wash and cook the rice according to the directions in my sushi rice recipe (but use the proportion of rice and water in this recipe).
    • While the rice cooks, open the can of tuna and drain out any excess liquid. Add the tuna to a bowl along with the mayonnaise and soy sauce. Mix well to form a uniform paste.
    • Prepare a bowl of water and a small bowl of salt.
    • When the rice is cooked, stir it to fluff and then transfer it to a bowl to cool slightly and cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
    • When the rice is cool enough to handle but still on the hot side, wet your hands in the water bowl. Dab your index finger in the bowl of salt and rub the salt around your hands.
    • Working quickly, scoop ⅙ of the rice into your non-dominant hand and make a little well in the center of the rice.
    • Add about 2 teaspoons of tuna mayo filling into the well and cover the tuna with the surrounding rice.
    • Cup the hand holding the rice like a taco and then use 2-3 fingers of your opposite hand to shape the rice into a triangle.
    • Toss the rice ball onto another side and then repeat the cupping and shaping step. Repeat until the onigiri is the desired shape.
    • Wrap the Tuna Mayo Onigiri with a wild sesame leaf, and repeat steps 5-10 until you run out of rice.
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    Nutrition

    Calories 487kcalCarbohydrates 74gProtein 14gFat 13gSaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 15mgSodium 324mgPotassium 201mgFiber 1gSugar 1gCalcium 30mgIron 1mg

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lynn says

      September 22, 2020 at 2:00 am

      Fantastic directions, thank you.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        September 22, 2020 at 10:28 am

        You're welcome Lynn!

        Reply
    2. Mina says

      September 25, 2020 at 2:41 am

      For some reason, the print button is not working.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        September 25, 2020 at 8:27 am

        Hi Mina, sorry to hear you're having troubles printing. When you say it doesn't work, what do you mean? Do you get an error message? Also, what device and web browser are you using. I just tried it using a Mac as well as an iPhone using both the latest versions of both Safari and Chrome and it seems to be working okay, so it would help to know your setup so I can try and reproduce the problem.

        Reply
    3. Rio says

      August 03, 2021 at 11:57 am

      Super tasty! Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        August 03, 2021 at 11:45 pm

        You're welcome! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it😀

        Reply
    4. keri says

      September 08, 2022 at 1:50 am

      thank you so much for this! my daughter has fallen in love with tuna mayo musubi so i can't wait to make this for her ... can i just quickly confirm that the salt (and i'm assuming the shoyu) is enough to keep the tuna and mayo safe for her to take to school for lunch ... ? we always see it refrigerated at our local uwajimaya so i'm a bit concerned ...

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        September 09, 2022 at 11:57 pm

        You're welcome Keri! The US has pretty strict regulations around refrigerating perishable foods so it's not surprising that they refrigerate their onigiri. Here in Japan is pretty common for people to prepare onigiri in the morning and eat it at room temperature for lunch, but I always pack bento in an insulated bag with ice packs (better safe than sorry). I'm not a food safety expert though so please do not take this as advice.

        Reply
    5. Kathy says

      September 28, 2022 at 1:52 am

      Everything was perfect. Well received by my family. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Your instructional video was also helpful. First time making onigiri and you made it look so easy.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        September 28, 2022 at 10:12 am

        I'm so happy to hear your family enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and let me know!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

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