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canapeEasyHawaiian

Spam Musubi

Hawaii's iconic snack—grilled Spam on rice wrapped in nori with teriyaki glaze

⏱️ Prep: 30min🍳 Cook: 10min⏰ Total: 40min👥 Serves: 12🌡️ room_temp
⚠️ Contains: 🫘 Soy, 🌾 Gluten

Ingredients

  • 1 canSpam(12 oz, classic or low-sodium)
  • 3 cupssushi rice(cooked and seasoned)
  • 5 sheetsnori(cut into 2-inch strips)
  • 3 tbspsoy sauce
  • 2 tbspsugar
  • 1 tbspmirin

Instructions

  1. Slice Spam lengthwise into 8-10 slices, about 1/4-inch thick
  2. Mix soy sauce, sugar, and mirin in small bowl for teriyaki glaze
  3. Pan-fry Spam slices until golden on both sides, brushing with glaze
  4. Use musubi mold (or empty Spam can) to press rice into rectangular block
  5. Place glazed Spam slice on top of rice block
  6. Wrap nori strip around the middle, sealing with water

💡 Pro Tips

Use a musubi mold or the Spam can with bottom removed for perfect shaping. Slice Spam about 1/4 inch thick for ideal meat-to-rice ratio. Teriyaki glaze should caramelize on Spam before assembly. Cut nori strips slightly narrower than Spam for clean wrap.

📜 History

Spam musubi was created in Hawaii after World War II when American GIs introduced canned meat to the islands. Local Japanese-Hawaiian cooks combined it with rice and nori in the musubi style. Now sold at every convenience store in Hawaii, it's the state's most beloved grab-and-go snack.

🍸 Pairs Well With

Also pairs well with:

beersakerum