This homemade Spam musubi recipe is my go to when I want something quick, filling, and portable. It is authentic in flavor, simple enough for busy weekdays, and approachable even if you have never made musubi before. Whether you are packing lunches, feeding kids, or craving a nostalgic Hawaiian snack, this recipe delivers every time.
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This was inspired by my Spam Rice Balls, Tuna Rice Balls , and Loco Moco on this site. Hawaiian Mac Salad and Kalua Pork are my favorite dishes to serve with Spam Musubi.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It uses simple ingredients you can find anywhere!
- The sauce is balanced with sweet, savory, and sesame flavor.
- Perfect for lunch, dinner, snack prep, parties or road trips!
- It is easy and perfect for homecooks of all levels.
🥘 Spam Musubi recipe ingredients
- Soy Sauce
- Sugar
- Rice Vinegar
- Sesame Oil
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.
🍗 Substitutions & Variations
- Spam → Low sodium Spam or turkey Spam
- White rice → Brown rice or cauliflower rice
- Soy sauce → Coconut aminos (slightly sweeter)
- Sugar → Honey or maple syrup
- Nori → Soy paper or Rice paper
- Egg Spam Musubi → Add a thin egg omelet in between the Spam
- Furikake → Add extra flavor with a sprinkle of furikake
🔪 How to make Spam Musubi
- Step 1: Wash and cook rice before slicing your spam into 7 slices.
- Step 2: Combine ingredients to make the teriyaki sauce
- Step 3: Heat an oiled pan to medium heat. Add Spam slices and cook until browned on both sides.
- Step 4: Pour the sauce into the pan and lower to medium low heat.
- Step 5: Cook until the sauce becomes glossy and sticky, flipping the Spam so each slice gets evenly coated with the glaze.
- Step 6: Season rice with rice vinegar and salt. If you do not have a Musubi mold you can use the spam can lined with plastic wrap or your hands to shape the rice
- Step 7: Cut Seaweed sheets into 4 rectangular-shape long strips and place under musubi mold.
- Step 8: Add in 2 heaping Tablespoons of seasoned rice into Musubi Mold.
- Step 9: Compress and shape the rice.
- Step 10: Add in your glazed spam and wrap and seal the nori with a dab of water.
- Step 11: If wrapping and saving for later, lay down on a square of plastic wrap.
- Step 12: Twist to seal until musubi takes its signature shape and Enjoy!
Hint: If the rice starts sticking to your hands or spoon, lightly dampen your fingers or spoon with water. This makes shaping much easier.
💡 Recipe Pro tips
- Keep the rice warm while assembling
- Let the Spam caramelize before removing from the pan
- Do not over heat the sauce or it can turn bitter
- Wrap musubi while rice is warm so the nori softens
💭 Spam Musubi Recipe FAQ
Spam musubi is Hawaiian food with a Japanese influence
Warm is best. It is commonly eaten at room temperature and works well for packed lunches.
No. A Spam can or hand shaping works perfectly fine.
No, you do not need to marinate the spam for musubi. During the glazing cooking process the flavors absorb into the spam.
🫙 Storage
- Wrap Spam musubi tightly in plastic wrap.
- Room temperature - Safe for several hours if kept cool.
- Refrigerator- Store up to 24 hours. Rice will firm up slightly
🍗 More Recipes from Hawaii
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you try this recipe?
I'd love to hear from you! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @thesavorychopstck on Instagram.
📖 Recipe Card
Easy Spam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 sheets nori - roasted seaweed cut into 4 strips
Rice
- 2 cups uncooked short grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spam Musubi Sauce
- 1 can spam sliced into 7
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce optional
Save this recipe! 💌
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Instructions
- Wash and cook rice before slicing your spam into 7 slices.
- Combine ingredients to make the teriyaki sauce3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- Heat an oiled pan to medium heat. Add Spam slices and cook until browned on both sides.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and lower to medium low heat.
- Cook until the sauce becomes glossy and sticky, flipping the Spam so each slice gets evenly coated with the glaze.
- Season rice with rice vinegar and salt.
- Cut Seaweed sheets into 4 rectangular-shape long strips and place under musubi mold.
- Add in 2 heaping Tablespoons of seasoned rice into Musubi Mold. If you do not have a Musubi mold you can use the spam can lined with plastic wrap or your hands to shape the rice
- Compress and shape the rice.
- Add in your glazed spam and wrap and seal the nori with a dab of water.
- If wrapping and saving for later, lay down on a square of plastic wrap.
- Twist to seal until musubi takes its signature shape and Enjoy!
Sharon Nguyen says
This is a family on the go favorite and always a hit at parties. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!