This spicy tuna crispy rice combines crispy sushi rice cakes with homemade spicy tuna and avocado. The contrast of textures between the crispy rice and tuna is delightful and all the flavours work so well together. Whether you serve it as an appetiser or light meal, this spicy tuna crispy rice is sure please.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Ingredient Breakdown
- The Perfect Crispy Rice
- Why Sashimi Grade Tuna?
- The Magic of Kewpie Mayonnaise
- Customising Your Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
- Love This Recipe? Here’s More Inspo!
Introduction
If you’re a fan of spicy tuna rolls or anything crispy and delicious, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice is for you! It’s the perfect combination of flavours and textures. The rice is crispy on the outside, with a slight chew in the middle. And the spicy tuna is nice and tender. Add creamy avocado and zingy lime and you’ve got yourself the perfect bite.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Sushi Rice: This short-grain Japanese rice becomes sticky when cooked, which forms the perfect base for the crispy rice cakes.
- Rice Vinegar, Sugar, and Salt: Mix these ingredients into the hot rice to season it before frying.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for both brushing the rice and frying it to achieve that irresistible crispy texture. A neutral oil like vegetable oil ensures the flavours of the rice and toppings shine through.
- Sashimi Grade Tuna: Fresh, high-quality sashimi-grade tuna is the star of the show. It offers a delicate, clean flavour that pairs perfectly with the spicy mayo.
- Sriracha: This popular chilli sauce adds a kick of heat to the tuna mixture. It perfectly balances the richness of the mayonnaise with its spicy, tangy flavour.
- Kewpie Mayonnaise: Kewpie mayonnaise is richer and creamier than regular mayonnaise, thanks to the addition of egg yolks. It creates a smooth, luxurious base for the spicy tuna.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This fragrant oil adds a nutty, aromatic depth to the tuna mixture
- Spring Onion: Finely sliced spring onions add a touch of freshness and a mild onion flavour. This cuts through the richness of the tuna and mayonnaise.
- Avocado: This provides a nice contrast to the crispy rice, adding richness and balancing the spiciness of the tuna.
- Jalapeño: An optional garnish that brings an extra layer of heat and a fresh, crunchy texture to each bite.
- Lime Wedges: A final squeeze of lime juice brightens the dish, bringing all the flavours together with a zesty finish.
The Perfect Crispy Rice
The crispy rice cakes are the heart of this dish, providing the perfect base for the spicy tuna topping. Achieving the perfect crispiness starts with properly preparing the sushi rice. After cooking, the rice is seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, giving it a subtle, tangy flavour.
To ensure the rice cakes hold together during frying, it’s essential to compact the rice into a baking tin and let it sit in the fridge for several hours, or preferably overnight. This step allows the rice to firm up, making it easier to cut into squares and fry without falling apart.
There are two methods to achieve crispy rice: shallow frying and air frying.
- Shallow Fry: Shallow frying in a vegetable oil (or any neutral oil) gives the rice a deep golden-brown colour and an even crispiness.
- Air Fry: Air frying is a healthier alternative, producing crispy rice with less oil, although the browning may be less uniform.
Whichever method you choose, the key is to ensure the rice cakes are golden and crispy on both sides.
Why Sashimi Grade Tuna?
When making Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, it’s crucial to use sashimi-grade tuna. This high-quality tuna is specifically handled and processed to be safe for raw consumption, ensuring that it is free from parasites and bacteria. Sashimi-grade tuna is known for its delicate, buttery texture and clean, fresh flavour, making it the perfect complement to the crispy rice and spicy mayo.
If you’re unsure where to find sashimi-grade tuna, look for it at a trusted fishmonger or Japanese grocery store. Always ask your fishmonger to confirm the quality and safety of the tuna for raw consumption. In a pinch, high-quality frozen tuna can also be used, as freezing helps eliminate any potential parasites.
If you absolutely can’t get down with the idea of eating raw tuna, you can absolutely use tinned tuna instead, though in my opinion it’s nowhere near as delicious. If using tinned tuna, I recommend using good-quality, oil-packed tuna because the “in-water” and “in-brine” variety can be a little dry.
The Magic of Kewpie Mayonnaise
Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese condiment that has gained popularity worldwide for its rich, creamy texture and unique flavour. Made with egg yolks, rice vinegar, and a touch of MSG, Kewpie mayonnaise is slightly sweeter and tangier than regular mayonnaise, making it the perfect base for the spicy tuna mixture in this recipe.
The creaminess of Kewpie mayonnaise helps balance the heat of the sriracha, while its slight sweetness complements the delicate flavour of the tuna. If you don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise on hand, you can use regular mayonnaise as a substitute, but the result won’t be quite the same. For the best flavour in this Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice recipe, stick with Kewpie.
Customising Your Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
One of the great things about this recipe is its versatility. While the classic combination of spicy tuna and crispy rice is hard to beat, there are plenty of ways to customise the dish to suit your taste.
- Fish Alternatives: If you’re not a fan of tuna, you can easily substitute it with other types of fish, such as salmon or yellowtail.
- Make It Veggie: For a vegetarian option, swap the tuna for tofu, chickpeas or seared mushrooms.
- Customise Your Toppings: You can also experiment with different toppings, such as pickled ginger, crispy onions, or a drizzle of soy sauce.
- More Spice: For an extra kick, add thin slices of fresh jalapeño to the top of each rice cake. If you prefer a milder flavour, you can omit the jalapeño altogether or replace it with a milder pepper.
Love This Recipe? Here’s More Inspo!
If you love this Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, here are some other Japanese-inspired recipes you might enjoy.
- Tuna Tataki: Seared tuna drizzled with a refreshing ponzu-esque sauce combining soy sauce, orange juice and lime juice, with a gentle ginger kick.
- Miso Aubergines: Juicy aubergine halves, covered with a sweet, savoury and umami-forward miso glaze.
- Miso Salmon: Juicy, tender salmon, marinated in a 3-ingredient miso glaze before being roasted to charred perfection.
Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
This dish combines crispy, golden sushi rice cakes with fresh tuna, spicy mayo, avocado and a squeeze of lime. The contrast of textures between the crunchy rice and tender tuna is truly delightful and all the flavours work together so well. Whether you serve them up as an appetiser or a light meal, these spicy tuna crispy rice bites are sure to be a hit.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 spicy tuna crispy rice squares 1x
Ingredients
- 175g sushi rice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 120g sashimi grade tuna, very finely diced (approx. 0.5cm cubes)
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise)
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ spring onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
- lime wedges, to serve (don’t skip it!)
Instructions
- Wash the sushi rice until the water runs clear, then cook according to the package instructions.
- Meanwhile, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and whisk until dissolved. Add this to the hot, cooked sushi rice and stir to combine.
- Line a small, shallow baking tin with cling film and brush lightly with vegetable oil.
- Transfer the seasoned rice to the cling film-lined baking tin, spreading it into an even layer. The rice should be nice and compact.
- Lightly brush the rice with vegetable oil and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then cover with cling film and weigh down with something heavy (I used another baking tin filled with tins 4 x 400g tins).
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight. Alternatively, to speed things up, refrigerate uncovered until fully cooled, then cover and freezer for 1 1/2 hour. Please don’t skip this step – the rice cakes will fall apart if not properly set.
- Once fully set, cut the rice into squares.
- To shallow fry the rice (recommended): heat a generous glug of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the rice squares and turn the heat down to medium. Shallow fry for 4 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy on each side, then transfer to a wire rack to drain.
- To air fry the rice: preheat your air fryer to 190℃. Brush the rice cakes with vegetable oil on both sides, then air fry for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until crispy and golden in places (they won’t brown evenly, but they will still be crispy).
- Combine the tuna, sriracha, kewpie mayonnaise, toasted sesame oil and spring onion until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Assembly time. Top the crispy rice squares with avocado, followed by the tuna mixture and jalapeño slice. Finish with a squeeze of lime then serve immediately.
