Jumeokbap (Korean Rice Balls)

5 from 6 votes

Jumeokbap are our favorite for a quick on-the-go snack or meal! White rice is seasoned with seaweed and sesame oil, then stuffed with ground beef bulgogi for a hearty and fun rice ball.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 5

Total Time 30

Servings balls

Calories 101

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

4 cups cooked short grain white rice warm
1 tablespoon sesame oil divided
3 large sheets roasted seaweed sheets crushed; about 3 tbsp
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
½ tablespoon cooking oil
½ lb lean ground beef I used 88/12%
2½ tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1½ teaspoon brown sugar
1-2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Season the cooked rice with ½ tablespoon sesame oil, crushed seaweed, sesame seeds, and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Season to taste, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, and ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Set aside.
In a pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Crumble the beef and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Once halfway cooked, add soy sauce mixture and garlic. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until all the sauce is absorbed, stirring often.
I recommend wearing cooking gloves to form the balls, if possible. Scoop about 3 tablespoon of the rice mixture into the palm of your non-dominant hand. Flatten the rice, then cup your hand to turn the rice into a bowl shape. Add 1 tablespoon beef to the center and use the fingers of your dominant hand to gently fold rice over the beef. Cup your hands together and squeeze gently to form the rice into a ball, like you would with meatballs. Repeat until all the rice and beef is used up.

Notes

An easy way to crush seaweed sheets is to place them into large zip-top or plastic bags (like the green ones for supermarket vegetables), squeezing all the air out, and crumpling them for a few minutes. You can use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller flakes if desired.
To prevent the rice from sticking to your hands, use food-safe gloves for easy handling. If they're not available, you can also dip your hands in water and rub a little salt on them for friction.
Substitutions:
- If using leftover rice, reheat it in the microwave until it's warm. Add a splash of water if it looks dry and crumbly.
- If using brown rice, make sure it's short grain. Brown rice also takes longer to cook than white so add more water to make sure it's moist enough to stick together.
- Instead of seaweed and sesame seeds, replace it with ¼ cup furikake. Furikake is a Japanese blend of toasted sesame seeds, salt, nori, bonito flakes, and sugar.

Nutrition