Get ready to transport your taste buds to the shores of Hawaii with my Hawaiian Spam Musubi! Made with love and a touch of island flair, this recipe combines crispy Spam, a savory-sweet musubi sauce, and tender seaweed for a mouthwatering treat. With just a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps, you’ll be savoring the flavors of the Hawaii in no time!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Let’s dive into why I’m so excited about this recipe! Picture a taste of Hawaii, crafted right in your own kitchen. Inspired by the classic musubi found on the islands, my Hawaiian Spam Musubi features tender rice topped with seared spam, wrapped in seaweed, and kissed with my homemade Spam Musubi Sauce—also used in my simplified version, Spam Musubi in a Bowl!
It’s a simple yet delightful meal or snack, perfect for anyone craving a taste of a classic Hawaiian musubi. With each bite, you’ll be transported to the sunny streets of Hawaii and to me, anything that’s an automatic win! So, why wait? Bring a little island flavor into your life today!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Rice – rice of choice. Best to use freshly made steamed rice so it sticks and holds together.
- Japanese Sake – typically will come in a large bottle labeled junmai sake. Can also substitute with dry sherry wine or Chinese cooking wine, found at local grocery stores or Asian markets. Helps round out the flavor of the sauce.
- Sweetener – use your preferred sweetener.
- Soy Sauce – low-sodium Soy Sauce preferred. Can also use tamari for gluten-free. Used as the base flavor for the musubi sauce.
- Garlic – freshly grated garlic. Used to provide the extra flavor in the sauce.
- Thickener – corn starch slurry or thickener of choice.
- Spam – low-sodium preferred, found in the canned meat section of grocery stores.
- Neutral Oil – no taste or flavor with high cooking temperature. Some choices are sunflower oil, peanut oil, sallower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
- Dried Seaweed – half sheet dried seaweed, found at Asian grocery stores. If your seaweed is stale, you can easily re-roast it over the stove. Simply gently fan it over the fire until it crisps back up.
🍚 Rice Note
I recommend to use Steamed Hot Fresh Rice for this recipe. Freshly steamed rice holds its shape better compared to old cold rice.
Essential Kitchen Equipment
Directions
☑ Before Getting Started
Before you begin, ensure you have a Large Skillet with a Flat Bottom on hand. This will provide ample space for your spam to sear evenly.
Step 1 Slice your spam into pieces that are between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, depending on your preference.
Step 2 In a large skillet over medium heat, mix Japanese sake, soy sauce, grated garlic, and sweetener. Let the sauce come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Stir in prepared corn starch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 30-45 seconds and set aside.
Step 3 In a clean, large skillet, heat some cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add sliced spam. Cook the spam over medium heat for 60-90 seconds on each side until browned. Place the cooked spam on a plate and set aside.
Step 4 Place a half sheet of seaweed on a flat surface and position the musubi mold in the center. Add 1/2 cup of rice into the mold and press it down to flatten and remove the mold. Lightly brush musubi sauce onto the spam and place the sauce side down onto the rice.
💡 Molding Pro Tip
To prevent the rice from sticking to the musubi press, I recommend Wetting the Top of the Press before using it.
🍣 Seaweed Pro Tip
For Better Presentation, you can cut the seaweed sheets lengthwise in half. This technique allows for more of the spam and rice to be visible once the musubi is assembled.
🧂 Seasoning Pro Tip
Enhance the flavor of your musubi by sprinkling some Furikake onto the rice before assembling.
Step 5 At the top of the seaweed, place a few grains of rice in a line to act as glue. Fold the bottom of the seaweed up and over the spam, then fold the top down, using the rice to hold the seaweed in place. Repeat these steps for the rest of the musubi.
Recipe Variations
Mold some rectangular eggs from my Japanese Style Sweet Egg recipe to create a delicious Spam Musubi with Eggs variation! For a simpler approach, try my Spam Musubi in a Bowl, which skips the musubi mold, making it quicker and easier to prepare. If you prefer a different presentation, you can cube the musubi and serve it over rice with some eggs, perfect for my Spam Egg Rice Bowl!
Another option is to air fry the spam for a tasty twist with my Air Fried Spam Musubi. You could also swap the Spam Musubi Sauce for my homemade Teriyaki Sauce to create my Teriyaki Spam Plate!
Or you can incorporate Japanese sushi elements, try making my Spam Sushi Roll or Spam Rice Ball! The possibilities for variations with this simple recipe are truly endless!
Pairing Recommendations
Serve this musubi with classic Asian style sides like my Tofu Miso Soup and a side of Chinese Chicken Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any type of rice for this recipe?
Traditional white short-grain rice is used, but you also can use steamed brown rice for a more nutritional option.
What can I use if I don't have a musubi mold?
You can use a small rectangular container or shape the rice by hand to create the musubi. Just make sure you compact the rice so it hold it's shape.
Can I make this recipe ahead for meal prep?
Absolutely! You can definitely prepare this recipe ahead for meal prep. Simply have the components ready and assemble the seaweed wrap just before serving.
Storage Tips
While the musubi is best enjoyed immediately to prevent the seaweed from becoming soggy, you can store the sauce in an airtight container for 14-21 days.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Watch How To Make It
Hawaiian Spam Musubi
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Rice of rice of choice
- 2 tbsp Japanese Sake
- 2 tbsp Sweetener your preferred sweetener
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Water
- 6 oz Less Sodium Spam about 1/2 of the can
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil neutral taste preferred
- 4 Dried Seaweed Half Sheet
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Slice the spam into slices that are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, based on your preference.
- In a mixing bowl, combine corn starch and water to make a corn starch slurry.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, mix Japanese sake, soy sauce, grated garlic, and sweetener. Let the sauce come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the corn starch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 30-45 seconds. Set it aside.
- In a clean, large skillet, heat some cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced spam. Cook the spam over medium heat for 60-90 seconds on each side until browned. Place the cooked spam on a plate and set it aside.
- Place a half sheet of seaweed on a flat surface. Put the musubi mold in the center. Add 1/2 cup of rice into the mold, press it flat with the mold press and remove. Brush musubi sauce on one side of the spam, then place the spam sauce side down on the rice.
- At the top of the seaweed, place a few grains of rice in a line to act as glue. Fold the bottom of the seaweed up and over the spam, then fold the top down, using the rice to hold the seaweed in place. Repeat these steps for the rest of the musubi.
