Sushi Sandwich with Airfryer Teriyaki Chicken

Justine Schofield's airfryer teriyaki chicken thighs sliced over sushi rice, avocado, cucumber and carrot, wrapped in nori like an open sandwich and cut on the diagonal. A lunchbox riff on a sushi bake, sized for a hand. The mayo holds it all together.

The sushi-sandwich (oniri sando in its Japanese origin) is the lunchbox-counter staple from Japanese convenience stores that has spread through TikTok cooking communities into Western kitchens in the last few years. The defining structural feature is the rectangular composition (rather than the round of a maki roll) and the open-flat presentation (rather than the rolled-and-sliced format) that makes it easier to assemble at home and easier to eat with hands at a desk.

The airfryer teriyaki technique is the modern home-cook efficiency move. Chicken thighs marinated in teriyaki sauce, then air-fried at 200 degrees for fifteen minutes, deliver the sticky-glazed caramelised exterior of a proper Japanese teriyaki without the wok or the constant stirring. Marinate for at least three hours, ideally overnight, for the flavour to penetrate.

The sushi rice (short-grain, dressed with rice vinegar, salt and sugar while still warm) is the foundational starch that holds the sandwich together. Spread thin on a square of nori, then top with chicken, sliced avocado, julienned cucumber and carrot, a smear of Japanese mayo; another piece of nori on top, pressed down gently. Cut on the diagonal with a sharp wet knife. Wrap in baking paper, slice through it, eat at the desk. The kind of lunch that makes meeting day better.