Tenmusu (Shrimp Tempura Rice Ball). Crispy battered shrimp flavoured in a sweet tsuyu sauce wrapped in sushi rice and crispy nori. A delicious shrimp rice ball that will keep you addicted because they are so delicious! Great as a snack or for lunch. You won’t be able to stop at one! Trust me. These delicious little rice balls originate from Japan.

I love rice balls but when I found out that you could have a rice ball with shrimp tempura inside, I was blown away and had to make it myself. I’m excited to share this recipe with you because I am sure you’ve probably never heard of it if you’re new to Asian food. So I’m happy I can introduce it to you.

This dish does require some steps but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Every step is pretty simple and the reward at the end is totally worth it! Especially when you get to sink your teeth into a crispy shrimp that is soaked in that sweet tempura sauce with a mouthful of rice and nori. And I’m going to show you how to make shrimp tempura onigiri!

If you’re not a fan of tempura onigiri but you want to try a similar type of rice ball, try my JAPANESE TUNA ONIGIRI. It’s really easy to make and so good!

What does tenmusu taste like?

Picture a crispy piece of battered shrimp that has been deep fried. Then soaked in a sweet tempura sauce (aka Tsuyu Soup Concentrate) and wrapped in salted rice and crispy seaweed. It’s heavenly.

Where can I buy Tsuyu Soup Concentrate?

You can purchase this pre-made sauce at any Korean or Japanese grocer. Some Asian grocers will carry it in their sauce aisle too.

Where can I buy potato starch?

This starch can be purchased at Korean or Japanese grocers. You may be able to find it at certain Asian or Western grocers in the flour aisle. Or you can purchase it online.

Can I substitute potato starch with another starch?

Yes, you can substitute with tapioca starch which should give you the same crispiness or cornstarch. But you may not get the same crispy texture with cornstarch for this onigiri with shrimp.

What type of shrimp should I use for this recipe?

Any large shrimp will do. I love using black tiger shrimp! It has a delicious meaty chew to it! So it’s perfect for this fried shrimp onigiri!

Tips for making Tenmusu

Use sushi rice for this shrimp onigiri recipe. I would not recommend substituting with long grain or jasmine white rice. Or the rice ball will not stick well.
Buy the easy peeled shrimp that has already been deveined for this tempura shrimp onigiri.
When peeling your shrimp, you may peel the whole shell away or leave the tail end. It’s up to you. For presentation, you may leave the tail end on but for convenience of eating, it is best to peel the whole shell away.
Pat dry your shrimp after peeling before you dip it into your batter.
Make sure your oil is hot enough. To do this, place a chopstick into the oil and check for bubbles. Once you see bubbles its hot enough.
Use kitchen tweezers to help you pull the battered shrimp out of the batter and to lower into the hot oil. The tweezers are great at pinching what you need without removing the batter since they are smaller than tongs.
Once you’ve lowered your battered shrimp into the oil, make sure to move it around so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
When the shrimps are fried and cooked, transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with paper towel so the oil drips away keeping the shrimp crispy.
When assembling your rice balls, use a ⅓ cup measuring cup. You don’t want too much rice in your rice ball but you don’t want too little. ⅓ cup is just the right amount in my humble opinion for this shrimp tempura onigiri recipe.
Use cling film to help you wrap the rice balls. It’s less messy than using your own hands.
When shaping the rice into a triangle, make it into the shape of a slanted “L” and fit the rice ball into that corner, continually shaping it into a thick triangle.
If you’re serving this to guests, just before serving wrap the rice balls in seaweed or it will go soggy naturally.

Other recipes you may like!

I also share other rice ball recipes below so check them out!

For this recipe

You will need the following ingredients for my shrimp tempura rice ball:

2 ⅔ cups cooked short grain rice (or 320 ml uncooked rice cooked according to packet instructions)
2 sheets nori
¼ teaspoon salt
8 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
1 cup vegetable oil

Shrimp batter:

2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon potato starch
2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon cake flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water

Sauce:

¼ cup Tsuyu concentrate soup base, store bought
¼ cup water

How to make Tenmusu

Cook your rice accordingly. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Allow this to cool down but keep it covered to prevent the rice from drying out.
In a bowl, whisk together your batter ingredients until well combined.
Add your shrimp and give it a mix.
In a small pot set over medium heat, add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Place a chopstick into the oil and when you see bubbles, it’s time to fry!
Carefully lower one battered shrimp at a time into the hot oil. Once you’ve lowered it, move it around. Cook on each side for 1 minute, until pink and curled. Remove shrimp from hot oil and transfer to a cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate. Allow the excess oil to drip off.

To assemble:

Place cling film over your ⅓ measuring cup. Then pack rice into the cling film, enough to fill the cup. Twist the ends of the cling film together to shape it into a packed rice ball. Then using the corners of your hand, shape it into a triangle. Next, poke a deep hole at the top of the triangle. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the Tsuyu soup concentrate and water. Dip battered shrimp into the sauce.

Open the cling film and insert the battered shrimp deep into the rice. The rice ball will break apart here which is normal. Cover the rice ball again with the cling film and shape it back into a triangle.

Next, vertically fold a nori sheet into fours. Gently tearing away the 4 long vertical strips away from each other.

Remove the triangle from the cling film and wrap the triangle with the nori strip. Serve with more Tsuyu sauce as desired and enjoy!

Give it a try!

Well, I hope you give my Tenmusu a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

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Christie

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Tenmusu (Shrimp Tempura Rice Ball)

christieathome

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Assembly time: 20

Total Time 55

Course dinner, lunch, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings pieces

Calories per serving 488 kcal

Ingredients

2 ⅔ cups cooked short grain rice or 320 ml uncooked rice cooked according to packet instructions
2 sheets nori
¼ teaspoon salt
8 pieces large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 cup vegetable oil

Shrimp batter:

2+ 2 teaspoon tablespoon potato starch
2+ 2 teaspoon tablespoon cake flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water

Sauce:

¼ cup Tsuyu Soup Concentrate store bought
¼ cup water