Deep fried rice with spicy tuna on top

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 16 Pieces

Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna is super trendy lately, but it’s been around for quite sometime. Many people know of this dish from Nobu, but Katsuya in Los Angeles also makes an amazing version. You’ll usually find it on the menu at fusion sushi restaurants, but it’s pretty easy to make at home. Honestly the first time I heard of the dish, I didn’t think I would like it since I typically like sashimi or nigiri, but it really surprised me – the crispy texture of the rice combined with creamy & spicy tuna is a delicious combo – it’s just a completely different genre from traditional sushi. Watch my 30-second recipe video on Instagram here

I have this sushi rice / onigiri mold set (purchase here) and the sushi rice mold is perfect for this recipe.  

You can find sashimi grade tuna at your local Japanese or Korean markets.  If you really want to spoil yourself, use chutoro (fatty tuna) for the most amazing flavor and texture. You may not need to use as much mayo depending on how fatty the cut is. 

Made with chutoro, topped with a slice of Serrano pepper (seeds removed) and tobiko

If you can’t get a hold of any sashimi grade tuna, Trader Joe’s Sesame Crusted Smoked Ahi Tuna can work as a substitute  in this dish – the tuna has a slight smokey flavor and you’ll probably need to add a little extra mayo

Use La-Yu Chili Oil instead of Sesame Oil for a spicier kick

Use short grain rice that has just been cooked (not old rice), if you can’t get short grain rice, you can substitute with Calrose rice.  When cooking the rice, add a tiny bit more water than usual, so the rice is a little stickier.  Pack in as much rice as you can into the mold, the rice should be very compressed so it holds it shape when it’s fried.  You can use plain short grain rice, but if you want to take it up a notch, use seasoned sushi rice

These are deep fried.  At Nobu, they deep fry the rice and  at Katsuya, they grill them on the top and bottom. 

Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna Recipe

September 4, 2021

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

• Serves: 16 Pieces

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Ingredients

• 8 oz Sashimi Grade Tuna or Trader Joe’s Sesame Crusted Smoked Ahi Tuna
• 3 Cups Cooked Short Grain / Sushi Rice
• 3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise, (I used Kewpie)
• 1½ Teaspoons Sriracha, or more to taste
• ½ Teaspoon Sesame Oil or La-Yu Chili Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Chives, finely chopped
• Vegetable Oil for frying
• Less Sodium Japanese Soy Sauce
• Sushi Rice Mold

Method

• 1)

  Finely minced the tuna and put into a bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons Kewpie Mayonnaise (you can use less mayo if using fatty tuna / chutoro), 1½ Teaspoons Sriracha, ½ Teaspoon Sesame Oil, 1 Tablespoon chopped Chives and stir to combine. Taste and add more mayo or sriracha if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

• 2)

  Fill the Sushi Rice Mold with rice and compress it into the mold, packing in as much rice as you can, place the lid on top and press down firmly a few times to compress the rice even more. Flip over the mold and push the rice out. You’ll need 16 pieces.

• 3)

  Deep fry method: Heat at least 1 inch of oil in a heavy bottom pot to 375°F (use a deep fry thermometer to monitor the temp). Fry a few pieces at a time for about 2 minutes, they’ll turn a light golden color. Don’t let the pieces touch each other while frying or they’ll get stuck together. Drain on paper towels.

  Pan fry method: Add about 2 Tablespoons of oil to a non-stick pan and use high heat. Once the pan is very hot, fry the pieces on all sides until lightly golden. Add more oil to the pan and fry the next batch. Drain on paper towels.

• 4)

  Let the rice cool a little, then spoon a heaping teaspoon of spicy tuna on top & garnish with more chopped chives. Serve with Less Sodium Japanese Soy Sauce (if you used Trader Joe’s Tuna, use soy sauce very sparingly since the tuna is already salted). You can top it with a thin slice of serrano for an extra kick. Enjoy!

  Watch my 30-second recipe video on Instagram here

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓