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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl

    Modified: Sep 19, 2024 · Published: Nov 17, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl. A quick and easy flavourful Korean rice bowl packed with tuna, kimchi, spinach, egg and roasted seaweed. Ready in 30 minutes. A great meal if you love kimbap and are too lazy to make it!

    deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    My Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl is a simple Korean-inspired rice bowl featuring seasoned rice, tuna mayo, kimchi, eggs, sautéed spinach, and roasted seaweed.

    It was inspired by the classic Korean tuna kimbap roll but broken down into a big comforting bowl, eliminating the tedious process of filling and rolling kimbap.

    Kimbap is a Korean rice roll wrapped in seaweed with various fillings. It looks similar to Japanese sushi but it's not the same because sushi is usually made with mostly raw ingredients.

    deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl

    This is a quick and simple meal made with pantry ingredients, like canned tuna. It's great for busy weeknights when you're crunched for time and you need something fast and filling. Also a wonderful way to add seafood to your diet.

    If you have leftover cooked rice, it will come together even faster! You'll just need to microwave the rice until hot. This rice bowl is very versatile and you can also swap the ingredients for ones you enjoy!

    deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Cooked Short Grain Rice (aka sushi rice or calrose rice): or substitute with jasmine rice.
    • Kimchi: make sure it's the well fermented kind for best taste. You can check by looking at the cabbage as it will be softened and reddish over white. Any Korean grocery store will sell this ingredient.
    • Canned Tuna in Oil: I recommend strained canned tuna in oil over water as it's smoother in texture and more delicious. But as a last resort, substitute with canned tuna in water.
    • Large Egg
    • Spinach: use pre-washed baby spinach to make things easier! Or substitute with regular spinach, trim the ends and wash it very well to remove trapped dirt.
    • Japanese mayo (aka Kewpie mayo): a creamy Japanese-style mayonnaise made of egg yolks instead of using whole eggs like in regular mayo. As a last resort, substitute with regular mayo.
    • Roasted Seaweed Snack: most grocery stores especially Asian ones will sell this. Or substitute with dry roasted seaweed nori sheets and cut them into small squares or Korean-style seasoned seaweed flakes.
    • Sesame Oil: for that nutty flavor that is usually used to garnish kimbap. Omit if you're allergic.
    • Sesame seeds: toasted white or black sesame seeds both work. Omit if you're allergic.

    Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon. 

    Expert Tips

    • Use short-grain rice over jasmine rice for best texture.
    • Don't over blanch the spinach or it will easily break apart when you season it.
    • Use room temperature eggs to prevent them from cracking when you boil them. To bring eggs to room temperature from the fridge, run them under warm running water.
    • Transfer the boiled eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
    • Use the back of a spoon to help you crack and peel the eggs. Start at the bottom round side when peeling as there's a little gap between the egg white and shell.
    • Use a rice paddle to help season the rice.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl:

    1. In a medium pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Blanch baby spinach for 60 seconds and strain immediately. Rinse off with cold running water and shake out the water. Then squeeze the spinach to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Transfer cooked spinach to a bowl and season with sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
    2. In a small pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Carefully lower in room temperature eggs, reduce to medium heat, cover and set a timer for 6.5 minutes for soft boiled eggs. For hard boiled, boil for 10 minutes. Transfer boiled eggs into a prepared ice bath. Once cooled, crack and peel with the back of a spoon from the less pointy side. Slice it into half with a knife and set aside.
    3. Then in a small bowl, combine strained tuna and Japanese mayo. Set aside.
    4. Next in a large serving bowl, mix cooked rice with sesame oil and sesame seeds with a rice paddle.
    5. Finally add chopped kimchi, the tuna mayo mixture, seasoned spinach, seaweed snack, and the egg on top of the rice. Mix together and enjoy!

    Storage

    • This is best enjoyed fresh or same day.
    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot.
    • Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing this deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl as the rice will turn hard.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl serves well with Korean side dishes like:

    • Korean cucumber salad
    • beansprout salad
    • zucchini fritters
    • gamja jorim
    • Korean spinach
    • japchae
    • gyeran mari
    • fish cake stir fry
    • Spicy Tuna Kimbap, Easy Spam Kimbap, Beef Bulgogi Kimbap, Cheese Kimbap Roll or Korean Egg Roll Kimbap

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance?

    This can be made up to 4 days in advance by preparing the different components and storing them separately into airtight containers in the fridge. On the day of serving, reheat the hot components and assemble the bowl as instructed.

    Can I cook my eggs another way?

    Yes, feel free to scramble or fry them sunny side up or easy over in a bit of oil.

    📖 Recipe

    featured image of deconstructed tuna kimbap bowl

    Quick & Easy Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl

    Christie Lai
    Deconstructed Tuna Kimbap Bowl. A quick and easy flavourful Korean rice bowl packed with tuna, kimchi, spinach, egg and roasted seaweed. Ready in 30 minutes. A great meal if you love kimbap and are too lazy to make it!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Korean
    Servings 1
    Calories per serving 678 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 large egg room temperature
    • ⅓ cup kimchi chopped
    • 5 pieces roasted seaweed snack or dry roasted seaweed cut into squares or seasoned seaweed flakes

    For the rice

    • 1.5 cups cooked short grain rice
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds black or white both work

    For the spinach

    • 2 cups baby spinach packed
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    For the tuna mayo

    • 2.64 oz canned tuna strained of liquids
    • 1 tablespoon Japanese mayo or regular mayo

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Blanch baby spinach for 60 seconds and strain immediately. Rinse off with cold running water and shake out the water. Then squeeze the spinach to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Transfer cooked spinach to a bowl and season with sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
    • In a small pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Carefully lower in room temperature eggs, reduce to medium heat, cover and set a timer for 6.5 minutes for soft boiled eggs. For hard boiled, boil for 10 minutes. Transfer boiled eggs into a prepared ice bath. Once cooled, crack and peel with the back of a spoon from the less pointy side. Slice it into half with a knife and set aside.
    • Then in a small bowl, combine strained tuna and Japanese mayo. Set aside.
    • Next in a large serving bowl, mix cooked rice with sesame oil and sesame seeds with a rice paddle.
    • Finally add chopped kimchi, the tuna mayo mixture, seasoned spinach, seaweed snack, and the egg on top of the rice. Mix together and enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Rice Cooker
    • Measuring Set
    • Mixing bowl
    • Small pot
    • Kitchen Scale
    Nutrition
    Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 219mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 6065IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 9mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Elizabeth

      September 05, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      5 stars
      This was a great idea- an easy, clean lunch that's easy to adapt to what you have on hand. I sautéed the spinach instead of boiling, since I prefer it that way, but used sesame seed oil to stick with the flavors suggested. Will definitely be coming back to this one.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        September 06, 2022 at 7:17 pm

        Thanks so much for making my recipe Elizabeth! I'm really happy you enjoyed this simple meal idea 🙂

        Reply
    2. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      January 18, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      This really is a smorgasbord of deliciousness. I love the combination of all these flavors into one dish!

      Reply
    3. Michelle | Sift & Simmer

      August 05, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a creative and delicious idea! It'd be great for a weeknight dinner... like tonight! 😉

      Reply
    4. Rebecca Dillon

      July 08, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      I love deconstructed foods. This looks amazing!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        July 09, 2020 at 10:34 pm

        Thank you so much Rebecca!

        Reply
    5. Josiah - DIY Thrill

      June 19, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      Looks really yummy!

      Reply
    6. Katerina

      June 19, 2020 at 8:32 am

      5 stars
      Mmm, my mouth is watering just looking at these photos - this is such a fabulous idea, Christie! I love all the flavours here - I definitely need to make this soon!

      Reply
    7. Rosemary

      June 18, 2020 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      YESSS for that gut and hormone health! I love eating more fish and fermented foods lately too!

      Reply
    8. Never Ending Journeys

      June 17, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious meal! A great combination of ingredients and flavors - sounds good.

      Reply
    9. Alex

      June 17, 2020 at 2:22 am

      5 stars
      The flavours in this are wonderful. And I love how you've made this simple and deconstructed 🙂 My best friend loves Korean food, so we are going to enjoy this together one day soon!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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