I first came up with this spicy tuna roll recipe late one night when a sushi craving hit hard. I didn’t have fresh tuna, but I did have a can of tuna and a bottle of sriracha. One experiment later, this easy canned version was born—and honestly, it’s been on repeat ever since!
If you love spicy tuna rolls but don’t always have sushi-grade fish on hand, this easy version is about to become your go-to.
Made with canned tuna, a creamy spicy sauce, and perfectly seasoned sushi rice, these rolls deliver the same bold, savory flavor you’d expect from your favorite sushi spot—without the fuss or the raw fish. This version of maki sushi is quick, affordable, and surprisingly satisfying. It’s similar to my old Japanese spicy tuna salad but with a punchier taste.
Are you a sushi lover? Then you might also like to learn how to make a delicious California roll or Philadelphia roll.
Why This Recipe Works
- No raw fish required – Perfect if you don’t want to deal with sushi-grade seafood
- Pantry-friendly – Made with simple ingredients you probably already have
- Beginner-friendly – Great if you’re new to rolling sushi
- Customizable heat level – Make it as mild or spicy as you like
- Ready in 25 minutes – Faster than ordering takeout
Table of contents
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Canned tuna: Use canned tuna in water instead of tuna in oil for the overall texture.
- Sriracha Sauce: Sriracha sauce has a sweet peppery taste with a spicy kick that’s not too volcanic.
- Chili Oil: Japanese chili oil is a fragrant, nutty, and mildly spicy condiment made with sesame oil and red chili peppers.
- Rice Vinegar: Mildly tart with fruity notes, rice vinegar is more delicate in flavor than other types of vinegar. It brightens up the taste and also reduces some of the ‘fishiness’ of the canned tuna.
- Green onions: Finely chopped green onions bring a subtle crunch and freshness.
- Mayonnaise: Use whatever you have handy in the fridge but I recommend using kewpie mayonnaise if you can get a hold of it. Kewpie mayonnaise has a distinct fruity and eggy taste that cannot be found in other mayonnaise.
- Seaweed Sheets (Nori): Toasted nori sheets are used to not only keep everything from spilling out of the roll – they also give the dish a lovely toasty and briny taste.
- Cooked Japanese Rice: When making sushi or maki sushi, Japanese short grain rice is recommended over medium grain rice. That’s because the grains a fatter and more chewy, helping them stick together more easily. My favorite brand is Tamanishiki.
Variations
- Top with tempura bits to elevate the dish. Sesame seeds are also delicious and add some nuttiness.
- Make it restaurant-style. Use sushi-grade tuna instead of canned for a more traditional flavor.
- Add a cucumber strip. Turn this roll into a spicy tuna and cucumber roll.
- Sweeten it. Add a little honey to the tuna mixture to sweeten the taste.
- Make it a spicy tuna bowl. Skip rolling and serve over rice with nori strips.
How To Make Spicy Tuna Roll
- Make the spicy tuna. Mix the canned tuna, sriracha sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, green onions, and mayonnaise.
- Prep your rolling station. Place a nori sheet on a bamboo mat and keep a small bowl of water nearby.
- Spread the rice. Place a nori sheet on the bamboo mat, shiny side down, and spread about 1/4 cup of rice to one side of the sheet.
- Add the filling. Create a line of spicy tuna across the center.
- Roll tightly. Grab the bamboo from both ends of the side with the nori sheet and start rolling. Keep rolling until there is a little nori sheet left.
- Seal with water. Wet your fingers and lightly run them across the bottom edge of the nori sheet. Continue rolling until the mat comes off.
- Slice. Wet a sharp knife and slice the roll in half. Slice into bite size pieces and cut off the ends if you want the roll to look neater.
- Serve. Enjoy with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overfill the roll – This is the #1 reason rolls fall apart
- Keep your hands wet – To prevent rice from sticking to your fingers
- Use room temperature rice – Cold rice won’t spread properly
- Wipe your knife often – especially between cuts, for clean slices
- Roll tighter than you think – loose rolls won’t hold shape
- Drain the can well. Make sure the tuna is on the dryer side to prevent the spicy tuna mixture from becoming too watery.
- Take your time rinsing the rice. Short grain Japanese rice is high in starch so it’s important to rinse it well until the water runs clear, so the rice doesn’t get mushy during the cooking process. I recommend using a Japanese rice strainer to make the process easier.
Storage
These spicy tuna rolls do keep quite well for a few days! Simply transfer them to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Before eating, take the rolls out 1 hour before serving to give the rice time to soften. Keep the rolls in the container or covered to prevent the rice from drying and away from direct sunlight.
What To Serve With These Spicy Tuna Rolls
Spicy tuna rolls can be served as part of a healthy lunch or dinner, as an appetizer, side, or even as a late night snack. It pairs well with other popular Asian dishes such as:
- Edamame with soy and sesame sauce
- Nasu dengaku
- Miso ramen
- Gomae (Japanese spinach and sesame salad)
- Miso soup
- Zaru soba (chilled soba noodles)
Other sushi-like dishes you might like to try: Tekka don, temari sushi, tuna mayo onigiri, and chirashi sushi bowl.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintSpicy Tuna Roll (Poor Man’s)
A kid friendly spicy tuna roll recipe made with canned tuna! Ready in 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Rice
- Method: Rolling
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 5 ounces can tuna in water (well drained)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 6 nori sheets (seaweed)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked Japanese rice, at room temperature
Instructions
- Make the spicy tuna. In a bowl, mix tuna, sriracha sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, scallions and mayonnaise.
- Prep the bamboo mat. Place a sheet of nori on top of a bamboo mat (sushi roller) and set a small bowl of water next to the bamboo mat. Use it to dip your fingers to spread the rice more easily.
- Spread the rice. Add ¼ cup of the rice to the side of the nori sheet closest to you and spread it by pressing down with your fingers. Continue until about 3/4 of the nori sheet is covered (you may need to add more rice – just make sure it’s thinly spread out.)
- Add the spicy tuna. Add a line of spicy tuna to the center of the rice (about 1½ tablespoons, or more if you like bigger rolls).
- Make the maki roll. Roll up the bamboo mat starting with the side closest to you. You have to roll it tight enough that the rice feels condensed, but not so tight that the tuna mixture spills out (or the nori sheet breaks). You’ll get the hang of it after doing it a couple of times. Keep rolling until there is only a bit of nori left visible.
- Seal the nori sheet. Wet your index finger and run it across the inside edge of the nori sheet. This will seal the end of the roll. Keep rolling and delicately remove the bamboo mat.
- Slice the roll. Wipe a sharp knife with a wet cloth and cut the roll into bite size pieces.
- Serve. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.
Notes
Spicy tuna roll is best served fresh. To save the leftovers, transfer them to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 106
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 98.1mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14.3g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 6.8g
- Cholesterol: 10.5mg
Frequently Asked Questions
A tuna roll uses raw sashimi grade tuna, while a spicy tuna roll mixes raw tuna (usually the leftover bits) with a spicy mayo-based sauce.
Yes. But make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari as a dipping sauce so the entire meal is gluten-free.
Yes you can. Simply swap regular mayonnaise for vegan mayonnaise and use plant based canned tuna.
Absolutely. Canned tuna is cooked, making it safe and also beginner-friendly.
Mild to medium—but you can easily adjust the heat by adding more or less sriracha.
You didn’t mention anywhere in your recipe how long to cook the sushi rice for, and rice is the centerpiece of any sushi recipe.
Hi Jeffrey! This is not a sushi recipe but a maki (roll) recipe that does not need any seasoning for the rice. Since the filling has so much flavor, using plain rice works really nicely 🙂
Have tried a few spicy tuna recipes – this is my favourite. Like the addition of chili oil and vinegar which gives a different dimension to the flavours. Thank you!
For my first time making homemade sushi, I think I was mostly relieved that it came out well. It tasted good too.
This was delicious!
Soooo yummy! My only tip is to make more rice and tuna if you like to stuff your nori sheets!!
Absolutely blown away. I’ve always been wary of canned tuna- it brought back bad school lunch vibes- but love anything and everything spicy tuna. This recipe completely nails the spicy tuna we know and love with the comfort of already cooked fish. I was shocked at how quickly it came together as well. A little bit of panko added gave the tuna the perfect crunch. We used it as Onigiri filling and were blown away. Thank you for creating such an amazing recipe!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much Helen for the feedback and story. It was such a pleasure to read!
This recipe worked out just fine with a can of mackerel that I had in the pantry, with minor adjustments on the amounts of seasonings. I think the little mat for rolling is about 7 years old and I had not dared to use it, lol. I also did the California rolls, and they were delicious as well. And truly, very easy to make.
I’ve done a few of your recipes, you post good stuff Caroline! Thanks!!
Thank you so much Sandra, you just put a smile on my face 🙂
What brand of tuna did you use? I’d love to make these ASAP! I usually eat the Ace Diamond Canned Tuna back home but they don’t have any where I’m at.
Hi Jarene! I use Wild Planet Albacore Tuna which you can find at Whole Foods. The tuna is really good and it’s sustainable which protects our oceans 🙂
Excellent recipe!
This is a great recipe, and even when I use a tuna brand I don’t normally care for (availability) everything turns out tasty. Thank you!
Thank you Kyrie! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipeI! t’s become a staple the past year without the rice for my low carb lunches (Sometimes I just roll it in little seaweed snack sheets).
I also have taken the tuna mixture and added cream cheese and some dashes of low sodium soy sauce and made a spicy tuna dip for cucumber or pork rinds 🙂
I had a terrible time rolling so I gave up, poured the spicy tuna over a bowl of rice, and added seaweed chips on the side and served it to my hubby as “Deconstructed Tuna Roll.” It’s now a staple!
I do the same sometimes when I’m feeling lazy, it’s just as good! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m currently six months pregnant and can’t go out for sushi because there’s a terrible snowstorm ! (Michigan) I need a piece of sushi like my life depends on it, making this for dinner. Looks amazing
I tried it with canned salmon today (all I had in the pantry), and it was delicious!! For a little crunch, I’d definitely mix in breadcrumbs or roll some cucumber in next time. Thank you for saving me $15 on sushi delivery ^_^
I used this recipe but swapped the tuna for chickpeas & used vegan mayo. My husband & I loved it! Super easy & delicious vegan sushi!
What a great idea Melissa, I’ve never tried chickpea and vegan mayo for a sushi filling. Thanks for sharing!
Rice vinegar, salt, and sugar should be added to the rice after cooking for proper sushi rice (sake and/or mirin can also be used if you can get hold of them)
That’s right Matty, I love the taste of sushi rice when it’s perfect otherwise it can be too acidic!
I’ve made these twice now and absolutely love them. Many thanks for posting the recipe. They really are superb, fantastically tasty and easier and much cheaper than using sashimi grade tuna. Great recipe!
Thank you Tim, I’m so glad them as much as I do! 🙂
Chili oil. Brilliant idea! I’ll be making these tonight.
Will try this recipe definitely. Since I live in Vegas I miss our local food.
So yummy. I add some cucumber to freshen it up, since it was so hot outside.
Thank you so much for the idea.
I come daily to your website to watch for more 🙂
LittlFrenchy