Spam Musubi (Spam Sushi)

By
Pete Scherer
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Pete Scherer
Pete Scherer is a cook and baker with a decade of experience across many facets of the Southern California food scene.
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Updated on 02/4/21
spam musubi

Pete Scherer 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 8 musubi
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
226 Calories
12g Fat
21g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 226
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 729mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 213mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Spam is a popular ingredient in Hawaii, and a fun way to enjoy it is making musubi, a sushi-like sandwich of spam and sticky sushi rice, secured in place with a strip of nori. The size of the sandwich is correlated with the shape of the spam, which is in turn the shape of the spam can. The basic recipe gives way to many variations, such as adding seasoning to the rice, including an egg, or cooking the spam differently.

This recipe uses a sushi mold, but if you haven't got one, don't worry. You can use the spam can or just wing it hand-roll style. It won't be as cute, but it will still be delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 can Spam, cut into 8 slices approximately 3/8-inch thick

  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 4 sheets nori, cut in half lengthwise

  • 3 cups cooked sushi rice

  • Furikake seasoning, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    spam musubi ingredients
    Pete Scherer 

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray or oil the pan. When the pan is hot, add the spam and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until warmed and lightly browned.

    frying spam
    Pete Scherer 

  3. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce and sugar together, then pour over the spam in the hot skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes, moving the spam around to coat it well with the soy and sugar. When the sauce has thickened and caramelized, remove the pan from heat.

    spam and soy sauce
    Pete Scherer 

  4. Place the sheet of nori on a plate and put the sushi mold over the nori in the center. Put a few spoonfuls of sushi rice inside the mold and use the press to compact the rice.

    rice in a sushi mold on nori
    Pete Scherer 

  5. Sprinkle the rice with some furikake.

    furikake on rice and nori
    Pete Scherer

  6. Place a slice of spam onto the seasoned rice.

    spam musubi
    Pete Scherer 

  7. Spoon more sushi rice over the spam and press again.

    spam and rice in sushi mold over nori
    Pete Scherer 

  8. Holding the rice and spam in place with the press, remove the sushi mold, then gently remove the press. Wrap the nori around the spam and rice. Seal the package with a few grains of rice or a small amount of water, as if sealing an envelope. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

  9. Serve immediately and enjoy.

    complete musubi
    Pete Scherer 

Using the Spam Can as a Sushi Mold

There are 2 ways to use the spam can as your musubi mold. The first is to line the can with a big enough piece of plastic wrap that the sides hang over the edges, and press the ingredients in layers into the can. Pull the molded layers out using the plastic wrap, carefully remove the musubi, and place on top of the sheet of nori; wrap as instructed. The second way to use the spam can is to cut off the bottom with a sturdy pair of scissors and use it in the same way as the sushi mold.