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This spicy tuna bowl is an easy economical dish that tastes like sushi in a bowl! Seasoned crispy rice is topped with canned tuna, Mandarin oranges, cucumber, carrots, edamame, and nori sheets and then drizzled with homemade spicy bang bang sauce and toasted sesame seeds.
This healthy canned tuna sushi bowl is loaded with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and FLAVOR! Crispy, creamy textures mix with sweet, spicy, and bright flavors for a delightful eating experience.
Ingredients
This spicy crunchy tuna rice bowl recipe is a symphony of flavors and textures! We’ll layer simple, affordable ingredients to achieve a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors with creamy and crispy textures in this delightful tuna rice bowl.
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Rice and Tuna Bowl:
- Short-grain white rice: Use day-old short grain or sushi rice, cooked and chilled.
- Rice vinegar: Used to flavor the sushi rice.
- Coarse sea salt
- Avocado oil: Neutral-flavored oil is used to crisp up the rice.
- Canned tuna: Tuna soaked in olive oil will have more flavor and moisture.
- Edamame: I use frozen, cooked edamame for ease. If using fresh, blanch or microwave them.
- Persian cucumber: Shaved into ribbons using a wide peeler. Julienned or diced works too.
- Carrot: Shaved into ribbons using a wide peeler. Julienned or diced works too.
- Whole avocado: Adds healthy fat and a nice texture to the bowl.
- Canned mandarin oranges: Drained. I like canned because they’re available year-round. Brings sweetness and brightness for summery canned tuna poke bowl vibes.
- Nori sheets: I use Nori snacks.
- Toasted black sesame seeds: Used as a garnish for a nutty flavor and nice crunch.
Sauce:
- My creamy spicy bang bang sauce is perfect for this bowl! It’s made with mayonnaise, rice vinegar, hot sauce, garlic, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), ketchup, and coarse sea salt.
What type of canned tuna to use?
I recommend using canned tuna soaked in olive oil – it keeps the tuna moist and flavorful. My favorite brands are Tonnino, Fishwife, or any Spanish brands that offer delicious canned tuna.
Make it low carb
It’s simple to make a canned tuna rice bowl with fewer carbs! Just swap regular rice for sautéed cauliflower rice or shirataki rice. If you’re not familiar with shirataki rice, it’s made from the konjac plant. Check out my recipe for shirataki fried rice for more info.
How to make spicy canned tuna bowl
This easy tuna and rice recipe comes together quickly with minimal prep. Simply crisp the rice, mix the sauce, and prep the veggies before assembling.
- Season the rice: Mix your day-old cooked rice in a large bowl with rice vinegar and salt.
- Crisp up the rice: Add rice in a single layer to a pre-heated large nonstick pan with oil. Fry over medium heat until golden and crispy, pressing down with a spatula to aid crisping.
- Make sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Chill in the fridge.
- Assemble: Add the crispy rice to each bowl, topping with canned tuna, edamame, carrot and cucumber ribbons, avocado slices, Mandarin oranges, and nori sheets. Drizzle with bang bang sauce, a bit of sriracha, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
TIP: Season the rice with rice vinegar and salt, just like sushi chefs do, to make it extra tasty!
How to make crispy rice
Rice selection:
- Use day-old leftover cooked rice: Freshly cooked rice grains are too wet, making it hard to crisp up.
- Best use short-grain white rice: Their starchy texture helps the grains stick together better.
- Substitute with Jasmine or Basmati rice: These grains will get crispy but won’t form into crispy sheets.
Crispy rice:
- Use a non-stick sauté pan: This prevents the rice grains from sticking to the pan.
- Preheat the pan: Heat over medium-low until the pan feels quite hot so the rice can crisp up properly.
- Press & wait: Use a spatula to press down the rice. Wait until the bottom side is crisp before flipping.
See our rice cooking 101 tips on how to cook rice in a rice cooker, air fryer rice, microwave sticky rice, or rice cooker sticky rice.
More sushi bowl topping ideas
Here are some more topping ideas for this versatile spicy tuna recipe.
- Tofu: Add extra protein or replace tuna with tofu for a vegetarian dish. These crispy air fryer tofu puffs or my air fryer salt and pepper tofu are great options.
- Pickled veggies: Add some crunch and tang with these easy Asian pickled cucumbers, Paleo napa cabbage kimchi, garlicky cucumber kimchi, or this quick and easy spicy bok choy kimchi.
- Salmon: Salmon would also work great in these bowls in place of tuna. Check out my air fryer bang bang salmon bites, frozen salmon in air fryer, or air fryer teriyaki salmon recipes!
Tips for success
- Use Day-Old Rice: Day-old cooked and chilled rice is essential for achieving the perfect crispy texture in this tuna rice recipe.
- Short-Grain Rice: Stick to short-grain white rice for the best results. Its starchy texture helps the grains stick together and crisp up beautifully.
- Use Quality Tuna: Opt for canned tuna in olive oil for a moist and flavorful addition. Brands like Tonnino, Fishwife, or Spanish options are excellent choices.
- Crispy Rice Alternative: If you’re short on time, any cooked rice can be used as a base. It won’t be crispy but it will still be a delicious healthy meal.
- Customize Your Bowl: Fresh veggies like bell peppers, radishes, jalapeño, green onions, or cherry tomatoes can add more variety and color to your rice with tuna fish bowl.
FAQs
The key is to press the rice down with a spatula while frying. This helps form a golden crust. Make sure your pan is hot and don’t overcrowd it.
Use a vegetable peeler or a mandoline slicer to shave the cucumber and carrot into thin ribbons. This makes them easy to eat and adds a nice texture to the bowl.
Absolutely! Adjust the amount of hot sauce or Sriracha in the bang bang sauce to control the spice level. You can also drizzle extra Sriracha on top for more heat.
You can substitute the tuna with cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, or tofu for a vegetarian option.
More canned tuna recipes you might like
We hope you enjoyed this spicy tuna rice bowl recipe! For more canned tuna ideas outside of healthy tuna bowls and tuna salad, check out these recipes starring canned tuna.
- Tuna spaghetti is a simple and refreshing summertime pasta dish with lemony canned tuna and capers in an olive oil dressing.
- Nori wraps with canned tuna, avocado, and cucumbers are easy, delicious, and fun! Plus they’re low-carb, gluten-free, and Paleo.
- Temaki sushi is a low-carb hand-roll sushi cone made with canned tuna, nori wraps, and a creamy toasted sesame dressing—Yum!
Spicy tuna bowl recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the crispy rice:
- 12 oz day old cooked and chilled short-grain white rice about 2.5 cups of cooked rice
- 2.5 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp + a pinch coarse sea salt
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil for frying
For the spicy bang bang sauce (makes about 1 cup):
- ½ cup kewpie mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½-1 tsp hot sauce or Sriracha, plus more for garnish
- 0.2 oz garlic grated or crushed, about 1 large
- 1 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp sugar or substitute with 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 tbsp ketchup
- 2 pinches coarse sea salt
For the bowl:
- 6.7 oz Canned tuna soaked in olive oil
- 1/2 cup cooked edamame
- 1 whole Persian cucumber shave into ribbons
- 1 small carrot shave into ribbons
- 1 whole avocado thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Canned Mandarin oranges drained
- 6 sheets nori snack or more if desired
- Sprinkle Toasted black sesame seeds
Instructions
Crispy rice:
- Preheat a large nonstick or ceramic pan over medium heat until quite hot.
- Season the rice: In a large mixing bowl, mix the rice with vinegar and salt. Toss gently to coat well.
- Crispy rice: Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and then the rice. Spread into a single layer and fry over medium heat until the bottom is crispy and golden, about 6 minutes. Press down with a spatula to aid crisping.
- Flip the rice using a spatula, add the remaining 0.5 tbsp oil around the edge of the pan, and continue to fry and press for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer to 2 serving bowls.
Spicy sauce:
- Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Chill in the fridge to keep it cold.
Assemble the bowl:
- Add the crispy rice to each bowl, add the canned tuna, edamame, carrot and cucumber ribbons, avocado slices, and Mandarin oranges.
- Tuck nori sheets into each bowl.
- Drizzle with bang bang sauce, extra drizzle of sriracha, and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Use day-old cooked and chilled rice – it’s easier to make the rice grains crispy.
- Best rice: I recommend using short-grain white rice for its sticky and starchy texture.
- In a hurry? No time to make crispy rice? Any cooked rice will work perfectly, too.
- Extra sauce: Store any extra sauce in the fridge and use within 5-7 days.
- More recipes use bang bang sauce – bang bang salmon bites, bang bang chicken skewers, Healthy bang bang shrimp, and bang bang shrimp salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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