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Make these quick and easy nori sandwiches by folding a seaweed sheet and filling it with ingredients of your choice. Trending on social media in recent months, these kimbap are a fun and unique option for lunch!

Jump on the trend! Today, I’m diving into what’s been buzzing on TikTok lately. Since January, you’ve probably seen the viral tortilla hack taking over social media. The idea is simple: take a tortilla, make a single cut, layer your fillings, fold it into quarters, and voilà. An easy, trendy tortilla sandwich!
Now, Koreans have put their own spin on this using seaweed nori sheets with rice, incorporating the classic ingredients of kimbap. Inspired by how simple and creative this is, I decided to give it a try. I couldn’t resist going the extra mile by whipping up some spicy pork and salmon fillings because I had the time and was craving something flavorful.
But don’t worry, this can be as simple as you want! Use easy ingredients or repurpose leftovers from your fridge. It’s all about making it your own😊
What is kimbap?
Kimbap is often considered Korea’s version of sushi, but there are a few key differences. While sushi rice is seasoned with vinegar, kimbap rice is flavored with sesame oil, giving it a unique, nutty aroma. Additionally, kimbap usually features cooked ingredients, whereas sushi often highlights raw fish.
For this recipe, I added a creative twist by making one folded kimbap sushi-style with raw salmon and avocado. A fun way to blend tradition with a modern trend!
What is folded kimbap?
Folded kimbap is a more modern and convenient take on the traditional kimbap. Instead of rolling the ingredients in a long sushi-style roll, you fold a seaweed sheet into a square and layer the fillings inside.
It’s a simple and portable version of kimbap, making it perfect for a quick meal or snack. The result is a compact “sandwich” of rice, fillings, and nori, offering the same great flavors of kimbap but in an easier-to-eat format.
Which fillings can I use?
You can use anything you like! Traditional kimbap ingredients include carrot, spinach, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), crab, omelet, fish cake, kimchi, and ham. However, feel free to get creative and use whatever you have in your fridge. If you’re using raw fish, ensure it’s exceptionally fresh, just as you would when making sushi.
To enhance the flavor, consider adding a sauce. Ssamjang pairs well with pork, mayonnaise complements salmon or tuna, and sriracha adds a spicy kick. You can also make your own sauce to cook with meats or other fillings.
Which rice can I use?
Use sushi rice for the best results. If you have Korean rice at home, that works perfectly as well, since in Korea, the rice we use for everyday meals is also the rice used to make kimbap. It’s short-grain and sticky, which is ideal for kimbap. The key is to use rice that is sticky enough to adhere to the nori sheet and hold everything in place.
After cooking the rice, allow it to cool to room temperature before using it.
How to prepare folded kimbap?
Cook the rice
- Cook the rice. See all info on how to cook perfect rice here.
- Once done, season the rice with ½ tsp sesame oil and mix well. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Prepare fillings
- spicy pork: combine the pork belly with garlic, gochugaru, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or until fully cooked. Chop vegetables.
- salmon: mix diced salmon with Japanese mayonnaise and sriracha. Prepare the vegetables and cook the omelet.
- tuna: combine canned tuna with mayonnaise. Prepare the vegetables and cook the omelet.
- pork & kimchi: cook pork belly with ssamjang for about 2 minutes or until cooked. Chop the vegetables.




Prepare the seaweed sheets
- Fold a seaweed sheet in half, then unfold and fold again in the opposite direction to create a grid of 4 squares.
- Use scissors to cut a slit from the bottom edge to the center intersection.

Assemble the kimbap
- Lay the seaweed sheet rough side up.
- Spread rice on the top right and bottom right quarters of the sheet, leaving a 0.2 inch / 0.5 cm gap at the edges.
- Add your fillings to the designated quarters (see ingredient list or use ingredients of your choice).
- Fold the bottom left quarter over the top left. Fold this onto the top right. Finally, fold over the bottom right quarter to form a compact sandwich.
- Wrap the kimbap tightly in plastic wrap to secure the fillings.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the kimbap diagonally or horizontally.



More viral Korean food? Try these!
- Dalgona Candy – Korean Honeycomb Toffee
- Korean Street Food Corn Dog
- Extra Cheesy Korean Buldak Ramen
- Cheese Potato Pancakes
- Carbonara Tteokbokki
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Folded Kimbap
Ingredients
- 1 sushi rice “rice cooker” cup
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 4 seaweed sheets
Filling #1 – spicy pork
- 2 perilla leaves
- 1 cheese slice
- ⅓ carrot, julienne
- sesame seeds
- pork:
- 70 g pork belly
- ¼ garlic, minced
- 1 tsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- ½ tsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp sesame oil
- black pepper
Filling #2 – salmon
- ½ avocado
- sesame seeds
- 50 g salmon, diced
- 1 tsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 egg, omelet
Filling #3 – tuna
- 2 perilla leaves
- 50 g canned tuna
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- sesame seeds
- ⅓ carrot, julienne
- 1 egg, omelet
Filling #4 – pork
- 70 g pork belly
- 1 tsp ssamjang
- 2 lettuce leaves
- 50 g kimchi
- ⅕ cucumber, sliced
Instructions
Cook the rice
- Cook the rice. See all info on how to cook perfect rice here.
- Once done, season the rice with ½ tsp sesame oil and mix well. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Prepare fillings
- 1 – spicy pork: combine the pork belly with garlic, gochugaru, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or until fully cooked. Chop vegetables.
- 2 – salmon: mix diced salmon with Japanese mayonnaise and sriracha. Prepare the vegetables and cook the omelet.
- 3 – tuna: combine canned tuna with mayonnaise. Prepare the vegetables and cook the omelet.
- 4 – pork & kimchi: cook pork belly with ssamjang for about 2 minutes or until cooked. Chop the vegetables.
Prepare the seaweed sheets
- Fold a seaweed sheet in half, then unfold and fold again in the opposite direction to create a grid of 4 squares.
- Use scissors to cut a slit from the bottom edge to the center intersection.
Assemble the kimbap
- Lay the seaweed sheet rough side up.
- Spread rice on the top right and bottom right quarters of the sheet, leaving a 0.2 inch / 0.5 cm gap at the edges.
- Add your fillings to the designated quarters (see ingredient list or use ingredients of your choice).
- Fold the bottom left quarter over the top left. Fold this onto the top right. Finally, fold over the bottom right quarter to form a compact sandwich.
- Wrap the kimbap tightly in plastic wrap to secure the fillings.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the kimbap diagonally or horizontally.
recipe notes
- For easier folding, leave about 0.2 inch / 0.5 cm of space free from rice and fillings at the edges.
- Avoid overfilling, as it may make folding difficult and result in an uneven sandwich.
- This recipe yields 4 kimbap sandwiches. Filling quantities are approximate—feel free to customize to your taste.
Video
Nutrition
The nutritional details provided on That Cute Dish are for informational purposes only and are automatically calculated. Please consider them as estimates rather than precise values, as ingredients and measurements can vary.
