Spam Musubi with Egg is one of our favorite Hawaiian grab-and-go meals. With savory layers of Spam, egg and furikake, and a light drizzle of teriyaki sauce, it's a little bundle of sunshine wrapped in nori.
I will not lie. When I first saw Spam Musubi on my first trip to Hawaii, I never thought it would become one of my favorite snacks. Each musubi comes individually wrapped in plastic wrap, with all the ingredients on full display.
The most popular type of musubi is Spam Musubi, which consists of, you guessed it - Spam and rice. I do love rice, but Spam was kind of meh to me. Why in the world would I like it?
Being the foodie that I am, I jumped on the bandwagon for a quick test ride and I am sooo glad I did. Spam Musubis are surprisingly tasty, easy to make, and you can customize it however you like.
Well, I haven’t jumped off the bandwagon yet. As a matter of fact, I am driving my own. Hop on board if you want. There’s plenty of space!
What is Hawaiian Musubi?
Hawaiian musubi is heavily influenced by the Japanese "omusubi" or "onigiri," which are rice balls made by shaping rice into an oval or triangle and wrapping them with nori (dried seaweed). Common fillings for Japanese onigiri are salmon, tuna and kombu (kelp).
Hawaii, being a huge melting pot of cultures, developed their own version of onigiri - the Spam Musubi. You'll find dozens of other variations, everything ranging from fried rice musubi, miso salmon musubi and mochiko chicken musubi.
Pretty much anything you put on a bed of rice, wrapped with nori turns into musubi. But on the beautiful islands of Hawaii, Spam musubi is by far the King of Musubis.
Visit any local Hawaiian restaurant and you'll almost always find Kalua Pork and Cabbage, Shoyu Chicken, and the infamous Spam Musubi.
How to Make Spam Musubi with Egg
Spam and Egg Musubi is quite easy to make but there are a few ingredients that need to be prepared before you start building.
- Wash and cook 2 cups of rice (or 2.5 cups if you're using a rice measuring cup). Once cooked, it'll yield just enough for this recipe. I use Calrose rice but you can use any type of short grain rice. Avoid using long grain rice. Its loose and fluffy properties lack the sticky, starchiness that's needed to shape the musubi.
- Cut the Spam into 7-8 slices. I prefer cutting it into 7 slices because the thickness is just right for me. If it's easier to cut into even numbers, cut it into 8 slices. Pan fry the Spam with a tiny bit of oil until it's lightly browned on both sides.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl and cook it like an omelet in a small frying pan with a bit of oil. Pour in enough beaten egg to make a ¼ inch thick omelet. Cook the eggs in batches if needed. Cut the omelets into rectangles roughly the same size and shape as a slice of Spam. I like to use a Tamagoyaki pan for this recipe. The rectangular shape works flawlessly and each omelet yields 6 perfect Spam-sized pieces. But any small frying pan will do.
How to Assemble Spam Musubi with Egg (Step-by-Step Photos)
In Hawaii, you'll typically find Spam Musubi with a thick block of rice on the bottom and a slice of Spam on top. I've eaten this traditional method multiple times but I've always found it to be too rice heavy. But at the same time, the rice is necessary to complement the saltiness of the fried Spam.
My simple solution to this is dividing the rice into two layers - a slice of Spam sandwiched between two thinner layers of rice. This makes each bite more balanced and is far more tasty.
If you've never tried Spam Musubi with the rice-spam-rice method, I strongly encourage you to try it. You'll never go back!
Now, let's talk about the musubi maker. After all, you can't make Spam and Egg Musubi without it! There are a few different types of musubi makers available.
There's the double musubi mold, which is what I use. I purchased my double musubi maker at Daiso. This type of musubi press doesn't have the iconic rounded corners but making two Spam Musubis at a time goes much quicker, especially when you need to feed a crowd.
If you prefer Spam Musubi with rounded corners, they're available in single musubi molds. No matter which musubi maker you use, the steps below are the same.
1) Lay down 2 half sheets of nori with the shiny side down. Align the musubi mold 1 inch above the bottom edge of the nori.
2) Add a layer of rice in the musubi mold about half an inch thick. Spread the rice across the nori sheets evenly.
3) Sprinkle furikake on top of the rice, as much or as little as you'd like. This is optional but it really enhances the flavor.
4) Add a piece of egg and a slice of fried Spam on both sides. Generously brush a layer of teriyaki sauce on the Spam.
5) Spread out another half inch layer of rice over the top.
6) Use the musubi press and firmly push down. Be sure the rice is nice and compact.
7) Carefully remove the mold. Wet the blade of the knife with water and cut to separate the two musubis.
8) Fold the nori over the rice until the two edges overlap. If the edge of the nori doesn't stick, use a tiny bit of water.
After the Spam and Egg Musubis have been made, individually wrap them in plastic wrap for a picnic at the park, pack it up for a trip to the beach, or eat them as they're made. Spam Musubi can be enjoyed anywhere and everywhere!
Ingredients
- 2 standard cups (or 2.5 rice cups) short grain rice
- 1 can of Spam
- 6 eggs, beatened and seasoned with salt
- 4 nori seaweed sheets, cut in half
- 2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoon furikake, optional
Instructions
Prepare the Spam Musubi and Egg Ingredients
- Start by cooking the rice and allow it to cool slightly.
- Slice the Spam into 7 or 8 slices. Pan fry the slices with a tiny bit of oil until lightly browned on both sides.
- Cook the beaten eggs like an omelet in a small frying pan. 2-3 batches may be necessary. Cut the omelets into rectangular Spam-sized pieces.
Assemble the Spam Musubi
- On a cutting board, place 2 half sheets of nori with the shiny side down. Align the double musubi mold on the nori 1 inch above the bottom edge of the nori.
- Fill the musubi mold with a half inch layer of rice and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle some furikake over the rice.
- Add a piece of egg and a slice of fried Spam on both sides. Liberally brush teriyaki sauce on the Spam.
- Top it off with another half inch layer of rice.
- Use the musubi press and firmly push down on all the layers until the rice is compact.
- Carefully remove the musubi mold and cut down the middle with a wet knife to separate the 2 sides.
- Fold the nori around the rice until the two ends meet. Wrap the Spam Musubi individually with plastic wrap.
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