Spicy Tuna Roll (Poor Man's)

Name: Spicy Tuna Roll (Poor Man's)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Japanese
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

You can easily make my spicy tuna roll recipe with everyday pantry ingredients! Canned tuna mixed with a creamy and spicy sauce is such a delicious filling for maki sushi. Plus, it’s kid friendly and perfect for those who are reluctant to eat raw fish. Who knew making maki sushi would be this easy! Ready in 25 minutes from start to finish.

I created this spicy tuna roll recipe one late night when I had a craving for maki sushi. I thought about my simple Japanese spicy tuna salad and made something similar in the form of sushi rolls. The flavors are similar to the spicy tuna rolls served in Japanese restaurants, that are made with raw tuna.

Why This Recipe Works

It’s very easy to make – The list of ingredient is short, no sushi-grade tuna is needed, and it can be made ahead of time.
Everyone loves it – Because canned tuna is used instead of raw tuna, it can be served to those who don’t like the taste or texture of uncooked fish. It also makes this dish kid friendly!
It’s versatile – The heat level can be adjusted to your liking, it can be made a little sweet, or even salty. This dish can also be served for lunch, dinner, as an appetizer, snack, or a side.

Ingredients
Variations
How To Make My Spicy Tuna Roll
Expert Tips
Storage
What To Serve With These Spicy Tuna Rolls
Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.

Canned tuna: I prefer to use albacore wild tuna that has been sustainably line caught, such as Wild Planet, because of its fresh taste. But feel free to use any type of canned tuna you like.
Sriracha Sauce: I like to use the original Huy Fong sriracha sauce for its strong sweet pepper taste and 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.
Scallions: 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. You can also make it from scratch by following my recipe for kewpie mayo.
Seaweed Sheets (Nori): Toasted nori sheets are commonly used when rolling sushi – but the seaweed sheets aren’t just there to keep everything from spilling out of the roll. There’s a toasty, savory, marine flavor that enhances the overall bite.
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, which is available on Amazon.

Variations
Top these rolls with some crunchy tempura bits to elevate the dish. Sesame seeds are also delicious and add some nuttiness.
Add a cucumber strip to turn this roll into a spicy tuna and cucumber roll.
Add a little honey to the tuna mixture to sweeten the taste.

How To Make My Spicy Tuna Roll

Rolling makizushi (sushi rolls) for the first time can be a bit of a challenge. Too loose, and the rolls are sloppy and won’t stick together. Too tight, and the fillings get squeezed out of the ends, and the sheets of nori can rip apart.

In this step by step tutorial, I show you how to do it the best and easiest way so every roll of sushi you make will come out looking beautiful.

Make the spicy tuna mixture by mixing the canned tuna, sriracha sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, scallions, and mayonnaise.
Prep your station by placing the rice, spicy tuna mix, and nori sheet, nearby so they are easily accessible. Fill a bowl with tepid water and place it next to the ingredients.
Place a nori sheet, shiny side down, on a sushi mat and spread about 1/4 cup of rice to one side of the sheet.
Spread the rice using your fingers so it’s in a flat thin layer and covers about half of the sheet.
Add a line of spicy tuna mix in the center of the rice and lightly spread it.

Grab the bamboo from both ends of the side with the nori sheet and start rolling.
Roll it tight enough so the rice feels tight but no so tight that the tuna mixture spills out from the ends. Keep rolling until there is a little nori sheet left.

Wet your fingers and lightly run them across the bottom edge of the nori sheet. Continue rolling until the mat comes off.
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.

Expert Tips

Take your time rinsing the rice. Short grain Japanese rice is high in starch so it’s important to get rid of the excessing by rinsing the rice well, until the water runs clear, before cooking it. I recommend using a Japanese rice strainer since the holes are just the right size to hold the grains in the bowl. It’s the only thing I use to rinse rice!
Drain the canned tuna well. This prevents the spicy tuna mixture from becoming too watery.

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.

I recommend taking 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.

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:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a tuna roll and a spicy tuna roll?

The difference is in how the tuna is prepared. Both rolls use nori sheets and sushi rice, but the tuna in spicy tuna rolls is ground and mixed with mayonnaise, sriracha sauce (or some other spicy sauce), and sometimes chopped scallions and sesame seeds. A tuna roll, called tekka maki in Japanese, only uses raw sushi grade tuna.

Is this spicy tuna roll gluten-free?

Yes it is! But make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari as a dipping sauce so the entire meal is gluten-free.

Can I make vegan spicy tuna rolls?

Yes you can! All you need to do is swap regular mayonnaise for vegan mayonnaise, and use a plant based canned tuna such as Unmeat tuna in water, or Jinka plant based tuna.

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Did you like this poor man’s spicy tuna roll recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!