In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make spam musubi with teriyaki sauce right at home. The dipping sauce will give an extra boost of flavor.
Spam musubi is a popular dish in the Hawaiian Islands. They have it all over in convenience store, grocery stores, even gas stations and it’s pretty easy to make at home too. No need to get on a plane.
Often in Hawaii the residents just dip their snack in soy sauce, or ketchup, or a mix of soy sauce and sugar in a bowl.
However, if you make a teriyaki glaze for your Spam Musubi, we think it is the best tasting combination that will have your yearning for more.
Great Tasting Budget Friendly Snack
This seems to be increasing in popularity in the United States as people find out about this hidden gem of a recipe. This makes for quick snacks or a super easy weeknight meal.
Assemble and wrap with a sheet of plastic wrap. It is a safe treat to pack for a road trip. Make ahead and bring to work for your lunch.
Are You a Lover of SPAM?
Maybe you have never heard of SPAM. At our house, when we do have a can on hand, it disappears quickly.
SPAM is a canned meat consisting of pork with ham meat added. Preservatives and other ingredients listed on the container include salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite.
SPAM stands for Special Processed American Meat. SPAM was designed to be a safe protein that can be eaten right out of the can. During World War II this canned meat was served to the service men in the war.
By the end of the war, fried slices of Spam and rice had already become a popular meal in Hawaii. To this day, it remains an extremely popular dish.
Everyone it seems has a can of Spam in their pantry if you love it. It seems to be a personal preference if you like it or not.
It is a protein-filled easy snack. If you are concerned that there will be food shortage, Spam is a wonderful way to stock up on canned meat for when disaster strikes.
What is Spam Musubi?
Originating in Hawaii, spam musubi is a marinated cooked SPAM meat combined with rice wrapped in sheets of sushi nori also called dry seaweed.
How Do You Make Teriyaki Spam Musubi?
Let’s go over how to make this wonderful Hawaiian snack at home.
The key is to cook the rice and as it is cooling, prepare everything including your dipping sauce so that when the meat is cooked and crispy you are ready to assemble the snack. This way, the meat is still warm and crispy. It just adds another element of food enjoyment.
Simple Steps in making Hawaiian Spam Musubi
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Or use a rice cooker. Just add the water and rice and press the button.
Remove from heat. Make a sticky rice by mixing in the rice vinegar. Set aside to cool.
Cut the dried seaweed sheets in a strip. Place on a clean flat surface in a single layer with the shiny side down.
Teriyaki Sauce
In a medium bowl, add the sugar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and mix until sugar is completely dissolved.
Slice SPAM lengthwise to your desired thickness usually 6-10 slices.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. The oil helps keep the marinated meat from sticking. Cook the SPAM slices until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side or until desired doneness and crispiness.
Pour the soy sauce sugar mix over the Spam and allow it to soak into the spores. Turning once. When the sugar has caramelized, it is done. About another 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate.
Working quickly to assemble the musubi.
Place the Musubi mold across the middle of the nori sheet, press the cooled sushi rice tightly and evenly in the mold. There should be 1 to 1 ½-inches of rice. Pro Tip. Dip the mold and your fingers in water often to prevent sticking.
Next, carefully remove the mold from the rice. There should now be a little block of rice in the middle of the nori.
Place the slice of spam on top of the rice.
Wrap the nori around the rice and spam cake using a little dab of water on the end of the bottom nori if needed to seal it.
Just like wrapping a cute little snack package.
Serve warm or chilled. Dip into the teriyaki glaze in the pan for even more flavor.
What are the Ingredients in SPAM Musubi Teriyaki Sauce?
Ingredients in Teriyaki Sauce To generate a particularly strong taste, authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce mixes soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake, with Westernized versions including honey, garlic, and ginger for added edge. Cornstarch is commonly used to thicken teriyaki sauce.
What is spam musubi sauce made of?
The key to a great spam musubi teriyaki sauce is balance. There’s an almost perfect blend between salty and sweet, which coats the meat in a beautiful glaze coating that makes your mouth water just by looking at it.
This teriyaki glaze recipe is made of soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and sesame oil. It really packs some flavor into every bite
How To Make Spam Musubi Sauce Teriyaki Glaze
This teriyaki sauce takes the spam musubi over the top. It just takes a few minutes to make. I urge you to give it a try.
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Stir to combine and microwave 30 seconds and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. Set aside to cool slightly.
Is It Necessary to Keep Spam Musubi Refrigerated?
Keep the prepared Spam Musubi wrapped separately. They can be kept at room temperature and safely eaten for 4 hours. After this, it is best to discard it for food safety.
You might be wondering, how long does Spam last. We have a whole article dedicated to this information.
Make Ahead Snack Recipe
You can make a lot and wrap individually in plastic wrap. It will last in the refrigerator up to 7 days. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and heat in the microwave 15 seconds or until warm.
You can freeze the musubi too
Wrap individually in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container. It will keep fresh in the freezer up to two months.
How to Make Spam Musubi with Teriyaki Sauce
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Short-Grain White Rice Uncooked
- 3 Cups Water
- ¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
- 12 Ounces SPAM 1 container
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 5 Sheets Nori Dry Seaweed
SPAM Musubi Sauce
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Oyster Sauce
Spam Musubi Sauce Teriyaki Sauce (optional)
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Rinse rice a few times until the water runs clear.
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Or use a rice cooker.
- Remove from heat. Make a sticky rice by adding the rice vinegar. Set aside to cool.
- Pro Tip. Have everything ready to assemble at this point. Once the spam is done, you will want to make your musubi right away while your meat is still crispy.
- Cut the dried seaweed sheets in a strip. Place on a clean surface with the shiny side down.
SPAM Musubi Sauce
- In a medium bowl, add the sugar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and mix until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Slice Spam lengthwise into 8 or 10 slices, or your desired thickness.
- In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. The oil helps keep the marinated meat from sticking. Cook the SPAM slices until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side or until desired doneness and crispiness.
- Pour the soy sauce sugar mix over the Spam and allow it to soak into the spores. Turning once. When the sugar has caramelized, it is done. About another 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate.
- Working quickly to assemble the musubi.
- Place the Musubi mold across the middle of the nori, press the cooled sushi rice tightly and evenly in the mold. There should be 1 to 1 ½-inches of rice. Pro Tip. Dip the mold and your fingers in water often to prevent sticking.
- Next, carefully remove the mold from the rice. There should now be a little block of rice in the middle of the nori. Add a cooked piece of spam on top.
- Wrap the nori around the rice and spam cake using a little water on the end of the bottom strip of nori if needed to seal it.
- Just like wrapping a cute little snack package.
- Serve warm or chilled. Dip into the teriyaki glaze in the pan for even more flavor.
Spam Musubi Sauce Teriyaki Sauce (optional)
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Stir to combine and microwave 30 seconds and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. Set aside to cool slightly.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Recipe Variation
If you prefer, you can just use the soy sauce and sugar as your seasoning. We prefer adding the rice vinegar to the sushi rice as it helps it stick and adds delicious flavor.How To Make Spam Musubi Sauce Teriyaki Sauce
This teriyaki sauce takes the spam musubi over the top. It just takes a few minutes to make. I urge you to give it a try.- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
