Spicy Tuna Roll Sushi
You can effortlessly whip up my spicy tuna roll recipe using common pantry ingredients! Canned tuna combined with a creamy, spicy sauce creates a delicious filling for maki sushi. It’s also kid-friendly and ideal for those who are hesitant to eat raw fish. Who knew making maki sushi could be this simple? Ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish.
I created this spicy tuna roll recipe one late night when I had a craving for maki sushi. I thought about my simple Japanese spicy tuna salad and made something similar in the form of sushi rolls. The flavors are similar to the spicy tuna rolls served in Japanese restaurants, that are made with raw tuna.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Canned tuna: I prefer to use albacore wild tuna that has been sustainably line caught, such as Wild Planet, because of its fresh taste. But feel free to use any type of canned tuna you like.
- Sriracha Sauce: I like to use the original Huy Fong sriracha sauce for its strong sweet pepper taste and spicy kick that’s not too volcanic.
- Chili Oil: Japanese chili oil is a fragrant, nutty, and mildly spicy condiment made with sesame oil and red chili peppers.
- Rice Vinegar: Mildly tart with fruity notes, rice vinegar is more delicate in flavor than other types of vinegar. It brightens up the taste and also reduces some of the ‘fishiness’ of the canned tuna.
- Scallions: Finely chopped green onions bring a subtle crunch and freshness.
- Mayonnaise: Use whatever you have handy in the fridge but I recommend using kewpie mayonnaise if you can get a hold of it. Kewpie mayonnaise has a distinct fruity and eggy taste that cannot be found in other mayonnaise. You can also make it from scratch by following my recipe for kewpie mayo.
- Seaweed Sheets (Nori): Toasted nori sheets are commonly used when rolling sushi – but the seaweed sheets aren’t just there to keep everything from spilling out of the roll. There’s a toasty, savory, marine flavor that enhances the overall bite.
- Cooked Japanese Rice: When making sushi or maki sushi, Japanese short grain rice is recommended over medium grain rice. That’s because the grains a fatter and more chewy, helping them stick together more easily. My favorite brand is Tamanishiki.
Variations
- Top these rolls with some crunchy tempura bits to elevate the dish. Sesame seeds are also delicious and add some nuttiness.
- Add a cucumber strip to turn this roll into a spicy tuna and cucumber roll.
- Add a little honey to the tuna mixture to sweeten the taste.
How To Make My Spicy Tuna Roll
Rolling makizushi (sushi rolls) for the first time can be a bit of a challenge. Too loose, and the rolls are sloppy and won’t stick together. Too tight, and the fillings get squeezed out of the ends, and the sheets of nori can rip apart.
In this step by step tutorial, I show you how to do it the best and easiest way so every roll of sushi you make will come out looking beautiful.
- Make the spicy tuna mixture by mixing the canned tuna, sriracha sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, scallions, and mayonnaise.
- Prep your station by placing the rice, spicy tuna mix, and nori sheet, nearby so they are easily accessible. Fill a bowl with tepid water and place it next to the ingredients.
- Place a nori sheet, shiny side down, on a sushi mat and spread about 1/4 cup of rice to one side of the sheet.
- Spread the rice using your fingers so it’s in a flat thin layer and covers about half of the sheet.
- Add a line of spicy tuna mix in the center of the rice and lightly spread it.
- Grab the bamboo from both ends of the side with the nori sheet and start rolling.
- Roll it tight enough so the rice feels tight but no so tight that the tuna mixture spills out from the ends. Keep rolling until there is a little nori sheet left.
- Wet your fingers and lightly run them across the bottom edge of the nori sheet. Continue rolling until the mat comes off.
- Wet a sharp knife and slice the roll in half. Slice into bite size pieces and cut off the ends if you want the roll to look neater.
Expert Tips
- Take your time rinsing the rice. Short grain Japanese rice is high in starch so it’s important to get rid of the excessing by rinsing the rice well, until the water runs clear, before cooking it. I recommend using a Japanese rice strainer since the holes are just the right size to hold the grains in the bowl. It’s the only thing I use to rinse rice!
- Drain the canned tuna well. This prevents the spicy tuna mixture from becoming too watery.
