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 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).