Samgak-gimbap (삼각김밥) is a popular Korean rice snack shaped into a triangle and wrapped in dried seaweed (gim). You can find freshly made samgak-gimbap at Korean and Japanese grocery stores, as well as convenience stores in Korea. Just one or two can make a quick and satisfying lunch!
Actually, samgak-gimbap is one of the easiest kinds of gimbap to make at home. All you need is a triangular rice mold and special seaweed sheets made for samgak-gimbap. You can find both at Korean grocery stores. The seaweed is wrapped in plastic that keeps it separate from the moist rice until you’re ready to eat, so it stays nice and crispy. Isn’t that clever?
There are so many delicious fillings you can use, but in this recipe I’ll show you how to make a savory filling with canned tuna, along with a simple kimchi filling. The tuna is seasoned and stir-fried with garlic, soy sauce, and a little sugar, making it especially tasty with rice.
You can also make samgak-gimbap with beef! If you’re interested, check out my bulgogi triangle gimbap recipe.
Once you have the mold and special seaweed sheets, you’ll see how easy and fun it is to make these little rice triangles. They’re perfect for lunch, a picnic, or whenever you want something simple and delicious.
Let’s make some samgak-gimbap!
Ingredients
(for 3-4 servings, or 8-9 samgak-gimbap)
4–5 cups cooked rice, still warm
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Special seaweed sheets for samgak-gimbap
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can of tuna, drained
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped kimchi
1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, for stir-frying the tuna
Directions
Prepare rice:
- Mix vinegar, white sugar, and kosher salt in a small bowl until the mixture looks clear.
- In a large bowl add the warm rice and pour the clear liquid over top. Mix it and let it cool down.
Make filling:
Make the tuna filling
- Open the can of tuna and drain it well, squeezing out the excess liquid through cheesecloth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, tuna, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir-fry for a few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds, and the ground black pepper. Mix well.
Make the kimchi filling
- Chop the kimchi and put it in a small bowl.
- Add the gochujang, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds. Mix well.
Shape the samgak-gimbap
- Fill the triangular mold about two-thirds full with seasoned rice.
- Add some tuna or kimchi filling to the center.
- Cover the filling with more rice, place the lid on the mold, and press down firmly to shape the triangle.
Wrap the samgak-gimbap
- Take a special samgak-gimbap seaweed sheet out of its package. Do not remove the plastic wrapping! The plastic keeps the seaweed separate from the rice so it stays crispy until you’re ready to eat.
- Place the sheet on your work surface with the numbered side facing down and the number 1 tab pointing away from you.
- Remove the lid from the mold. Turn the mold upside down and place it in the center of the seaweed sheet, with the pointed end of the triangle facing number 1.
- Gently release the rice triangle onto the seaweed and remove the mold.
- Fold the seaweed sheet over the rice toward number 1, then fold in the sides.
- Secure the wrapping with the sticker that came with the seaweed sheet.
Unwrap and enjoy!
- When you’re ready to eat, find the number 1 tab on the packet. Pull that tab and the plastic will peel off.
Gently pull away the plastic marked number 2, then number 3, allowing the seaweed to wrap around the rice.
- Take a bite. Crispy, isn’t it?
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
I really like Weee! they deliver quality packaged and fresh Korean ingredients to the continental USA. Cheaper and better than Amazon! Check them out!
I purchased the mold and wrap from the http://www.Hmart.com (it takes a while for the site to load).
http://www.hmart.com/shopnow/shopnow_newsub.asp?p=8801164126931
http://www.hmart.com/shopnow/shopnow_newsub.asp?p=8801164126887
Thank you Maangchi for such a super simple and great recipe!
I would love to buy it, but it’s out of stock!!! ;_; (Boo Hoo!!)
I’ve been desperate for some Samgakkimbap ever since I left South Korea (on a visit). I cannot find it anywhere here in Michigan, and I’m terrible in the kitchen, but I’ll ask my husband if he’ll make this for me. If I can find a recipe for Bi Bim Man Du, I will be in heaven. Gamsahamnida!
I have already got lots of good feedback on this recipe. I’m sure it will be good if you follow the recipe step by step. What is bibim mandu? I have never heard about it.
Thanks for your quick reply, but trust me; if I try to get anywhere near the kitchen, something will probably be set afire!
I followed the wiki link for samgak kimbap, and actually found out more about bibim mandu. We found it at a restaurant in the Dongdaemun shopping district. It is apparently a mixed (bibim) dish that uses dumplings (mandu). It seems to be fusion-like in that aspect. Besides the hot & Korean barbecue, bibim mandu was the most delicious dish I ate in Seoul.
I had some chicken bibimbap at an East Lansing (MI) Korean restaurant the other day, but I was really missing the crispy texture that the rolled crepes add to the dish. Anyway, the wiki on mandu is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandu_(dumpling) .
hi,
Check this out, I’ve already posted mandu recipe here:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/mandu
AWESOME! Gamsahamnida!
thank you for the video.. i tried to make this before but it was a failure…. now i can try again.
Hi.
I watched your video and was really interested in your recipes. I went to a Korean grocery store here in Melbourne, Australia and bought so many things featured in your ingredients sections. I just made these samgak kimbab for my friends, using canned tuna in spicy chilli sauce and it turned out really good and the seaweed sheets amazes them haha… Thanks so much, your website is great! Dinner tonight will be korean too.. kimchi chigae and ddukbokki :)
Good news! I’m glad you have no problem with finding the ingredient “Kim (laver)for samgak kimbap” there.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/seaweed-for-samgak-kimbap
삼각김밥 너무맛있어요! 감사~ ^^
yayee! : )
Hi Maangchi,
Hello from Sydney. I’ve been a big fan of your web. Luckily I live in Sydney where lots of Korean grocery in here.. Yay!
For Maangchi’s fan in Sydney : I just bought this Kim wrapper (10 sheets) include with triangle mold this morning at one of Korean Grocery at Liverpool St in city for AU$5.10. I couldn’t find the same brand as Maangchi has in this web. Maybe we could find this in Strathfield (Korea town in Sydney).
Can’t wait to make this for lunch tomorrow. Thank you so much for posting this
Thank you Jessica!
How did you like your samgak kimbap? Was it good?
Yes it was delicious and very handy for lunch!
Check this website. She made beautiful samgak kimbap without using triangle mold and plastic covered seaweed (kim)!
http://yummyapplepie.com/2009/07/07/samgak-kimbap/
Onigiri’s are very popular in my household. Since it is hard to get the molds here in America, I like to use cookie cutters and plastic wrap. It is much easier to find triangle cookie cutters than it is to find the molds. In addition, I have never seen the onigiri wrappers to purchase. So, we use seaweed sheets and wax paper. You can make an imitation wrapper easily and the seaweed won’t get soggy. Thanks for the video, I am going to make the kimchi one today!!
I just scrolled through the comments and found where someone else posted an online source for the wrappers. Hooray! Can’t wait to order mine and make these. What a perfect little lunch food with no worries about silverware or any of the other messiness involved in portable meals.
While I’m new to the convenient wrappers, I’ve made these with just the molds before and wanted to share with posters some other tasty fillings I’ve used with great success.
My favorite is a tuna, mayo, and wasabi mixture. Just be sure and squeeze all the water out of the tuna like Maangchi shows you on the vid. Another variation is tuna with spicy Thai basil seasoning (seasoning can be found in Thai section of your Asian foodstore). If you can’t find it there, the Thai seasoned tuna that Starkist puts out is fairly good. Tuna with mayo and Sirracha sauce is nice too. Sort of ends up tasting like a spicy tuna roll. And lastly, I love stirfried pork belly with kimchi. Squeeze out the tuna before cooking and then, using a back of a fork or the back of a plate, squeeze the entire mixture out again after it’s done. I use kitchen shears to cut the finished pork and kimchi into small little pieces so it fits better and doesn’t pull the whole triangle apart while I eat it. Bulgogi also makes a good filler if squeezed dried too.
Really, the possibilities are endless. When the wrappers come in, I’m going to try a bulgogi, spinach, and dak-kwang mixture with a dab of gochujang and see if I can get away a bibimbap sandwich. ;)
A shout out to you, Maangchi. Love your site!
Maangchi! I’m so glad to see that you an make these! You made my day!
These are one of my favorite snacks while living here in Korea, and I’ve gone out of my way to stop at convenience stores just to buy these. I will be leaving Korea next month and I need to look for this kim in the grocery store. I’m going to ship a bunch of it home! I’ll have to get the rice mold too. I’ve seen them at Daiso but never knew what you would use them for. Now I know! Thank you so much!
P.S. Is there anything Korean you are looking for that you can’t get in the States? Let me know and I’d be glad to send it to you!
That’s a very good idea of sending some Korean stuff before you leave there. Hot pepper flakes, kim, miyuk, dried squid strips, dried pollack…these items will be good for shipping because they are better quality and much cheaper. I’m ok, but thank you for your offer. very nice! : )
I’m so delighted to have discovered this website! Thank you for doing this!! Especially for a beginner cook like myself, it’s so helpful to see the videos and not just read the recipes.
I thought I’d share for your other readers that the special triangular mold & kim available for purchase online at hmart:
http://www.hmart.com/shopnow/shopnow_newsub.asp?top_cate=16&mid_cate=276&sub_cate=&product_id=8801164126931
oh, thank you very much! Would you leave this link on my forum under “where do you get Korean ingredients?”
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
Many people have contacted me to say they can’t find kim for samgak kimbap.
I have been to four Korean stores and can’t find the kim! It’s so sad. I hope my sister in law can find some in Korea town when she goes in a few weeks…I really want these! :-)
I made these today and they were delicious and very kid friendly!
I have a receipe request but of course i don’t know the name. They are an appetizer/side dish sort of like fried little nests of shredded potatoes and either carrot or sweet potato. Sort of hash brown like but deep friend and with a little batter.
oh, it must be fried vegetables called Yachae twigim. It’s usually made with sweet potato strips,onion, carrot, and shrimp. Sure I will post the recipe someday. Check my squid twigim recipe. I posted sweet potato twigim recipe there, too.
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/fried-squid
Hi Maangchi,
My daughter and I made the triangle kimbap with star mold and heart mold. I wasn’t able to find triangle molds, so I bought whatever they had, star and heart molds:D We put smoked salmon with chopped onions and cappers (a little modification from the recipe), and it tasted delicious.
From my daughter: Hi! :D
wow, smoked salmon sounds terrific! Send me some photos later at [email protected]. I would like to see the star shape kimbap or joomeokbap! Say hi to your daughter for me, too!
I love your videos and especially enjoy watching you. I really want to make kimbap. Do you know of some place online that I can buy laver (seaweed, or kim) that was made specially for samgak kimbap? There are no Korean food stores where I live.
Not that I know of, leave your question here https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
If I find on line store where they sell the kim for samgak kimbap, I will post the link there. I bought it at a Korean grocery store.
I bought some kim that came with a mold a few months back.
I didn’t know how to use plastic wrapped kim! I was so confused. Plus, I don’t like to get the kim wet! Thanks Maangchi, now I know how to use the sheets, and can try your delicious fillings! :)
hoho, I get the feeling that you are going to make samgak kimbap pretty soon.
I made some multi-grain rice and got some traditional sushi nori and just rolled up the the multi-grain rice with sesame seeds and leftover leafy green vegetables. It was actually quite good and satisfy my cravings for your samgak kimbap. I didn’t bother to season the rice and it still tasted pretty good.
I actually went to a Korean store today and they had the triangular mold, but not the seaweed wrap you use. Just the traditional sushi nori. So sad! Also, I took a look at their dried anchovies, and all of their dried anchovies are very small ones. Can you make the soybean sprout soup with the small dried anchovies? I was also surprised that they didn’t carry the soybean sprouts either and this is a Korean store. So all I purchased today was just the trangular mold and a bag of dried corn for corn tea. Do you make the corn tea? I love it. If you do, how do you make your corn tea?
I’m also sad and frustrated on behalf of you! Korean grocery store doesn’t sell kongnamul? (soybean sprouts), Strange! I know how you feel!
Yes, you can use small dried anchovies in soybean sprout soup.
Anyway, you still can make Joomeokbap: 주먹밥. I showed how to make this samgak kimbap without using the mold in the video, right? Use the method (plastic wrap) and make rice balls with the tuna filling, and roll them in sesame seeds or laver powder.
How to make laver powder:
Roast a sheet of laver (kim) directly on the stove top. Both sides of the laver should be roasted so that it can be crushed easily. Put the roasted laver into a plastic bag and crush
Check my ddeokguk recipe:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ddukguk
:) I (literally) went out the next day after seeing your video and bought a kimbap kit from Super-H near my home. The kit came w/ a mold and 10 wrappers (same brand as shown in your demonstration). I have enjoyed watching your videos and have gleaned some wonderful inspirations.
Thanks!
blk
only 10 kim? (black seaweed wrapper)? I hope it was cheap. “I went out the next day after seeing your video and bought a kimbap kit ”
haha, that’s what I’m doing all the time when I find a real good recipe.
Yep, only 10 kim (black seaweed wrapper) and one pink mold; it was $4.29. Super-H also sold wrappers sans mold; quantity 10 kim/package, approx. $3.50. Not a huge marginal difference, though we’re a two-person house hold (ok, 3 counting our baby aka the doggie).
:) You should have seen the excitement when I handed a bag w/ the kit inside to my sweetheart. Moreso, his excitement this morning when the samgak kimbap were being prepared for his lunch to take to work.
Thank you again for posting great recipes, fun loving videos and also detailed instructions!
blk
“his excitement this morning when the samgak kimbap were being prepared for his lunch to take to work.”
Awesome!. I feel you have a lot of love for your “sweetheart”
:) Your comment made smile!
I was up in NYC over the 4th of July. I had mentioned to my sweetheart that you have get togethers and we should try one weekend to make it as his sister (and a friend of mine) live in the city.
Have you heard of dukbaegi? I went to the SuperH and at one of the stands they had packaged heavy bowels (pottery like?) and inside veggies/meat/seafood w/ chili paste, soybean paste and another type of paste. The young gal (there was a communication gap) said to place all of the ingredients into a pot and add 2 cups of water. I will try and take a photo of the bowl w/ contents. (guess I should have just emailed you:))
blk
I ordered mine in Korea – 100 kim for like 8 dollars!
Hello~ I know this is super late.. >.<
but do you mind to tell me where to order that? :D
I only got 10 for $4.29 in H-mart, wanna get a cheaper one.. ^^
Check this forum plz
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
Thanks so much for your suggestions… I have “enough” now :D
The rich bulgogi and mushrooms sound delicous, but I have yet to try pickled radish. I look forward to it!
:(
I can’t find these little wrappers anywhere. I tried our local Asian store, and they don’t have it. Neither does the one I visit in the next large town over. Do you know if anyone sells these online?
I think it’s sold at either a Korean store or Japanese store. Some Korean stores don’t sell it though. Leave your question here:
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
These look delicious and are so inventive. Do you have any suggestions for other fillings? I can think of a few Japanese-style ones, but not enough!
Thanks so much for all your work.
Your expression “not enough” sounds cool!
You can use mushrooms (chopped and sautee with seasoning), chopped bulgogi, chopped yellow pickled radish (danmuji), …
LOVE YOUR RECIPES. IF YOU EVER COME TO LOS ANGELES. I WOULD LOVE TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR COOKING CLASS. YUMM YUMM…
sure, we can meet up there. Thank you!
If I make them the night before, will they still taste ok for the next day’s lunch? Should they be put in the refridgerator?
Rice gets hard at cold temperature, it won’t be tasty if you refrigerate it. But tuna fillings can be made in advance and refrigerated. I always wake up early in the morning to make kimbap for lunch.
How long can you keep the cooked tuna filling (in the fridge)?
not longer than 1 day.
I can’t wait to try making this!
When I went hiking during my trip in Korea I loved taking kim-bap with me, and eating it at the top of the mountain – kind of like a reward. Samgak kimbap is also great for lunch-on-the-go because it’s so easy to transport and doesn’t spoil easily.
Thanks for the recipe and in instructions – I’m off to the market now…..
Oh, very nice recipe! I think I’ll buy the ingredients and try to do it myself, only it won’t be triangular, haha! Bye!
another snowman! : )
Did you say you found these molds and kim wrappers in Toronto? I couldn’t find them at T&T. Where did you get yours?
Are you living in Toronto? If so, check this link:
http://toronto.cityguide.ca/pat-korean-supermarket-on-bloor-015910.php
I used to go shopping at the store.
Thank you so much!
You can also try a Korean store close to steeles and yonge, just a bit north of steeles. It’s called galeria supermarket
Hi:
I’m in NYC, where can I buy these things! They’re so innovative!
Thanks!
Bit late, and not sure what part of NYC you’re in, but if it helps, there are H-Marts (as linked above, here’s the store list) and other markets all over Flushing. Not sure where to go on Manhattan but there must be something.
can i use another kind of vinegar?. i really loves your website,cause my husband is a korean, i try to make korean special food by my self, not only enjoy in restaurant. thank you from indonesia.
yes, of course, you can use another kind of vinegar. Indonesia!
I had no idea you could get the prepared seaweed in stores! How fantastic. I first had a Japanese version of this at the Amsterdam airport and couldn’t believe how well the packaging worked! The plastic keeps everything clean and peels away in the most ingenious manner! Leave it to the Japanese!
Great! Last week i happen to have the triangle shape wraps and mold in my hands, but i didn’t know how to work these, now i know and i can’t wait to try them soon.
One question though, can you maybe use some water to stick the kim together so the kims don’t get undone when unwrapping?
Great video again Maangchi!
Reinier! wow, you will love this recipe! No need to use water! It will make your samgak kimbap soggy.
Good luck with making your samgak kimbap!
Yay, so this is how you use a mold, I can’t wait to get one.
Again and Again I say, thank you.
If you can’t get a mold, as I showed in the video, use plastic wrap. It works!
WOW! I’m going to a Korean market tomorrow to buy the seaweed and trianglular mold. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for showing us how to make this. It’s so easy and I know I will love it. Maangchi, I always look forward to watching your cooking videos.
i loveeee what you make it’s absolutely delicious! I’m looking forward to more korean dishes that you are going to show us!
O-N-I-G-I-R-I-:D my soul food, gotta try this version 4sure…thanks, maangchi, for posting it :8
wow it’ll Great For Lunch Box I love Onigiris