Katsu musubi is a Japanese dish consisting of fried Spam on top of rice wrapped in nori. The dish is simple and can be enjoyed as a main course or snack. Making katsu musubi is very easy, and the results are delicious.
Start making this Japanese dish by coating the sliced Spam with soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Then fry the slices after coating them in breadcrumbs, whisked eggs, and flour. Place nori sheets in the bottom, followed by Spam and cooked rice with a hint of crunchy salty seasoning.
There are many ways to enjoy katsu musubi. You can go for pickled ginger for a nice tart and spicy flavor. Try it with teriyaki sauce for a little sweet and tangy flavor. At the same time, Japanese mayonnaise will add a creamy richness to the katsu musubi.
Let us now dive into one of the easiest recipes you should know. While scrolling down, you will find a list of essential ingredients and equipment to make this delicious recipe.
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Katsu Musubi?
- Mixing Bowl – You will need bowls to prepare the coating for the Katsu and the ingredients to make the dish.
- Chopping board – You will need a chopping board to cut Spam horizontally into eight slices.
- Knife – You might use a knife to grate the ginger and cut the Spam to make the dish.
- Skillet – You will need a skillet to fry the coated Spam in oil for a more decadent taste.
- Spatula – You might need a flat-surfaced spatula to stir the ingredients to avoid lumps.
- Sieve – You might need a strainer or sieve to drain off the excess starch from the rice.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Katsu Musubi?
Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
---|---|---|
15 Minutes | 15 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Katsu Musubi?
- Soy Sauce – This is a flavorful and salty sauce often used for pork cutlets and other dishes. You will need this sauce to pair with rice to bring out its flavor.
- Spam – Spam is a canned pork-based product. Spam is made from chopped meats cooked and pressed together.
- Eggs – Eggs are an important component of this Japanese dish as a bind for katsu musubi.
- Nori – One of the basic ingredients of katsu musubi is chopped roasted seaweed sheets. It will add texture and a slight salty flavor to katsu musubi.
- Japanese Rice – You will need Japanese rice as it is shorter, starchier, and has a higher protein content than other types of rice.
- Furikake – You might need this Japanese seasoning to give a yummy nutty flavor to your dish.
- Panko Bread crumbs – Panko is Japanese-style bread crumbs to make this breading yummy.

Steps To Make Katsu Musubi
1. Cook The Rice First
Rinse the cooked rice in a sieve to remove excess starch. Then, add the rice to a pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and let it cook for about five minutes until the water has evaporated. Drain in the same bowl, then rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Coat The Spam
Mix the soy sauce, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until well mixed. Place the Spam in the soy sauce mixture over it to coat.
Allow marinating for about 15 minutes or longer if you wish. Turn occasionally during the marinating time to ensure all sides of the Spam are evenly coated with the soy sauce mixture.
3. Breading Process
Add flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs to three separate bowls. Take a slice of Spam and start coating it in flour, whisked eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. Place coated Spam in the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
4. Assemble The Ingredients
Lay nori on a flat surface. Layer cooked rice on your surface, then top with Spam and red bell pepper slices. Then, spoon some grated ginger dressing onto each dish, followed by the remaining rice and furikake.
Enjoy! Wrap nori around your prepared musubi and seal ends with a small dab of water.
Nutritional Information
Calories | 298 kcal |
Total Fat | 11 g |
Saturated Fat | 3 g |
Trans Fat | 0 g |
Unsaturated Fat | 7 g |
Cholesterol | 66 mg |
Sodium | 464 mg |
Carbohydrates | 39 g |
Fibre | 1 g |
Sugar | 5 g |
Protein | 9 g |
How Will Katsu Musubi Look And Taste Like?
Rich and savory Spam turns perfectly crispy and golden when pan-fried in a slightly salty-inspired spam musubi sauce. It’s sweet-savory perfection, it will make your tastebuds so happy! The Spam is wrapped in nori seaweed with white rice and lots of furikake, making the perfect handheld snack.
Recipe Card

Katsu Musubi Recipe
Spam katsu musubi is marinated and breaded Spam fried to golden brown perfection. The crispy Spam is sandwiched between a bed of sticky white rice and wrapped in nori. It’s the ultimate on-the-go meal.
- 1 can Spam
- 2 cups Japanese Rice (cooked)
- 4 sheets Nori (seaweed)
- ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumb
- 1 Egg (beaten)
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 4 tablespoons Soy Sauce (shoyu)
- 2 teaspoons Ginger (grated)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
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Take a small mixing bowl to whisk together soy sauce, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
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Place sliced Spam in the sauce mixture and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
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While the Spam is marinating, the process of bread begins.
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In three separate bowls, add flour eggs, whisk them and add panko breadcrumbs.
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Add and heat cooking oil to a pan set over medium heat.
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Remove Spam from the sauce mixture. Then take one of its slices and coat it with flour, whisked eggs, and lastly, panko.
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Once coated nicely, set the Spam aside and continue with the remainder of the Spam.
Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
Conclusion
Katsu musubi is a dish composed of sliced and grilled Spam sandwiched between a block of rice and wrapped together with nori in the tradition of Japanese onigiri. I hope you liked this recipe. Tell me in the comments about your favorite part of the recipe.
I’ll see you another time with another great recipe. Until then, take care, and happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Musubi Japanese or Hawaiian?
Musubi is a wildly popular food that is commonly enjoyed in Hawaii. Resembling the Japanese culinary favorite onigiri, Musubi is made with a base of packed white rice topped with the meat or fish of your choice, wrapped around the midsection with a piece of seaweed.
Is Spam Musubi like sushi?
Spam musubi is a popular snack in Hawaii. It is a type of sushi that features marinated cooked Spam.
Is Spam musubi served hot or cold?
The best thing about Musubi is that they’re served warm or cold from the fridge! If you want to rewarm them, you can pop them in the microwave for a couple of seconds.
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