Yatai Yaki Onigiri Sliders
Tokyo's midnight streets, pressed between your palms.
Crispy, flame-kissed grilled rice patties stand in for buns, hugging a filling of soy-glazed pork belly, pickled daikon, and a swipe of spicy kewpie mayo — everything you'd expect to find sizzling on a smoke-hazed Tokyo yatai cart at midnight. The char on the rice adds a nutty, almost smoky depth that no bread bun could ever achieve. These sliders are messy, bold, and unapologetically street-food in spirit.
Ingredients
- 400g Japanese short-grain sushi rice, cooked and still warm
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (for rice seasoning)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 300g pork belly, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (for glaze)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 100g daikon radish, julienned
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1–2 tsp sriracha (to taste)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips
- Neutral oil, for grilling
- Togarashi spice, to finish
Instructions
- PICKLE THE DAIKON: Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add julienned daikon, toss well, and set aside for at least 20 minutes to quick-pickle.
- MAKE SPICY MAYO: Mix Kewpie mayonnaise with sriracha in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
- SHAPE THE ONIGIRI BUNS: Season warm cooked rice with 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp sesame oil, folding gently to combine. Wet your hands and firmly press the rice into 8 flat oval patties, about 1.5cm thick and 8cm long. Press hard so they hold their shape — compactness is key for grilling.
- GRILL THE RICE PATTIES: Heat a cast-iron pan or grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with neutral oil. Place rice patties on the hot surface and press down lightly. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Flip carefully and repeat on the other side. The crust should be crisp and slightly charred at the edges. Remove and rest on a wire rack.
- MAKE THE PORK BELLY GLAZE: Whisk together 3 tbsp soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
- COOK THE PORK BELLY: In the same hot pan, cook the thinly sliced pork belly in a single layer for 2 minutes per side until caramelised. Pour the glaze over the pork and toss constantly for 1–2 minutes until the meat is lacquered and sticky. Remove from heat.
- ASSEMBLE THE SLIDERS: Spread a generous swipe of spicy mayo on one side of a grilled rice patty. Layer on a few pieces of glazed pork belly, a tangle of pickled daikon, and a couple of nori strips. Cap with a second rice patty, mayo-side down.
- GARNISH & SERVE: Scatter toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions over the assembled sliders. Dust with a pinch of togarashi. Serve immediately while the rice buns are still warm and crisp.