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!
Jump to:
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
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.
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).
To make this spicy tuna sushi bake not spicy, omit the sriracha sauce or reduce the amount instructed.
📖 Recipe
Easy Spicy Tuna Sushi Bake (Using Canned Tuna!)
Ingredients
- 10 sheets nori cut in half to make 20 sheets
- 1 tablespoon furikake optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
- 4 medium avocado ripe
- 2-3 tablespoon Japanese mayo or regular mayo
- 2-3 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil, for greasing the baking dish
Spicy Tuna Mixture
- 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 tablespoon Japanese mayo or regular mayo
- 1-2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Seasoned Rice
- 1.5 cups uncooked short-grain rice or 4 cups / 800 g cooked short-grain rice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 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!
Notes
To cook rice in a rice cooker
- Rinse rice in the rice cooker pot with cold running water until it runs clear. Strain out the water.
- Fill rice cooker pot with fresh cold water to the instructed water line in the pot.
- Press "steam" or "white rice" button on your rice cooker.
To cook rice on the stove top using a pan
- Rinse rice under cold running water until it runs clear and then strain. Transfer strained rice to a medium-sized pot or pan, ideally non-stick.
- Then place your index finger above the rice and fill it with fresh cold water to the the first knuckle line of the finger.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil on medium heat. Then reduce to low heat and keep covered. Cook for 12-14 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. If there's water in the base of the pot, continue to cook on low until there isn't.
- Take the pot off the heat. Let this rest covered for another 10-12 minutes so the rice can properly cook through a steaming process. The finished rice will be sticky (not wet) and you should be able to fluff it with a rice paddle.
Hailey
Hi there. Do you mean broil using the broiler or baking in the oven at 500°F for those 10 minutes? I am currently doing a mix of both out of confusion.
Christie Lai
Hi there, the recipe card states to use your oven for broiling in steps 4 and 7.
Nicole Marrero
Hi! For the rice is it a total of 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar? It’s listed twice and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a different ingredient. Thanks
Christie Lai
Hi Nicole! Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention! The recipe has been corrected as the 1/2 tsp should be salt and 2 tsps should be for white sugar. I hope you enjoy my recipe 🙂
Rosario M
Had so many cans of tuna in my pantry and came across this recipe while browsing online. Just made it for dinner and it was so delicious! My family ate every morsel…there wasn’t anything left! Will definitely be making this again soon.
christieathome
Amazing! So happy to read this Rosario! Glad you and the whole family enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you for leaving this kind review!
Kristen Carrico
Could I use regular mayo ? For the life of me I could not find Japanese mayo or Kewpie mayo !
christieathome
Yes, regular mayo will work as well.
Naomi Zuhei
can I use gochujang instead of siracha?
christieathome
You can definitely try it out as I haven't personally done that myself. But if you do, I would recommend diluting the gochujang so you can easily drizzle it over the sushi bake.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
The combination of tuna and avocado sounds so good! This really is such a fabulous summer style casserole.
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
I love spicy tuna too! All the flavors in this tuna bake sound amazing. Looking forward to trying it!
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
Such a creative idea to make a sushi bake using tuna, I never thought to do this! Looks absolutely delicious!