Hawaiian Spam & Egg Musubi

Who wants to go to Hawaii? I do! Since I can’t, Spam musubi makes me feel like I’m already there. Kind of.

Say what you will but I love Spam and I loooove Spam musubi. It’s tasty, portable, and filling quick meals.

You can take them on picnics, hikes, pack them into lunch boxes for the kids, or in your bag for a quick bite when you’re running around town doing errands and hangry.

What is Spam Musubi?

Spam musubi is a popular Hawaiian snack or light Hawaiian meal made with a slice of Spam on top of a block of rice, wrapped together with a strip of roasted nori (seaweed).

The basic version of Spam musubi is topped with a sweet soy sauce glaze, giving it more flavor. But you can change it up and make it even better by adding other delicious ingredients, like fluffy eggs, grilled eel (unagi) or anything your heart desires.

Spam dates back to World War II when it was introduced to Hawaii by American troops. Fresh meat was hard to come by so Spam, cheap canned meat, quickly became a pantry staple.

People started pairing Spam with rice and over time, Spam Musubi was born.

Think Japanese onigiri, but with Spam.

Spam is so popular in Hawaii that even McDonald’s Hawaii breakfast platters include Spam.

What Does Spam Mean?

If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what does Spam even mean.

After some internet research, some people say that Spam stands for spiced ham, with the S from spiced and the word ham combined.

However, Hormel, the company that makes Spam, has never confirmed this. They have jokingly referred to it as Specially Processed American Meat.

In short, Hormel is keeping it a secret.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

There are tons of Spam Musubi recipes out there, but I’m doing things a little differently and hopefully making it easier and more awesome:

• Air-fried Spam: It fries up beautifully without the hot oil splatter that has stained so many of my shirts.
• Using sushi rice instead of plain rice: The basic version uses plain steam rice. For this recipe, I using sushi rice. It is sweet and tangy, perfectly complementing the salty Spam.
• This comes together quickly: let the rice cooker do its thing, air fry the Spam, and pan-fry the eggs, all in 30 to 40 minutes, or however long your rice cooker takes to cook the rice.

What You Will Need for Musubi

Ingredients

To make this spam and egg musubi, gather the following ingredients:

• Spam – Classic Spam is best, but you can also choose from a variety of options. There are low-sodium Spam, spicy Spam, smoked Spam, and even one with Korean red pepper paste (gochujang).
• Eggs – Whisked, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, and pan-fried for extra protein. I threw in some chopped green onions too, just to feel a little healthy even though some musubi purists would say that’s low-key psychopath.
• Sushi rice – Aside from the Spam, this is what makes the dish. Your regular steamed jasmine (long grain) rice can work too but I felt it just wasn’t as tasty. Sushi rice is made with short-grain or medium-grain rice that makes it sticky for easy molding. It’s also seasoned with a splash of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt to give it that a wonderful complementing flavor to Spam. I have a full sushi rice recipe here and we are using all of it to make 8 spam musubi in this recipe.
• Nori (roasted seaweed) – We’ll need nori to wrap everything up. This is what holds your Spam Musubi together and gives it that signature look. You can find it at just about any Asian market. It comes in flat packages in a squarish-rectangle shape.
• Sweet soy glaze – A quick mix of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil for shine. You can also substitute with store-bought unagi sauce, also known as eel sauce, or teriyaki sauce.
• Furikake (optional) – Rice seasoning with crumbled seaweed, toasted sesame seeds and seasonings. There’s even a wasabi version, so check the label closely if you’re not a fan of wasabi.

Equipment

• Rice cooker – I’m using a rice cooker to quickly cook the rice, but I also have stovetop instructions here.
• Air fryer – I love using the air fryer to fry the spam. Fast, no oil mess and convenient. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also do this in a pan or skillet with a bit of oil.
• Musubi mold – This is optional to quickly shape the musubi, but you can free form if you don’t have a mold. This is the exact mold I’m using.
• Food Plastic wrap – If you are planning to store it.

How to Make Spam Musubi

Step 1: Cook the rice in a rice cooker

Follow my full simple sushi rice recipe here. While it cooks, move on to the next step.

Step 2: Slice and fry the Spam

Slice the Spam into 8 equal pieces.

The best way to ensure even slices is to cut it in half (2 pieces), then cut each half in half again (now you have 4 pieces), and finally cut each of those in half one more time to make 8 even slices. They are now the perfect thickness for musubi. And they are all even!

Transfer them to the air fryer in a single layer. No need to spray oil. Air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.

I didn’t need to flip in my air fryer and I still got a great crust on both sides. But all air fryer is a little different so give it a check at the half way mark and flip if you think it’s needed.

Once done, set aside.

Step 3: Make the sweet soy glaze

In a small bowl, combine light soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Brush finished Spam slices with this sauce and set aside.

Step 4: Cook the Eggs

Crack eggs into a bowl, add chopped green onions (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well.

Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then pour in the eggs.

Gently stir and push the eggs around so the uncooked parts flow into the empty spots in the pan. Cook until the eggs are just set.

Divide into 8 equal portions and set aside.

Step 5: Cut the Nori

For 8 Spam musubi, you’ll need 3 full sheets of nori. Stack them together and fold it into thirds along the long side. Tear gently along the fold or use scissors for a more precise cut.

You will have 9 long pieces, but we only need 8. Save the last piece in case of tearing. If not needed at the end, enjoy it as a well deserved snack.

Step 6: Assemble

Divide the sushi rice into 8 equal portions.

Prepare a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in. This helps keep the rice from sticking to your hands.

When assembling the musubi, I like to build it top-down, like this:

Storage & Reheating

If you have leftovers, wrap them up individually and tightly in food plastic wrap.

Wrapping the musubi will help keep it all together and also help the rice from drying out.

Transfer them to an airtight container. It keeps well up in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months or longer.

To reheat, I like to microwave it with the food plastic wrap for about 30 seconds so it catches the steam and moisten up the rice again.

FAQs

Is Musubi Best Served Hot or Cold?

I enjoy Spam musubi warm. If musubi is cold, the rice gets hard so it’s not as tasty or living up to its full potential.

You can also enjoy Spam musubi at room temperature. If you have kiddos and want to pack this for lunch, it works out nicely. Spam musubi stored in the fridge would be room temperature by lunchtime if left out.

I don’t have a mold. What Can I use?

If you don’t have a mold, you can shape the rice with your hands. Just lightly wet your hands with water to prevent sticking, and press the rice into the desired shape then add Spam and eggs on top.

Some people like to clean out the Spam can, line it with plastic wrap (leave some hanging over the edges), then press everything inside to shape the musubi. When it’s assembled, lift it out using the overhanging plastic wrap.

Can I use leftover plain rice?

Yes, you can. Sometimes I’m lazy so I use whatever rice I have on hand. That’s usually steamed jasmine rice. You can reheat and season it to make sushi rice or just use as is.

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