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Spam Musubi is rapidly growing in popularity and for good reason! It’s so good! No need to book a flight to Hawaii to enjoy it, this local favorite can easily be made in the comfort of your own home.
When I lived in Hawaii, Musubi was an actual staple in my day-to-day life. I lived across the street from a Foodland (a popular grocery store in Hawaii) and I would try to get there as early as I could to get some Musubi before it sold out for the day. I would usually buy one for breakfast and pack another one away for lunch. It is such a convenient “starving college student” meal because it is filling and also super cheap. Back in the day, you could find them for under $2, so for a poor college student living in Hawaii where everything is ridiculously expensive, it was a no-brainer.
This recipe is as local and authentic as it gets. You are going to love it!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
What is Spam Musubi?
Spam Musubi is a rice-based snack, usually served in a rectangular-shape topped with Spam and wrapped with nori seaweed. You also may be asking yourself what Spam is. Spam is a canned meat made with pork and ham. Well, a little history, Spam became increasingly popular in Hawaii after WWII, it was sent to the troops stationed in Hawaii and kind of spread from there. It was cheap. It was easy to store and cook. And it still is! It is actually still one of the staple foods in Hawaii today. It is so famous that even McDonald’s Hawaii breakfast platters includes Spam.
Ingredients
- Spam – Regular or “Lite” Spam will work great for this recipe.
- Marinade / Glaze – I like to make a marinade with Oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar but any kind of teriyaki sauce will work great as a marinade.
- Nori roasted seaweed – This can be found at most Asian markets. I am seeing it pop up more in local grocery stores too, which makes shopping even easier.
- Sushi Rice – This is key ingredient. Use a sticky short- or medium-grain rice, such as Calrose or sushi rice. For this recipe, use the rice plain without adding the sushi vinegar mixture. Sushi rice is sticky and forms into a mold for easy hand-held eating.
- Furikake (optional) – Furikake is a seasoning made from seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, and spices. My kids literally put it on everything.
How to Make Spam Musubi
- Prepare the Spam: Marinate spam in our homemade marinade or a store-bought teriyaki sauce. Drain marinade and fry spam on both sides until slightly browned and crispy.
- Prepare the Sushi Rice: We have two methods for preparing sushi rice: Sushi rice on the stovetop and Instant Pot sushi rice. Both work great for this recipe.
- Layer Ingredients in Musubi Mold: Start by placing a strip of nori roasted seaweed on a cutting board with the shiny side down. Place the musubi mold in the middle of the seaweed (perpendicular to the seaweed). Use the mold top to press the sushi rice into the mold. Sprinkle the rice with furikake, then place the cooked spam on top.
- Wrap the Musubi: Remove the mold. Wrap one side of the nori and and stick it to the top of the Spam, the wrap the other side. Use a little water to get the ends of the nori to stick together if needed.
Hot or Cold?
This is a question I get asked all the time. In short, musubi is best when it is served hot or warm. If musubi cools too much or if it is refrigerated, the rice can dry out and get too hard. This makes the musubi crumbly. Avoid this by wrapping it VERY well. When I pack my kids lunchboxes, I wrap it up tight and it in a plastic container, pressing out as much air as I can. My kids will eat it cold for lunch and haven’t complained so that being said, it’s not bad cold, it’s just best when it’s warm.
More Tasty Authentic Hawaiian Recipes
Spam Musubi Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Spam
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Nori, roasted seaweed used for sushi, cut into halves or thirds
- 6 cups cooked sushi rice, WITHOUT the vinegar mixture added –Click HERE for the Sushi Rice Recipe
- furikake, (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the Spam into about 8-10 slices depending on how thick you like it. Place it in a Ziplock bag. Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar until sugar is dissolved and add to the bag with the Spam. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Drain off marinade and fry Spam on each side over medium heat until slightly crispy or until desired doneness.
- Place a strip of nori roasted seaweed on a cutting board (shiny side down). Place your Musubi mold across the middle of the nori.
- Add Sushi Rice to the mold, pressing down firmly and evenly so there is about 1-1 ½ inches of rice. Dip the mold and your fingers in water as you go to prevent sticking.
- Optional: Add a sprinkling of furikake (a mixture of sesame seeds and little bits of nori) for extra flavor.
- Next, remove the mold from the rice. Now you will have a nice little block of rice right on the nori. Add a slice of cooked Spam on top of the rice.
- Wrap up one side of the nori and stick it to the top of the SPAM, then wrap up the other side. Just like you are wrapping a nice little package. Use a little water on your finger to seal if needed. Serve warm.
Notes
Storing and Reheating
If not eating immediately, wrap each musubi very tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Wrapping the musubi will help keep it all together and also help the rice to not dry out so quickly. I wrap it while it is still very hot so all that steam stays inside. Refrigerate Spam musubi within 2 hours of making it (1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F). If you’re packing it for lunch, keep it cold in an insulated lunchbox with ice packs. To refrigerate, place the wrapped musubi pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To re-heat, remove the plastic wrap, then wrap the in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds or until heated through.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So good!! This was my first time making, but the recipe made it so easy. I put my sushi rice into the can lined with plastic wrap and pressed firmly into the bottom/sides. Then I grabbed the edges of the plastic wrap and pulled it out. It made a perfectly formed block of rice that I was able to transfer to the seaweed and then follow the rest of the steps for assembly. It turned out perfect. Thought I would leave a comment in case it could be helpful to someone else. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, so glad you liked it!
Really delicious! And easy to make. I went ahead and made the sushi rice using the vinegar mix and it was excellent! It added more flavor to the rice. I also made mine with the spam on the bottom and the top to give it more meat. So delicious!
I’ll have to try it that way!
I forgot to get oyster sauce any sub
Hoisin sauce is an ok substitute.
I just made this for lunch for my husband and I. I turned out amazing! I was a little intimidated by the sushi rice, but it was much easier than anticipated. This is a keeper and I will be making it again soon.
Yay! I’m so happy this recipe was a success for you. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely loved this recipe! Especially the step by step photos of wrapping the Nori. As someone who’s not the best cook I expected my first attempt to making Musubi to fail but this is truly fool proof! These are so yummy and I can’t wait to make them again!
So glad it turned out so well on your first attempt! Way to go! I hope you come back often and try more of our recipes 🙂 We are always here to help!
What kind of soy sauce do you use for the sauce?
Great recipe!
Thanks!
Kathy
I’ve mostly used Kikkoman soy sauce for this recipe. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This has become a family fave. It’s so easy to make! And it is absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Instuctions are very clear , and everything is organized and overall its just a nice website
Am I able to let it marinate overnight?
Yes, that is totally fine and will soak up the flavor a little more.
Wow! Delicious and not too difficult to make. My family loved it. Thank you sharing!
so glad you liked it!
These are soooo good. It’s a simple recipe and so easy to do.
I lived in Hawaii for 4 years and had to try these when I moved back state-side. I am very happy with how they came out. I usually marinade them longer (mostly because I forget and get distracted lol).
Made it for dinner tonight and they came out great. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Made this at home for the first time after trying it in Hawaii. Directions were easy to follow and I actually had fun making it. I left out the rice vinegar dressing, but aside from that, it turned out great. Made some extra to grab for a quick breakfast on my way to work. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you shared this recipe was FUN for you to make – that’s how cooking should be, right? Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe – we really appreciate it! ❤️
I’ve had this since I was a baby and always wanted to learn how to make it my dad never showed me no one really did and I looked up recipes and this helped me. P.S. I’m 13 so don’t think I’m 30 and don’t know how to cook.
Hi Tristan – Way to go finding something you love and making it, even though you weren’t shown how! I am impressed! If you ever need help or guidance with recipes you can always reach out to us. We answer every comment and can help you along the way. We are always willing to help! So glad you found this recipe, you will be a pro at making musubi in no time!
I’ve made this a few times now, and it turns out great every time!
I’ve started doing the glaze a bit differently. I don’t marinate the spam anymore – I just cook it until it’s crispy on both sides. I cook the glaze ingredients separately until it bubbles and thickens a bit, and then I just brush it on both sides of the browned spam during assembly. This helps me avoid burning the sugar in the marinade while browning the spam – especially if I need to do multiple batches.
Thank you for sharing this Ryan! This is a really good idea!
I love musubi when I’m at fairs. I haven’t made this receipt yet, but it looks what I’m familiar with. I just wanted to add that the Nutritional section of your recipes lack a serving size. Musubi is VERY high in sodium, so is the nutrition per 1 of 8 or 1 of 10 servings? Also, would there be any substitutions that could get the sodium content reduced?
Oh thanks for the head’s up, I will double check that and try and fix the serving sizes. You can always use low-sodium spam and low sodium sauces. Hope this helps! Thanks for the comment.
ilove it yummmmmyyyy yum!c love it >v<
Thank you! I enjoy cooking your recipes!
You are very welcome! 🙂
Perfect every time!!! I used the leftover marinade by adding a little orange juice and some chicken thighs or steak for the grill. Very tasty.
Great idea! Thanks for your comment!
Love these. I’m setting up a Musubi stall for my boat club’s Hawaiian Luau in June. Hoping they will like these as much as I do
Thank you so much! I’m sure they will be hit at the luau!