Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls

This Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowl recipe was developed as part of an ambassadorship with the lovely folks at Genova Seafood. As always, all opinions are my own. I hope you’ll enjoy all the flavors of your favorite sushi roll in a quick and easy bowl!

This Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowl recipe is easy to throw together and is a healthy, refreshing weeknight dinner. I have decided my new mission in life is to convert sushi haters into sushi lovers. I think for many folks, sushi conjures up terrifying images of slimy, raw fish and exotic flavor combinations. My mom is one of those folks. A confessed sushi avoider, I’m not even sure if she’s had sushi in her life. Well, that is, I’m not sure if she’d had sushi until she tried this Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowl recipe.

The story is actually kind of funny. Mom was over at the house one day acting as my babysitter and extremely patient photography assistant, holding poster boards to bounce light and scooching chopsticks a fraction of an inch to the left.

At the time, I didn’t tell her I was making sushi bowls, so to her, this just looked like a delicious, fresh salad. While we were cleaning up, she snatched some of the tuna from the pan and remarked at how good it was. That’s when I saw my opportunity. I gave her the whole bowl to try–spicy mayo, pink pickled ginger, and all.

And, surprise, surprise, she liked it! I didn’t want to say I told you so to my mother, but I did inform her that if she liked these bowls, she’d probably also like sushi. Later, we got my dad to try it too, and while he wasn’t quite as enthusiastic, he had to admit it was pretty good. I’m going to chalk that up to two converts!

Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls are a healthy, easy weeknight dinner!

So here’s the deal with these sushi bowls. They really are just about as simple as my favorite tuna roll. I start with sticky, short grain rice, chopped avocado, and sliced cucumber. Then, I go a little off-book and toss some canned tuna in a savory, tangy-sweet Asian sauce and warm it for just a few minutes on the stove.

Canned tuna might not be traditional, but it sure is delicious, and it’s perfect for those who might be intimidated by a fresh, pink-hued tuna fillet. I like to use canned Genova Albacore Tuna for this recipe, but their Yellowfin Tuna is also great. Both flavors are packed in olive oil with no additives or preservatives for premium flavor.

spicy-tuna-sushi-bowl-recipe-4

After the tuna is added, we bling these bowls out with flavor loaded toppings. I love to whip up a quick spicy Sriracha mayo then sprinkle everything with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. We serve this with pickled ginger, which you should be able to find in the Asian section of your grocery store or in smaller containers in the fresh sushi section, if they have one.

These Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls combine avocado, cucumber, rice, tuna, and spicy mayo for a healthy and easy weeknight meal.

The end result is a quick weeknight meal that’s perfect for these hot summer days. Light and refreshing, but full of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors, this bowl will fill you up without weighing you down. With a recipe this good, you may even be able to convince the haters in your own life to hop on board the sushi train!

Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowl recipe in a bowl with pickled ginger

Tuna Sushi Bowl Recipe

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls are everything you love about a spicy tuna roll in bowl form!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup medium grain rice

For the tuna:

  • 2 cans Genova Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 avocado, seeded and chopped
  • 2 green onions, green parts sliced thin
  • Pickled ginger, for serving
  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more if you like it spicier)

Instructions

  1. Add the rice to a sauce pan along with 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 9-11 minutes, or until the water is all soaked up and rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and honey. Toss it with the tuna. Add the tuna to a skillet and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. In another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
  4. To make the bowls, divide the rice between two bowls. Top with the tuna, cucumber slices, and avocado. Sprinkle with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with spicy mayo and serve with pickled ginger, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition is based on 2 servings, each with 1 cup cooked rice, and using all of the sauce.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 557Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 61mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 50g

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This Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowl Recipe is a great quick and healthy dinner for busy weeknights.

44 Comments

  1. This is so. dang. good!!! My store didnโ€™t have pickled ginger and my avocado went bad, so I didnโ€™t have those but I can imagine it would make it even betterโ€ฆ But even without I was pleasantly surprised it was still amazing and packed full of flavor, Iโ€™ll be putting this on our meal rotation!

  2. What a great idea! Can you use tuna in water? I am tweaking thus to be weight watchers friendly so I will sub the mayo for light mayo or yogurt but wasn’t sure the tuna in oil could be subbed.

  3. Where is the nutritional information for the dish? I’m going to make this today but like to know what it is per serving :).

  4. My wife and I love this recipe! We love to do it after we have gotten sashimi takeout and always get a bunch of extra rice that we don’t eat. The rice is perfect for this, as is the 12 pack of tuna from Costco. It’s a pandemic favorite!

    1. The tuna, rice, and sauce will all keep in the fridge for several days. I recommend waiting to add the veggies until youโ€™re ready to eat, or, if youโ€™re packing a lunch, add them in the morning.

  5. Is the nutrition information per serving? Or for the entire recipe? I am excited to make this dish.

    1. Hi Johnna! It is per serving, but I think you’ll find it serves more than 2…It’s probably more like 3-4 servings.

  6. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. As a broke college student this is a perfect way to dress up canned tuna. Made this to my boyfriend (who hates canned tuna) and he loved it as well.

  7. It was good. Tasted pretty close to sushi. The pickled ginger really helped to kick it up a notch! I only used one can of tuna and found this helped to mask a bit of the fishy canned flavour. I would make this recipe again.

  8. Thanks Courtney for posting. I have been looking for great ways to dress up tuna, but still healthy. This is perfect for my taste buds! I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, but put together most of the items and it was delicious. Can’t wait to try it exactly like your recipe! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. This looks absolutely delicious, Courtney! I will be making this one for sure! Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

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