Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

Perfect for Snacking

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 27m
Cook Time: 15m
Total Time: 42m
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (7 Reviews)
Cooking Mode
Prevents your screen from turning off while cooking

Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For filling:

Nutritional Information

119
Calories
1g
Fat
23g
Carbohydrates
4g
Protein
3mg
Cholesterol
103mg
Sodium
Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

Recipe Description

Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls is a delicious snack or appetizer recipe that is very popular in Korea. For ease, this recipe uses canned tuna in oil for the filling mixed with mayonnaise and a little salt. No fuss and easy!

For this recipe, I call for short-grain white rice. The quality of rice is crucial here. So go with the sushi rice. It gives the proper amount of stickiness for creating cohesive rice balls. Also, make sure to cook the rice with 4 additional tablespoons of water added to the amount recommended on your package instructions. To shape these rice balls, use a piece of plastic wrap. This hack will allow you to mold the rice balls more easily. Alternatively, you can wet your hands before shaping so that the rice won’t stick. To store, tightly wrap each rice ball in plastic wrap. Though, these are best when eaten fresh just right after shaping.

To make the Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Cook rice

    15 min
    Step 1 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Cook 1 ½ cups rice according to your package instructions. Add 4 additional tablespoons of water before cooking to make the rice stickier.

  2. 2

    Make filling

    1 min
    Step 2 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Meanwhile, mix drained tuna with ½ tablespoon mayo and ⅛ teaspoon salt.

  3. 3

    Season rice

    15 min
    Step 3 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Once cooked, season rice with ½ a teaspoon salt and ½ a teaspoon sesame oil and mix well. Allow the rice to cool completely.

  4. 4

    To make rice balls

    Step 4 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice BallsStep 4 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Place a large piece of plastic wrap over a ⅓ measuring cup and fill with rice.

  5. 5

    Add filling

    Step 5 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice BallsStep 5 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Shape the rice into a thick pancake using the plastic wrap. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of the prepared filling in the center.

  6. 6

    Mold rice balls

    10 min
    Step 6 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Fold up the edges of the rice to cover the filling and create a ball. Wrap the plastic wrap over the rice and twist to make a tight rice ball. Repeat with the remaining rice and filling.

  7. 7

    Cover with sesame seeds

    2 min
    Step 7 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice BallsStep 7 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Coat each rice ball with toasted sesame seeds.

  8. 8

    Serve

    Step 8 - Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls

    Just before serving, wrap each rice ball with nori seaweed. Enjoy your snack!

About the author

Bethany Lim

Bethany is very passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and clean diet. She’s trying to cut meat out of her diet as much as possible and focuses on cooking vegetarian food and fish. Bethany gets a kick from finding ways to add new twists to classic dishes. What’s more, thanks to her Asian roots, she’s great at combining different cuisines to come up with something extraordinary. Bethany’s recipes will inspire you to add new colors and flavors to your everyday meals.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (7 reviews)
Kathy
January 14, 2025
Verified

Yummy! My kids loved these rice balls for snack time. So easy to make and fun for them to help.

Diana Johnson
December 27, 2024
Verified

OMG, these rice balls were a hit at our party! So easy and yum!

Uncle Bob
December 1, 2024
Verified

Super yummy rice!

Nick
April 27, 2024
Verified

Yo, these rice balls are legit! Made 'em for a chill night and my friends were all like wow! Super easy and tasty! Thanks for this!

Brian
June 3, 2023
Verified

These Korean Tuna Mayo Rice Balls are legit! Took me back to our picnic last summer. So easy to make—my wife loved em! Perfect flavor and super delish. Will def make again!

Ursula
March 4, 2022
Verified

Miam miam! Simple et tellement bon! Mes enfants adores ça, surtout lors de nos pique-niques. On rigole en les moldant ensemble, un vrai moment de bonheur en famille.

Athina
May 3, 2021
Verified

Delicious snack! Thanks for sharing!

Taste of the dish
Accuracy of stated difficulty
Instruction accuracy
Would you recommend this recipe to others?
0/1000
Add photos
Upload photos of your result. This will help others see how the dish should look.

Author Information

Email will not be displayed publicly