Spam Musubi
Spam, it’s pretty divisive, people either love it or hate it. In Hawaii Spam Musubi is a staple–there’s no better portable food for hiking, going to the beach, or just having a midday snack at home.
While you can just pan fry slices of Spam and call it a day, I like to add a little sugar and soy sauce to make it more flavorful, almost like a teriyaki grilled Spam-extravaganza.
If you don’t have a Spam musubi maker you can use the can to form the shape, but a maker helps a lot especially if you’re making dozens and dozens of Spam Musubi as a party appetizer. When I make them for New Year’s Day, they’re always the first thing gone off the buffet table. You can’t deny the Spam love!
Spam Musubi
Ingredients:
1 can (12 oz) Spam
3 cups cooked rice
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3 teaspoons sugar, divided
you’ll need:
acrylic musubi maker
5 big sheets of nori (seaweed)
furikake (rice seasoning)
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut Spam into 9 equal slices and place in a skillet. Pour half the soy sauce over the slices, then sprinkle with half the sugar. Turn the Spam slices over and repeat with the rest of the soy sauce and sugar.
Step 2: Turn the heat on to medium high heat.
Step 3: Cook until the sugar starts to caramelize, approximately 1-2 minutes. Flip the Spam over and cook the other side until carmamelized. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 4: Wet the press to prevent stickage to the rice. Lay a sheet of nori down, placing the bottom half of the musubi maker in the center.
Step 5: Even spread out one scoop of rice.
Step 6: Place two slices of the cooked Spam side by side. Top with a second scoop of rice.
Step 7: Use the press to push the rice down. Then remove the maker completely.
Step 8: Fold the nori sheet up and pull the top down, sealing the edge with a little bit of water.
Step 9: Slice to serve. Sprinkle with furikake, if desired.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links
Would love to have your Ozoni recipe! It looks so pretty.
i was windering can u make it without the seaweed…like maybe use tinfoil or something?
Actually, there’s nothing mandatory about the nori (and actually, nori is cultivated algae sheets; originally, according to what I was told, it was algae scraped from pier pilings!), and most commercially made Spam musubi only has about a 1 1/2 inch “ribbon” of nori, rather than a full wrapper.
When I visited Hawaii this past fall, I actually stripped off the nori on Spam musubi purchased from local grocers; to me, it tastes like grass clippings. My inclination is also to slice off part of the rice block (maybe enough to accommodate another slice of Spam!) on the commercial version; it just isn’t “Spammy” enough for my taste!
But with or without seasonings, with or without nori, try it! Spam musubi is the ultimate Hawaiian delicacy.
Oh, and by the way: the most traditional Spam musubi mold is the Spam can itself, with the bottom cut out of it.
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I have officially fallen in love with your blog. I just had another baby and have decided to be a stay at home mom so I have become addicted to cooking and baking to fill in the little bit of spare time I have. Amazing blog! and I cant wait to share it with my mom. You have been bookmarked as a FAV!
Hey Jenn, I just wanted to give you a heads up that the musubi maker is also available at Mitsuwa in Mar Vista! I just looked up this post to find the seasonings you used for my husband. He so can’t wait to try this. 🙂 Thanks again.
Hi Jenn,
My son Ben and I are sooooooo excited to make your spam sushi recipe tonight:) He was screaming when he saw the sushi maker lol. I will do my best and follow your recipe to the tee! Your a sweetheart thank you so much.
LeAnn
Hi Jenn,
The boys were craving your spam masubi so were making it right now. Can’t wait yummo 🙂
LeAnn
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