Japanese Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl. Warm sushi rice layered with canned tuna, fresh cucumbers, spicy mayo and crunchy nori. An easy budget friendly meal that is so delicious and calls for six ingredients with the star ingredient being canned tuna. This quick rice bowl recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes if you have cooked rice or 30 minutes with uncooked rice. Great for dinner or lunch.
For years, I have been obsessed with the combination of canned tuna, short grain rice, and kewpie mayo with nori. It was my go-to meal when I honestly had no idea what to eat or there was nothing in the fridge, but I wanted something satisfying, delicious and comforting.
The best part about this tuna rice bowl is that it is budget friendly and it’s quick to make in under 10 minutes if you have cold leftover rice in the fridge. Now there are many tuna bowl recipes out there but I haven't seen something super simple. A lot of them contain seared tuna or they're overwhelmed with ingredients. But mine is really simple and easy!
What does it taste like?
The combination of the spicy tuna rice mixture with a piece of crunchy nori reminds me of Korean Tuna Triangle Kimbap or Japanese Onigiri.
Easy to make!
This canned tuna rice bowl is incredibly easy to make at home. As mentioned, you will only need 6 ingredients:
- Canned tuna (in oil is recommend for a delicious bowl), strained of oil and liquids
- Short grain sushi rice, cooked
- Nori
- Fresh cucumbers
- Sriracha Sauce
- Kewpie Mayo (or Japanese Mayo)
First place about 1 ¼ cups of warm cooked rice into a wide bowl. If needed, reheat it in the microwave for 90 seconds, covered.
Over the rice, layer overtop with strained canned tuna. Pile a ½ cup of sliced cucumber over the tuna.
Generously squeeze sufficient sriracha sauce and kewpie mayo over top.
Crush up a sheet of nori with your hands and sprinkle the nori over your rice.
Fold 4-5 sheets of nori into 4 squares and rip or cut along the edges to enjoy with the rice mixture.
How to eat a Japanese canned tuna rice bowl
Mix the contents of your tuna rice bowl until well combined.
Then fold 4-5 sheets of nori into 4 squares and rip or cut along the edges.
Then scoop 2 tablespoons of the tuna rice mixture into a square sheet of nori and enjoy!
How to spice up my rice bowl?
The great thing about this easy tuna rice bowl is that it’s very versatile! If you’re not a fan of cucumbers, replace it with carrots or another crunchy vegetable that you enjoy. Here are some other topping ideas:
- Carrots, sliced into matchsticks
- Avocado
- Sauteed Spinach
- Kimchi
- Pickled yellow daikon radish
- Fried egg
- Furikake seasoning
Warning: this Japanese canned tuna rice bowl is best served with minimal toppings. I wouldn’t suggest overwhelming your bowl with everything I suggested. The beauty of this dish is the simple taste of the tuna mixed with spicy mayo and rice with nori.
Tips for making Spicy Tuna Bowl with Rice
Below are tips on making this homemade spicy tuna bowl:
- I love using canned tuna in olive oil! I find that the tuna is so much more tender and delicious in taste. Yes, the fat content is higher but hey, you only live once.
- Use short grain rice. This rice is highly recommended because it’s stickier and more moist than jasmine rice, especially when you’re scooping some into your nori - you won't want the rice mixture falling all over the place. I also find it tastes better with this combination of ingredients.
- Use Kewpie mayo or Japanese mayo. This mayo is not the same as normal mayo found at western grocers. It’s creamier and has a higher yolk content.
- Keep your cut sheets of nori dry and away from moisture. Any surrounding moisture will be absorbed by nori lessening the crunch of it when you're about to dig in
- Keep your rice bowl simple! You don’t want to overload this rice bowl with too many topping ideas because the beauty of this dish is the simplicity of the tuna with the mayo and rice.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this simple tuna rice bowl:
Where do I buy canned tuna in oil?
Most western or Asian grocers will carry this item in their canned section.
Where can I find Japanese or Kewpie Mayo?
Asian supermarkets will carry this item in their sauce or seasoning aisles.
Where can I find sriracha sauce?
Asian grocers will have this item available in their sauce aisle.
Is Sriracha mandatory?
No. You can omit this entirely and make it a non-spicy tuna rice bowl.
Where is Nori sold?
It’s usually sold at Asian supermarkets, and you may be able to find it at Western grocers.
What kind of rice should I use?
Short grain sushi rice (aka Calrose rice) is highly recommended. I would not recommend jasmine or basmati. It’s not sticky enough.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this spicy tuna bowl, you may enjoy these other tuna recipes:
SPICY TUNA SUSHI BAKE
KOREAN TUNA MAYO RICE BALLS
TUNA KIMCHI FRIED RICE
KOREAN TUNA MAYO DEOPBAP
TUNA KIMCHI JJIGAE
SPICY TUNA KIMBAP
JAPANESE TUNA ONIGIRI
DECONSTRUCTED TUNA KIMBAP BOWL
KOREAN TUNA CAKES (CHAMCHIJEON)
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my spicy tuna bowl recipe:
- 1 ¼ cups cooked short grain sushi rice (feel free to use re-heated leftover rice)
- 160 grams canned tuna, drained (recommended: canned tuna in oil)
- 1.5 tablespoon sriracha sauce, or as needed (can be omitted)
- 2 tablespoon kewpie mayo, or as needed
- 6 sheets nori
- ½ cup cucumber, unpeeled and sliced into matchsticks
How to make Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl
- Place warm cooked rice into a wide bowl. If you're using cold leftover rice, microwave for 90 seconds, covered.
- Strain the liquids from the canned tuna and place the tuna over your rice, followed by cucumber matchsticks.
- Squeeze enough sriracha sauce and kewpie mayo over the contents of the bowl. Squeeze more to your desired preference.
- Using your hands, crush one sheet of nori and sprinkle it over top.
- With the remaining sheets of nori, fold them into squares and rip or cut them into individual pieces.
- How to eat: Mix the contents of your rice bowl until well combined. Scoop two tablespoons into a square piece of nori and enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Japanese Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my spicy tuna with rice, please share it with your family and friends or on social media!
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Made this recipe and loved it?
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Take care,
Christie
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10-min. Japanese Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cooked short grain rice feel free to use re-heated leftover rice
- 160 grams canned tuna drained (recommended: canned tuna in oil)
- 1.5 tablespoon sriracha sauce or as needed (can be omitted)
- 2 tablespoon Japanese mayo or as needed
- 6 sheets nori
- ½ cup cucumber unpeeled and sliced into matchsticks
Instructions
- Place warm cooked rice into a wide bowl. If you're using cold leftover rice, microwave for 90 seconds, covered.
- Strain the liquids from the canned tuna and place the tuna over your rice, followed by cucumber matchsticks.
- Squeeze enough sriracha sauce and kewpie mayo over the contents of the bowl. Squeeze more to your desired preference.
- Using your hands, crush one sheet of nori and sprinkle it over top.
- With the remaining sheets of nori, fold them into squares and rip or cut them into individual pieces.
- How to eat: Mix the contents of your rice bowl until well combined. Scoop two tablespoons into a square piece of nori and enjoy!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This is a great mid week dinner for busy weeks. Topping it with the cucumber slices adds the perfect refreshing finish.
Monica
Such a quick and Very tasty meal. Highly recommend it. Thank you for the recipe I will be making it again.
christieathome
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Monica! I am so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Lisa Stoik
Fantastic! Thanks so much for this recipe. I added eggs b/c we were hungry.
christieathome
Awesome! I love the addition of eggs! Thank you for making it and for sharing this kind review with me 🙂
Ri
It was great! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Ri! Happy you enjoyed it 🙂