Samgak-gimbap is a triangular shaped gimbap which is designed to keep the seaweed fresh by putting it between 2 thin sheets of plastic. So you can eat it hours later, and it will still be crispy. It was invented by a Japanese company. I think whoever thought of this was pretty clever!
To make this, you will have to buy seaweed (gim) that was made specially for samgak-gimbap. You should also get a mold for making the triangle shape, but if you can’t get one, watch the video to see how to do it without it, just using plastic wrap.
In my recipe I’m going to show you 2 kinds of filling: kimchi and tuna, but you can use your own favorite ingredients to make delicious fillings.
Ingredients
(for 3-4 servings, or 8-9 samgak-gimbap)
- 4-5 cups cooked rice, still warm
- 1 tbs vinegar
- 2 ts white sugar
- ¼ ts kosher salt
- seaweed sheets for samgak-gimbap
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- a can of tuna
- 2 ts soy sauce
- 2 ts brown sugar
- 1 ts and 1 ts toasted sesame oil
- 1 ts and 1 ts roasted sesame seeds
- ¼ ts black ground pepper
- ¼ cup kimchi
- 1 ts gochujang (hot pepper paste)
Ok, let’s start!
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 a can of tuna and squeeze out the water through a cheesecloth.
- In a heated pan, put 1 ts vegetable oil.
- Add garlic, tuna, soy sauce, and brown sugar into the pan and stir fry it for a few minutes.
- Turn the heat off and add 1 ts toasted sesame oil, 1 ts roasted sesame seeds, and black ground pepper.
Make the kimchi filling
- Chop the kimchi and put it in a small bowl.
- Add gochujang, 1 ts of toasted sesame oil, and 1 ts of roasted sesame seeds to the kimchi and mix it up.
Put the rice and filling in the mold:
- Fill ⅔ of the mold with cooked rice.
- Place your filling in the center, then top up the mold with rice, put on the lid, and press it down.
Wrap it up:
- Take out a piece of gim from the package. Don’t remove the plastic wrap, we need this! We’re going to wrap this sheet of gim with the plastic around your rice and fillings. The plastic will keep both rice and gim fresh until you are ready to eat the gimbap.
- Look for the numbers on the sheet. The numbers side of the sheet goes down, and #1 should be pointing away from you.
- Take the lid off your mold, and place the mold face down on the middle of your sheet, with the rice facing down. The tip of the triangle should be pointing away from you, towards #1. Let the rice packet gently slide out of the mold and land on the gim. Remove the mold.
- Fold the sheet over the rice, away from you and towards #1. Then fold up the sides. Keep the sides in place with the sticker that came with the gim.
Eat:
- When you’re ready to eat it, look for #1 on the side of the packet. Pull that tab and the plastic will peel off.
- Gently remove #2 and then #3, putting the gim back into place each time.
- Take a bite. Crispy, isn’t it?
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon for that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
I made this for my kids and they love it and now they make it themselves. I even made it with ground beef, but using a bulgogi marinade and it was fantastic!
yes, bulgogi filling will be very tasty. “they love it and now they make it themselves.” That’s awesome!
Dear Maangchi, I really really loved this recipe!
감사합니다!~
Yummy!
So… what do you eat the triangles with? Soup?
Hello, this food is great but where to purchase (on internet) the seaweed wrapped. I would like to purchase big quantiy. Anyone can help me ? Thank you !
Amazon.com will have both mold and seaweed. Look under onigiri.
hi i wanna try and make this dish but im from brunei so is there any place you can suggest me to buy find sangak kimbab seaweed or the wrappers and mold?
Check out any Asian grocery stores there. I’m sure you will be able to find kim (seaweed paper) at least. Make triangle shaped rice balls with filling and wrap them with the seaweed. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/kim
thank you ^^
Hi Maangchi
This recipe is simple and healthy!
I always make this for my work or shopping lunch cos easy to carry :P
That’t right! : )
Hi Maangchi,
How can I store these overnight because I want to bring them tomorrow to lunch for school. So I can’t wake up to make them. Also, are there other filling recipes instead of tuna and kimchi?
THanks!
The place to buy seaweed wrap (nori) in Toronto is 865 yorkmills rd and the place is called Galleria. 50 pcs seaweed wrap(nori) costs $9.99 canadian dolalr.
I like this recipe. I plan on using this recipe for my trip to orlando. Here is a place to buy seaweed wrap(nori) in toronto 865 yorkmills rd unit 1
Maangchi,
I love this recipe! It’s one of my favorite things to pack for lunch.
I was wondering if you had any other ideas for spicy fillings (besides the kimchi). I want to try more fillings but can’t think of any myself.
:)
ooh, u love spicy food! Use hot pepper paste then. When you stir-fry tuna, replace soy sauce with hot pepper paste. You can invent your own filling.
I just made this yesterday for lunches but my family isn’t big on tuna or kimchi so i made chicken everything. the tuna filling was amazing if you just switched the tuna with chicken. as for spicy, i took the kimchi recipe and switched it for chicken as well. I added an extra teaspoon of hot pepper paste and warmed it all in a pan. It came out really well. I hope this helped. =)
This is brilliant. As soon as I can find that wrap I am trying this out =D Thank you Maangchi <3
I Finally found the laver! I’m so excited, though I wish my stickers were as cute as yours.
Hey Maangchi,
I made samgak kimbap with homemade kimchi with your recipe! Yum! I was wondering on how to store the kimbap. I placed them in the fridge, but I didn’t like the texture of the rice when I ate it the next day. Is it okay to leave them on the counter at room temp so the rice doesn’t taste so dry and stale in the fridge?
Cam
Cam, check this out, plz https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/is-day-old-refrigerated-kimbab-rice-still-good
I have two questions is you don’t mind me asking but
what is a triangle mold
and all you need for the wrappings is seaweed ^_^ Thank you
Actually I linked the photo of the samgak kimbap mold in the recipe. https://www.maangchi.com/kitchenware/samgak-kimbap-mold
And you need this seaweed specially made for samgak kimbap.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/seaweed-for-samgak-kimbap
hey mangchi~ i tried this and they tasted delicious!!!!
i’m so addicted to it that i ate 8 samgak kimbap a day! thanks a lot for the recipe xxxx
I don’t have the kimbap plastic wrap tho,
I just kept my seaweeds in a separate bag and wrap it when i wanted to eat it
also I found out that using baking paper is easier if ur molding it by hand, it wont stick/break, and it works best when the rice is still very warm~~~
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe and thank you very much for the tip! “I just kept my seaweeds in a separate bag and wrap it when i wanted to eat it ..”
:D I can’t decide if i should make this or not for a party on friday! how long can Samgak Kimbap last when it’s not in the fridge? The party doesn’t start until 12 and I leave at 7. Also, can i heat it up with a microwave? Will the taste change?
You don’t have to keep it in the fridge – actually it won’t be delicious if you keep it in the fridge for a long time, because the rice will get hard in the cold temperature.
I am SO excited to have found your website! I have been looking for the rice triangles since leaving Korea and I am excited to try out this recipe! I have just ordered the triangles molds! Thank you so much! I know my husband will also enjoy this site!
I was going to make this for a picnic dinner, but we didn’t quite make it outside. The rice and fillings tasted great. I made some for the kids with little molds in the shape of a teddy bear, star and heart and used the triangle mold for hubby and me. Our daughters loved the kimchi filling and didn’t even say it was too spicy and of course everyone loved the tuna. (I used the tuna in olive oil since it tastes better and is better quality.) I think this is a great thing to bring for my lunch when I go back to work in September.
My grocery sold the mold and 10 wrappers for $4.99 or just 10 wrappers for $2.99.
“I made some for the kids with little molds in the shape of a teddy bear, star and heart and used the triangle mold for hubby and me..”
Thanks you for the good tips!
I tried this just using regular sushi seaweed wraps. Probably not as good as it could have been, but it definitely satisfied my craving.
I’m glad to hear that. You made kimbap!
Maangchi sorry another question the rice constancy is it the same as sushi sticky i was wondering to make the rice or is it normal thank youuuuuu
yes, it’s short grain rice known as sushi rice.
Good luck with making delicious samgak kimbap and let me know the result! : )
so exited to make it and its so cuteeeee
hey i wanna buy the ingredient to prepare it for tomorrow but the seaweed is it the same as the one for sushi or there is different one for the kimbap
yes,this is the kim for samgak kimbap.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/seaweed-for-samgak-kimbap
Where can I find sangak kim bab seaweed / wrappers and mold in downtown New York City ? :)
I’m copying and pasting the post made by my another reader under this ingredient page. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/seaweed-for-samgak-kimbap
It says, ” I have finally found this seaweed for triangle kimbap. After searching many supermarkets including the korean supermarket in kway in NYC I have found it in a Japanese specialty supermarket. It is a different brand but you’ll definitely know it is for triangle kimbap when you see it. I found it at sunrise mart. It is at
29 3rd Ave
(between 10th St & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003.
There is 10 pieces for $4.29
Hope this helps!”
Hi Maangchi!
Yum! Since I don’t have a mold can I make it like kimbap? (Kimbop.) Cause whenever I try and make them like triangles, the turn out like a: Oval, circle, rectangle, or an octagon. ;_; But the tuna ones are AWESOME! My dad always wants me to make this for him. (Kimbap way,) He even gave them to guests and the guests loved them! Soon I am going to make the kimchi triangles.
: ) My brother even liked the triangles!
Thanks Maangchi!
yeah, the tuna kimbap is my specialty. Especially stir-fried tuna with seasoning is my invention. That’s why I posted the recipe instead of Korean traditional kimbap. I am going to post traditional Kimbap recipe soon, too. Enjoy my recipe! Thank you!
: O Woah…. You are very smart in Korean Cooking…. : ) <3
Hi maangchi! I love your recipes! My grandmother in Japan taught me how to make onigiri by hand. We usually make a mixture of salt and water in a bowl and then mould the rice with our hands using the salt and water. It keeps the rice together and prevents it sticking to your hands plus it can add a subtle flavour to the rice. After moulding the rice in a ball shape, make a dent in the ball and add the filling, then close the gap with more rice and mould into a triangle shape. That way no snowman! :P
Thank you for your description about how to make onigiri. : )
Happy Cooking!
sorry , VV i meant so ground beef will be BEST to replace it ?
yes, cooked ground beef with the same seasoning will make delicious filling.
can i use some other meat then tuna ? if so , what kind of meat .
Can i switch the tuna into some other meat , cause im not a fan of tuna . OR does it have to be tuna ?
You can use any of your favorite ingredients as filling. How about replacing tuna for ground beef?
I tried to make them today…I just loved it!
I want to make them for my Father’s Birthday, do you think he would like it?!
I don’t have a molder, so my triangles look funny, I’d like to try yours someday cause mine tasted weird.
Absolutely he will be proud of you if you make this for him! Samgak kimbap is very popular to so many people.
YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU xD!!
thanks! Happy Cooking!
The instructions were great and easy to follow, thank you very much!!!
We love gimbap and just got our triangle mold and ready to make gimbaps!
Fi & Jo
Fi & Jo,
Have you tried this recipe out? If so, I hope it turned out good!
Hi Maangchi
I made this for a party and they all loved it! I varied the fillings from beef, chicken and tuna and even a veggie one! Thank you so much!
Also, I tried to download this recipes as a podcast of iTunes and it doesn’t seem to work! Maybe it’s me, but what can I do because they usually just download by themselves when you add a new recipe!
Thanks for everything!
You are like Alex! : ) https://www.maangchi.com/blog/alex-is-spreading-korean-food-to-the-world
I will check the podcast today later. Thank you!
Wow, this is so awesome!
Thanks, maagchi. :)
I was recently introduced to samgak kimbap by my boyfriend because he loves it so much.
Both recipes look very tantalizing!
I’ll be on the look out for that seaweed!
This comment has too many exclamation marks!
Thanks a lot! Samgak kimbap is really good snack or lunch. It’s easy to make and also delicious.
Whoa.. This is wonderful.. I loveee ur website.. I’ll put your link on my Blog.. ^^
Thank you, Lucy! Email me your blog address, please!
MMM, delicious! In addition to the kimchi and tuna filling, I added spam and some teriyaki sauce, like spam musubi in Hawaii.
Also, I found the mold and plastic wrap at Daiso stores for $1.50. It comes with an open triangle mold and 8 clear plastic sheets. You have to supply your own kim, but it’s very cheap and affordable! Refill sheets are only $1.50 for 10! So if you live in California, please check for it there!
Thank you for the good tip! “I added spam and some teriyaki sauce, like spam musubi in Hawaii. ” very smart!
Hi, Thanks for the recipe :). I very like your cooking! I would like to know what the special kind rice you use to make the sushi in this recipe? It looks really good!
It’s short grain rice (sushi rice).