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We’ve been hitting the road a lot this year and the two things we always pack on the first day of our road trip are onigiri (rice balls) and kara-age (Japanese fried chicken nuggets). They are flavorful finger foods that make it easy to eat while on the road. We’ve received a lot of requests to share the recipes, so we finally put a video together along with the details in this post.

Traditional Seaweed Rice Ball - Onigiri おにぎり

If you’ve ever been to Japan, then you will know that rice balls are in every single convenience store you walk into. It’s a staple food in Japan, so much so, that it comes in a variety of flavors. The most common is the classic plain rice ball wrapped in seaweed. Crystal likes the classic rice ball whereas Candy prefers hers with some extra ingredients. The key to a great tasting rice ball is the rice. As long as the rice is perfect, it’s hard to make a bad onigiri.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups Japanese Short Grain Rice

• Pinch of salt

• Dried Seaweed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse the rice.

2. Add water according to the cups of rice being cooked.

3. Once the rice is cooked, transfer some of the rice into a bowl.

4. Add a pinch of salt to the rice and mix.

5. Continue to add salt to your liking.

6. Use a rice ball mold or your hands to shape the rice ball.

7. Cover the rice ball with seaweed.

NOTES:

Do NOT use any type of long grain rice (jasmine and basmati). Make sure your rice is a short grain.

Japanese Chicken Nuggets - Kara-Age 唐揚げ

When people ask us what kara-age is, we say it’s Japanese-style fried chicken nuggets. It doesn’t taste like an American chicken nugget, but they look similar since both are made into bite-size pieces. The Japanese style has more Asian flavors since it has soy sauce, ginger, and a variety of other ingredients that isn’t found in American chicken nuggets.

You’ll often find kara-age on appetizer menus in Japan, as well as in convenient stores. It’s a common dish that is often cooked at home as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 Pounds Chicken Thighs

• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Mirin

• 1 Tbsp Sake

• 1 Tsp Fresh Ginger

• 3 TBS Corn Starch

• Vegetable Oil for deep frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the chicken thighs into cubes.

2. Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, sake, mirin, and fresh ginger for 15-20 minutes.

3. Drain the marinade.

4. After draining the marinade, toss the chicken into corn starch. Coat each chicken evenly.

5. Pour vegetable oil into a pot and heat on medium-high.

6. Deep fry for about 3-4 minutes.

7. Once the chicken has reached a golden brown color, remove and repeat the process.

NOTES:

* Put a small piece of the batter into the oil to make sure it the oil is hot. The batter will quickly rise to the top indicating that it is ready.

* Place the chicken on a paper towel after you remove it from the oil. Even better if you have a rack so that the excess oil can drip off the chicken.

These are not only great dishes for road trips, but for picnics too. Enjoy!