Spam musubi is THE best. Crispy glazed spam, fluffy egg, warm rice and salty nori all pressed together into the ultimate handheld snack? I completely understand why it has such a cult following. This version adds a thick layer of baked egg for something a little heartier, making it perfect for lunch boxes, quick meals or easy snacking.
While spam musubi is often associated with Hawaiian convenience stores and Japanese-American food culture, it’s also become wildly popular online for good reason. It’s easy to make, satisfying and endlessly adaptable depending on what you have in the fridge. I also love that this recipe uses a baked egg slab instead of cooking individual omelettes, which means less fuss, less flipping and much faster assembly when you’re hungry and impatient like me.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Spam musubi is salty, savoury, comforting and dangerously easy to keep eating! Take my word for it! This version adds a layer of fluffy baked egg for an extra satisfying twist that works just as well for lunch boxes and meal prep as it does for a quick snack straight from the fridge.
- Easy to make in batches – The baked egg method makes assembling multiple musubi much faster and less fiddly.
- Perfect for meal prep – Great for packed lunches, quick snacks or easy grab-and-go meals throughout the week.
- That sweet-salty-spicy balance – Glazed spam, seasoned rice, furikake and nori all come together for the ultimate savoury bite.
- Beginner-friendly – No fancy techniques required, and you don’t need a musubi mould to make them.
- Customisable – Add kewpie mayo, kimchi, avocado, cheese or extra furikake depending on your mood. Anything goes!
What is Spam Musubi?
Spam musubi is a popular Hawaiian snack made with grilled spam layered over rice and wrapped with nori. It’s inspired by Japanese onigiri and omusubi, but became a staple in Hawaii thanks to the influence of Japanese-American food culture and the popularity of canned spam across the islands.
Classic spam musubi is usually made with rice and glazed spam, but this version adds a fluffy layer of egg for something a little more filling and extra satisfying. You’ll often find spam musubi in Hawaiian convenience stores, lunch counters and bento shops, and once you make it at home, it’s very easy to understand the obsession.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make homemade spam and egg musubi, and most of them are easy to find at major supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.
- Short grain rice – Essential for that classic sticky texture that holds the musubi together. Sushi rice works perfectly here.
- Eggs
- Spring onion – Also known as green onions. Substitute with chives
- Neutral oil – Any neutral cooking oil will work.
- Spam – Classic spam is traditional, but lower sodium versions also work well.
- Tonkatsu sauce – Also known as Japanese BBQ Sauce. I like the Bulldog brand. You could also use teriyaki sauce if preferred, or make up your own mixture of light soy sauce, sugar and oyster sauce.
- Furikake – Use your favourite variety.
- Nori sheets – Holds everything together and gives that signature musubi look and flavour. Use roasted sushi nori sheets cut to size.
Equipment You’ll Need
You don’t need much to make spam and egg musubi at home, but a few helpful tools can make the process quicker, neater and much less fiddly.
- Musubi mould – Optional, but very helpful for creating evenly shaped musubi that hold together neatly.
- Rice cooker – Makes perfectly cooked short grain rice with minimal effort.
- Rectangle baking tin – Used for baking the egg slab so it can be sliced neatly to match the spam.
- Rice paddle – Helps handle and press the rice without it becoming overly sticky or mushy.
- Sharp knife or kitchen scissors – Handy for cutting nori sheets cleanly to size.
If you’re making musubi, rice balls or onigiri a lot lately, shop my favourite tools and essentials here.
How to Make Spam and Egg Musubi
Step 1: Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Cook according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced. Whisk the eggs with the sliced spring onion, then pour into a lined rectangular baking tin. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until just set. Slice into 8 even rectangles, roughly the same size as your spam.
Step 3: Slice the spam into 8 even pieces. Heat a little neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then fry the spam until lightly golden and crisp on both sides.
Step 4: Reduce the heat slightly and add the tonkatsu sauce to the pan. Turn the spam pieces through the sauce until glossy and caramelised.
Step 5: Remove the spam from the heat. Place a strip of nori shiny side down, then position the musubi mould in the centre. Add a layer of rice, sprinkle with furikake, then top with a slice of egg and a piece of glazed spam.
Step 6: Fold the nori tightly around the musubi, sealing with a little water if needed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Spam and Egg Musubi
A few simple tips will help your musubi hold together neatly and give you that perfect balance of crispy spam, fluffy rice and savoury nori in every bite.
- Use freshly cooked rice – Warm rice is much easier to shape and helps the musubi hold together properly.
- Wet your hands or mould lightly – This stops the rice from sticking while assembling.
- Don’t overfill the musubi – It can make wrapping the nori difficult and cause everything to fall apart when eating.
- Let the spam caramelise properly – Giving the sauce a minute to thicken in the pan adds extra flavour and helps it cling to the spam.
- Assemble just before serving if possible – This keeps the nori crisp instead of softening over time.
- Use plastic wrap for easy shaping – Especially helpful if you don’t have a musubi mould.
Storage & Make Ahead
Spam and egg musubi is best enjoyed fresh while the nori is still crisp, but leftovers can absolutely be stored for easy lunches and snacks.
- Fridge: Store leftover musubi in an airtight container, or individually wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- For best texture: Wrap the musubi individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper to help hold their shape.
- Nori texture: The nori will soften over time in the fridge, which is completely normal.
- Reheating: Microwave briefly to warm through, or enjoy cold straight from the fridge.
FAQs
What is spam musubi?
Spam musubi is a popular Hawaiian snack made with rice, glazed spam and nori. It’s inspired by Japanese onigiri and sushi-style flavours, and is commonly found in convenience stores, bento shops and lunch counters across Hawaii.
Can I make spam musubi without a musubi mould?
Absolutely. A musubi mould makes shaping easier, but you can also shape the rice by hand or use plastic wrap to help press everything together neatly. Alternatively, line your empty spam can with plastic wrap and and use this as the mould!
What type of rice should I use for musubi?
Short grain rice or sushi rice works best because it becomes sticky enough to hold its shape.
Can spam musubi be eaten cold?
Yes. Spam musubi is often eaten at room temperature or cold, making it great for lunch boxes, picnics and meal prep.
Can I add other fillings?
Definitely. Kewpie mayo, kimchi, avocado, cheese or extra furikake all work really well in spam musubi variations.
More Rice Ball & Musubi Recipes You’ll Love
If you’ve been loving easy handheld rice recipes lately, here are a few more of my favourites to try next. Perfect for lunch boxes, snacks, meal prep or those moments where savoury carbs are the only thing that will fix your mood.
- Spam and Egg Rice Balls – A simpler rice ball version packed with crispy spam, fluffy egg and seasoned rice.
- Spam Egg and Cheese Kimbap – Korean-inspired rice rolls filled with spam, egg, cheese and plenty of savoury goodness.
- Spicy Salmon Onigiri – Flavour-packed Japanese rice balls with a creamy spicy salmon filling and crispy nori exterior.
📖 Recipe
Spam and Egg Musubi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (~280g) short grain rice, rinsed
- 375 mL water
- 8 eggs
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 can spam cut into 8 slices
- 2 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce
- 2.5 tablespoon furikake
- 4 square nori sheets cut to size into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Cook according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced. Whisk the eggs with the sliced spring onion, then pour into a lined rectangular baking tin. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until just set. Slice into 8 even rectangles, roughly the same size as your spam.
- Slice the spam into 8 even pieces. Heat the neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then fry the spam until lightly golden and crisp on both sides.
- Reduce the heat slightly and add the tonkatsu sauce to the pan. Turn the spam pieces through the sauce until glossy and caramelised.
- Remove the spam from the heat. Place a strip of nori shiny side down, then position the musubi mould in the centre. Add a layer of rice, sprinkle with furikake, then top with a slice of egg and a piece of glazed spam.
- Fold the nori tightly around the musubi, sealing with a little water if needed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Short grain rice or sushi rice works best for musubi because it holds together properly.
- If you don’t have a musubi mould, you can shape the rice by hand or using plastic wrap.
- The nori will soften slightly over time once assembled.
- Furikake varieties can vary in saltiness, so season to taste.
- Spam musubi is delicious warm, at room temperature or cold straight from the fridge.
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