This spicy tuna roll recipe is packed with the flavor of deliciously fresh raw tuna, Japanese rice, creamy avocado and spicy mayonnaise. It is all finished up with a little crisp from the sesame seeds. Served with extra spicy mayo, soy sauce and some wasabi, this recipe is the perfect way to wow your guests!
Homemade spicy tuna rolls are the best during the summer months when ahi tuna is in season. You want that sashimi-grade tuna to be as fresh as possible.
This was inspired by my Homemade Philadelphia Roll on this site, that is served with salmon, cucumber and cream cheese. It also pairs well with this Seared Tuna with an Asian Marinade.
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Ingredients
With the most important ingredient and also the hardest to find being the fresh raw fish, everything else you should be able to gather at your local grocery store.
- fresh tuna
- avocado
- spicy mayo
- sushi rice
- nori sheet (seaweed paper)
- white or black sesame seeds
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The process of creating a spicy tuna sushi roll can seem daunting. As long as you have the correct equipment and a little bit of practice, you are good to go!
Cook your white rice depending on the directions in the manual of your rice cooker or by cooking it on the stove. While the rice is cooking, slice the tuna and avocado. Once rice is done, add rice vinegar and sugar and mix. Lay a sheet of sushi nori on the sushi mat. Spread the rice evenly on the rough side of sushi nori sheet. Do not add too much rice, you want enough rice to just cover the sheet of nori.
Add 2 or 3 slices of tuna on top of the rice near one end of the sheet. You want to leave a little bit of open space at the end. Add 2 or 3 slices of avocado, about ½ tablespoon of spicy mayo, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Make sure your unrolled sushi is on the edge of the mat closest to you. Fold the end of the sheet closest to the fillings over the fillings. Slightly tuck under using the sushi mat. Continue to roll the sheet using the sushi mat until a tight roll is formed.
Slice roll using a filet knife into about 1 inch slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle spicy mayo if desired. Serve with a side of spicy mayo or soy sauce.
Hint: make sure you use a very sharp knife when cutting the hand rolls. Try not to apply much pressure, just let the sharpness of the knife cut through the sushi roll.
Substitutions
- Spicy Salmon - if you replace the tuna with fresh salmon, you will have a spicy salmon roll.
- Cauliflower Rice - another healthier alternative to regular rice. You may have a harder time forming the sushi rolls using this and may need to make it in bowl form.
- Vegetarian - replace the tuna with cucumber for a veggie option.
Variations
Here are some fun ways you can either change up this recipe or elevate it.
- Crunchy - add some tempura flakes on top for a crunchy spicy tuna roll.
- Tuna Sushi - for plain tuna homemade sushi rolls, take a handful of sushi rice and form it into a ball. Add a slice of sashimi grade tuna on top.
- Spicy Tuna Roll Bowl - deconstruct your spicy tuna roll and make in spicy tuna bowl or tuna poke bowl. Make sure you add some green onions on top for extra flavor.
See this Tuna Poke recipe on my website!
Equipment
There are some must haves to make this recipe. Luckily, you can find most of them very cheap! For this recipe, you can choose to use a rice cooker if you want but this is not required. I do highly suggest one though, it makes life a lot easier.
You will also need a bamboo mat to help you roll the sushi. Some people like to use plastic wrap to help them roll their sushi and this is an option also. You are also going to need a cutting board and sharp knife.
Storage
Unfortunately, there are not many good ways to store sushi long term. Sushi grade tuna only lasts about 1-2 days tops. I personally don't like to risk it after that. If you make the sushi rolls, you can save them in an airtight container for one extra day as long as you bought or got the fish fresh.
These ingredients do not stand up well to freezing. If you freeze your tuna, it is no longer sushi grade.
Top tip
Mix some Japanese mayonnaise and sriracha sauce together to make your own spicy sauce. This spicy sauce will have a medium heat and shouldn't be overly spicy.
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Spicy Tuna Roll
Equipment
- Sushi Mat
- Rice Cooker
- Filet Knife
Ingredients
- ½ lb sushi grade tuna
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoon spicy mayo
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 4 sheets sushi nori
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Cook your rice depending on the directions in the manual of your rice cooker or by cooking it on the stove.
- While the rice is cooking, slice the tuna and avocado. Once rice is done, add rice vinegar and sugar and mix.
- Lay a sheet of sushi nori on the sushi mat.
- Spread the rice evenly on sushi nori sheet. Do not add too much rice, you want enough rice to just cover the sushi nori.
- Add 2 or 3 slices of tuna on top of the rice near one end of the sheet. You want to leave a little bit of open space at the end.
- Add 2 or 3 slices of avocado, about ½ tablespoon of spicy mayo, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
- Fold the end of the sheet closest to the fillings over the fillings. Slightly tuck under using the sushi mat.
- Continue to roll the sheet using the sushi mat until a tight roll is formed.
- Slice roll using a filet knife into about 1 inch slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle spicy mayo if desired.
- Serve with a side of spicy mayo or soy sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Katerina says
We love sushi here too and love making it at home but it never looks the same as from the shops - but yours totally does! Well well done, Alicia, and thanks for sharing your recipe!
thebutteredgnocchi says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words!!