I wanted to make a special lunch for my kids on Valentine’s Day, so I made these heart-shaped rice balls. They were an easy hit, but you don’t need a holiday to enjoy them. These cute rice shapes are simple to prepare and work well for lunch boxes, snacks, or any time you want a playful touch to a meal.
Use medium-grain white rice such as Calrose or Nishiki for the best texture. This type of rice—commonly used in Korean cooking—becomes soft and slightly sticky when freshly cooked, which makes it easy to shape when you press it while warm. If you prefer convenience, instant medium-grain rice (for example, products like Bibigo instant rice) will also work. The key is to shape the rice while it’s still warm; once the rice cools, it becomes much harder to mold.
I used a heart-shaped rice mold for these, because I was making them for Valentine’s Day, but a triangular mold or onigiri mold also produces attractive rice shapes. The molds make assembly quick and neat.
For the heart centers I used small cocktail sausages—Fork In The Road “Little Goodies” worked well for this size. To make the sausage hearts, cut a mini sausage diagonally in half, then flip one half so the two pieces together form a heart. You can use the same technique with cherry tomatoes or other small items for variation.
Heart sausage rice balls
These charming rice balls are perfect for a special lunch box or any day you want a fun, simple meal addition.
Servings
4
rice balls
Author
whiteblankspace
Ingredients
-
2
cups
cooked medium-grain white rice
Calrose or Nishiki -
1/2
tsp
salt -
1
tsp
sugar -
1
tsp
rice wine vinegar -
2
tsp
toasted sesame oil + more -
4
+ more mini sausages
Instructions
-
(Optional) Warm the mini sausages in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then cut each sausage diagonally in half. Flip one half to form a heart shape with the two pieces.
-
Combine the salt, sugar, and rice wine vinegar. While the rice is still warm, gently toss it with this seasoning. Add 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil and mix gently so the rice is evenly seasoned.
-
Place a thin layer of rice into a rice mold, set the heart sausage in the center, and cover with more rice. Press firmly to shape the rice ball.
-
Brush the finished rice balls lightly with additional toasted sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.