Easy Spicy Tuna Sushi Bake (Using Canned Tuna!)

Name: Easy Spicy Tuna Sushi Bake (Using Canned Tuna!)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 10 sheets nori (cut in half to make 20 sheets); 1 tbsp furikake (optional); 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional); 4 medium avocado (ripe); 2-3 tbsp Japanese mayo (or regular mayo); 2-3 tbsp sriracha sauce; 1 green onion (finely chopped for garnishing); 1 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil, for greasing the baking dish); 15.87 oz canned tuna in oil (or canned tuna in water or canned salmon, 3 x 5.29 oz / 150 g cans); 4-5 tbsp Japanese mayo (or regular mayo); 1-2 tbsp sriracha sauce; 1/4 tsp salt; 1.5 cups uncooked short-grain rice (or 4 cups / 800 g cooked short-grain rice); 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar); 2 tsp white granulated sugar; 1/2 tsp salt

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A delicious sushi casserole dish with rice, tuna, avocado, mayo, sriracha and green onions served with dry roasted seaweed. This quick and easy spicy tuna sushi bake is ready in 30 minutes. A great main or meal idea for all the tuna-lovers!

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Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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💬 Reviews

My spicy tuna sushi bake recipe is made of seasoned sushi rice, spicy tuna mayo, avocado slices, sriracha, Kewpie mayo, and green onions best served with nori. It's so delicious and many of my readers love this recipe!

This Asian rice casserole dish is made of very simple ingredients and the best part is that it's budget-friendly as we're using canned tuna!

Most tuna-lovers will have a few cans in their pantry, so I thought why use this ingredient in a sushi bake! It's also a great way to add seafood to your diet.

Sushi bakes are a viral dish on social media in recent years but the concept has been around for awhile. It is believed that the dish originates from Hawaii and the Philippines and it's a common dish to bring to potlucks!

I love this dish! The spicy tuna with the avocado, rice and crunchy seaweed is divine! There are so many delicious flavours and the textures in this dish - it's like a party in your mouth.

I also enjoy this tuna version as it's unique from the kind with imitation crab meat, which I also share on the blog. If you're not a fan of tuna, check out the imitation crab version here.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

Nori Sheets: or substitute with seaweed snack sheets for serving with the sushi bake.
Ripe Avocados: if you're allergic avocados, please omit this ingredient and feel free to serve the final dish with fresh cucumbers.
Sesame Seeds (optional): or substitute with sesame oil and mix it into the rice. If you're allergic to sesame, omit this ingredient.
Furikake (optional): a Japanese sushi seasoning made of dry roasted seaweed flakes with sesame seeds, sugar, soy sauce and dried fish. You can buy this ingredient at the Asian grocery store.
Japanese mayo (aka Kewpie mayo): a creamy Japanese-style mayonnaise made of egg yolks instead of using whole eggs like in regular mayo. Or substitute with regular mayo that is thick and creamy, like Hellman's.
Sriracha sauce: this is a thick red Thai hot chili sauce. Most Asian and select Western grocery stores will sell this. It usually comes in a clear bottle with a green cap.
Green Onion: for garnishing.
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.

Spicy Tuna Mixture

Canned Tuna in Oil: is recommended for best texture. Or substitute with canned tuna in water, canned salmon, or imitation crab meat.
Japanese mayo (aka Kewpie mayo): or substitute with regular mayo that is thick and creamy.
Sriracha Sauce
Salt

Seasoned Rice

Short Grain White Rice (aka Calrose Rice or Sushi Rice): avoid using any long-grain rice as it won't hold shape. Or substitute with medium-grain rice but add 3 tablespoon or 45 ml to the rice cooking water.
Rice Vinegar: or substitute with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
White Granulated Sugar
Salt

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

Expert Tips

Use freshly made sushi rice as the moisture helps hold the rice together.
Evenly grease the the baking dish with neutral oil to prevent the rice from sticking. Don't line it with parchment paper.
Buy canned tuna in oil for best texture because it tastes more smooth than canned tuna in water, but use what's available to you.
Use ripe avocados and avoid unripe ones. To check if avocados are ripe, you can easily make a thumb imprint into the flesh.
Prepare the avocados last to prevent oxidization and browning.
Using a sharp wet knife to easily slice the sushi bake.
Keep the nori sheets in their packaging until consumption as they tend to go soggy when exposed to air.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make spicy tuna sushi bake:

Evenly grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil or any neutral oil using a paper towel.
Cook short grain rice according to package instructions in your rice cooker or on the stove top (see Notes below for further instructions).
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
To season the rice: Transfer cooked hot rice to a large bowl. Season rice with salt, sugar and rice vinegar and mix with a rice paddle. Then evenly spread the rice and firmly pack the rice into the baking dish.
Sprinkle sesame seeds and furikake over the seasoned rice.
To make the spicy tuna mixture: Open canned tuna and strain out as much of the liquids as possible using a fine sieve and a fork. Transfer strained tuna to a medium-sized bowl and mix with Japanese mayo, sriracha sauce, and salt. Evenly spread the spicy tuna mixture over the rice.
Then peel and thinly slice avocados. Spread avocado slices over the tuna layer.
Generously drizzle Japanese mayo and sriracha sauce over the avocado.
Broil in oven for 10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with green onions.
Slice the sushi bake with a wet knife into 20 pieces and scoop a portion of the filling into a small sheet of nori. Enjoy!

Storage

Spicy tuna sushi bake is best enjoyed fresh or within the same day.
Leftovers can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until hot.
Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing spicy tuna sushi bake as the rice will harden and the avocado will change in texture and oxidize.

Pairing Suggestions

Spicy tuna sushi bake serves well with:

starters like miso soup, or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing or korokke.
seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo.
protein dishes like ramen eggs, air fryer chicken katsu, chicken katsu or tonkatsu, tofu katsu, fish katsu bites, karaage, teriyaki tofu, teriyaki chicken, or ginger miso salmon.
rice dishes like oyakodon, katsudon, or omurice
noodle dishes like ramen, yaki udon, creamy mushroom udon, or udon carbonara.

FAQ

Can I make this in advance?

Spicy tuna sushi bake is best enjoyed fresh or same day, so I recommend make this only a few hours in advance as the avocado slices will turn brown and the tuna won't taste as fresh.

Can I omit the avocados?

You may omit the avocados from the sushi bake. Instead, consider serving the sushi bake with thinly sliced fresh cucumbers (do not bake this with the sushi bake).

How do I make this not spicy?

To make this spicy tuna sushi bake not spicy, omit the sriracha sauce or reduce the amount instructed.

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