Description
Crispy rice with spicy tuna started as a high-end sushi bar appetizer and became one of the most recreated recipes online. Compact rectangles of sushi rice, pan-fried until the outside is golden and crunchy while the inside stays tender, topped with a dice of raw tuna in a sesame-sriracha sauce. The contrast of warm, crispy rice and cold, silky tuna is what makes this addictive. It is sushi you can eat without any rolling skill.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 cups cooked sushi rice, seasoned with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar
- 8 ounces sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- Kewpie mayonnaise for drizzling
- Thinly sliced jalapeño (optional)
Instructions
- Let the seasoned sushi rice cool until it is warm but not hot. With wet hands, press the rice firmly into a parchment-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan or shape into compact rectangles about 2 inches by 3 inches and 3/4-inch thick. Pack tightly — loose rice will not crisp properly. Refrigerate 30 minutes to firm up.
- Mix the diced tuna with soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and half the green onion. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Cut the pressed rice into rectangles if using the loaf pan method. Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry the rice cakes 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crispy on the outside. They should hold their shape and have an audible crunch. Drain on paper towels.
- Top each crispy rice cake with a spoonful of the spicy tuna mixture and a slice of avocado.
- Drizzle with kewpie mayonnaise, sprinkle with remaining green onion and sesame seeds, and top with jalapeño slices if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Sushi-grade tuna is non-negotiable here. The fish is served raw, so buy it from a trusted fishmonger and use it the same day.
- Pack the rice tightly and refrigerate before frying — warm, loosely packed rice crumbles in the pan instead of crisping.
- The oil must be hot enough that the rice sizzles immediately on contact. If it does not sizzle, the rice absorbs oil and turns greasy instead of crispy.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Japanese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 44
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 25