Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
Easy and delicious spicy tuna crispy rice inspired by Nobu’s famous dish, but gluten free! It’s so easy to make at home and makes for the perfect crowd pleasing appetizer.
Spicy tuna crispy rice is one of my absolute favorite appetizers. If you aren’t familiar, it was made popular by the famous restaurant Nobu and is essential fried rice rectangles with a creamy and spicy tuna mixture on top.
There is time in the chilling process because the rice needs to be nice and set/cold before we fry it, but it’s an otherwise really easy and straightforward recipe.
It is mostly made with pantry staple ingredients, aside from the tuna, but everything else you probably already have! If you love this recipe, try my honey sriracha salmon bowls or my honey ginger salmon bites.
Before we get started…
- For best results, be sure to use a sushi grade tuna here.
- Kewpie mayonnaise is like American mayo but uses just the egg yolk instead of the whole egg. If you can only find regular mayo that is totally fine!
- You can find sushi grade tuna at most grocery stores. However, if you have a local Japanese grocery store, you will definitely have luck there!
How to make spicy tuna crispy rice
First, rinse the rice under a fine mesh strainer. Cook with the water according to package instructions. Once cooked, mix in the sugar, vinegar and salt.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or plastic wrap and press the rice evenly into the pan. You really want to press it down firmly, this will ensure it holds its shape when it cooks.
Cover then set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
While that is chilling, prep the tuna. Slice the tuna into strips, then finely dice into cubes. The finer the better here!
Add to a bowl with all remaining ingredients for the tuna. Mix well to combine. Set in the fridge while we finish the rice.
When the rice is ready, slice into 18 strips. I slice in thirds, then slice each third into about 6 pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet.
Once the oil is really hot, add the rice rectangles in a single layer, making sure you don’t over crowd the pan.
Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crispy. You can also do this in the air fryer, just brush each side of the rice with oil and air fry at 400 for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
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When the rice is done, top with thinly sliced avocado, about 1 tablespoon of tuna and some sliced jalapeno and sesame seeds. Enjoy as is or dip in soy sauce/tamari on the side.
Ingredient tips
Sushi rice: Sushi rice works best since it’s stickier than other varieties of rice. I don’t recommend any swaps here!
Oil: I used refined avocado oil, but any neutral oil like vegetable oil is fine here.
Tuna: Make sure to buy sushi grade tuna that’s safe to eat raw. It is the freshest and highest quality fish. Salmon is a great alternative if you prefer, but make sure it’s sushi or sashimi grade as well!
Pro tips for success!
Wash your rice! Washing the rice removes the excess starch, dirt, dust, and debris from the rice. If you don’t wash it, the excess starch will gelatinize and make the rice grains a bit too mushy.
Cool the rice on a wire rack for maximum crispiness. After the rice is done, place the rice pieces over a wire rack to prevent them from getting soggy.
Chill the rice. You will need to chill the rice block in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes, then the fridge for 30 (so 1 hour total). The longer you chill the rice the easier it is to slice into cubes. You can prep this ahead of time and chill overnight as well!
How to store
This spicy tuna crispy rice is definitely best fresh, but it will keep in the fridge for about 2 days. However, the rice will lose some of its crispiness as it sits in the fridge, but the flavor will still be great!
Serving suggestions
I love to top the tuna off with sliced jalapeños and sesame seeds, but you can also just leave it plain since the spicy tuna mixture already has so much flavor.
More appetizers you’ll love!
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Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plain oil for frying
Tuna
- 7 ounces sushi or sashimi grade tuna
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons finely diced green onion
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds plus more for serving
For Serving
- ½ avocado thinly sliced
- 1-2 jalapenos sliced
Instructions
- First, rinse the rice under a fine mesh strainer.
- Cook with the water according to package instructions. Once cooked, mix in the sugar, vinegar and salt.
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or plastic wrap and press the rice evenly into the pan. You really want to press it down firmly, this will ensure it holds its shape when it cooks.
- Cover then set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- While that is chilling, prep the tuna. Slice the tuna into strips, then finely dice into cubes. The finer the better here!
- Add to a bowl with all remaining ingredients for the tuna. Mix well to combine.
- Set in the fridge while we finish the rice.
- When the rice is ready, slice into 18 strips. I slice in thirds, then slice each third into about 6 pieces.
- Heat the oil in a skillet.
- Once the oil is really hot, add the rice rectangles in a single layer, making sure you don’t over crowd the pan.
- Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crispy. You can also do this in the air fryer, just brush each side of the rice with oil and air fry at 400 for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Set the rice on a wire rack.
- When the rice is done, top with thinly sliced avocado, about 1 tablespoon of tuna and some sliced jalapeno and sesame seeds. Enjoy as is or dip in soy sauce/tamari on the side.
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