These kimchi cheese rice balls are crispy on the outside and tender and cheesy on the inside with a lovely pop of tangy kimchi in each bite. It's a great way to use up some fermented kimchi and they make addictive snacks that takes less than 30 minutes to make! For more rice ball inspirations, also check out our classic yaki onigiri, spam yaki onigiri, and spicy tuna onigiri.
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Ingredients you'll need
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Kimchi - Make sure to use fermented napa cabbage kimchi for this recipe! The sourness of fermented kimchi is perfect for these rice balls and other cooked kimchi recipes like kimchi pancake and kimchi jjigae. You can make your own napa cabbage kimchi by following our step by step recipe or buy it at most Asian markets and sometimes Costco.
- Sugar - Optional if the kimchi is too fermented/sour.
- Cooked white rice - Make sure to use medium grain or short grain white rice because they are sticky and will hold the rice ball shape.
- Soy sauce
- Sesame seed and sesame oil - Optional for some additional toasted flavor.
- Mozzarella cheese - Use shredded mozzarella for the BEST cheese pull but sliced or mozzarella sticks are perfect too.
- Oil for cooking
How to make kimchi cheese rice balls
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Cook the kimchi in a pan until most of the kimchi juices has evaporated. This prevents the rice from becoming too soggy. If your kimchi is super fermented/too sour, add a little sugar to balance it out.
2. Season the rice with the cooked kimchi, soy sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil.
3. Portion and stuff each rice ball with mozzarella, ball them up firmly, then shape them into triangles using your palm and and hand. You can also use onigiri molds to shape the rice balls.
4. Then pan fry the rice balls until crispy on each side.
Recipe tips
- Chop the kimchi in a food processor if you don't have a designated kimchi cutting board because the kimchi WILL stain it and the cutting board WILL smell like kimchi. We usually cut our kimchi with kitchen shears but because it's best to cut the kimchi finely for this recipe, it can be quite an arm workout.
- Make sure to chop the kimchi finely. It's ideal to chop the kimchi finely for these rice balls because you'll get an even bite of kimchi and rice. If the kimchi pieces are too large, some bites of rice balls might be a little bland. Also, large chunks of kimchi can cause the rice ball to fall apart more easily.
- Use medium or short grain white rice! This is essential to keeping the rice ball from falling apart.
- Use disposable gloves or cling wrap to keep the mess to a minimal. The rice will be sticky and wearing gloves will keep your hands clean and kimchi-stain free!
Storage
Leftover kimchi cheese rice balls can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. We recommend individually wrapping each rice ball with cling wrap and store them in an airtight container.
Reheating
These rice balls can be reheated in the microwave or air fryer. If frozen, make sure to defrost the rice balls before reheating.
Microwave method: Cover the rice balls and microwave until hot, about 45 to 50 seconds. They'll be VERY hot. The only con to this method is that the rice balls will not be crispy on the outside.
Air fryer method: Place the rice balls in the air fryer basket and air fry at 350°F/175°C for about 10 minutes or until they are hot throughout and crispy again on the outside.
📖 Recipe
Kimchi Cheese Rice Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup fermented kimchi finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional if kimchi is too sour
- 2 cups cooked white rice medium or short grain
- 1½ tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed optional
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
- ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Oil as needed for cooking
Instructions
- Cook the kimchi:In a pan over medium high heat, add a very small amount of oil. Once then pan is hot, add the finely chopped kimchi and sugar (if using). Saute the kimchi until most of the kimchi juice has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Season the rice:When the kimchi is ready, add it to a mixing bowl along with the hot white rice, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Mix until everything is evenly and well combined. Roughly divide the rice mixture into 5 equal portions.
- Shape the rice balls:With gloves on, shape each portion of kimchi rice into a ball. Then make a hole in the rice ball and stuff about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella. Close the rice ball and firmly compact the ball and shape it into a triangle. Repeat with remaining rice and mozzarella.
- Alternatively, you can make the rice balls with onigiri molds. If doing so, scoop ½ of a portion into the mold. Indent the rice slightly in the middle and add the mozzarella. Then top with the remaining portion of the rice and press firmly to shape. Repeat with remaining rice and mozzarella.
- Pan fry the rice balls:In a large pan over medium heat, add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Once the pan is hot, arrange the rice balls in the pan and pan fry each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until crispy. Remove them from the pan and let the rice balls cool for a moment before enjoying.
Notes
- Mozzarella - We recommend shredded mozzarella for the BEST cheese pull, but you can also use sliced mozzarella or sticks.
- Rice - It is very important that you use either medium or short grain white rice for this recipe because they are much stickier than long grain rice and will hold the rice ball together. Also, make sure the rice is hot when you use it!
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