Description
A delicious recipe for Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna featuring perfectly seasoned sushi rice fried to golden crispiness, topped with a flavorful blend of sushi-grade tuna, Japanese mayo, and sriracha, garnished with avocado, serrano peppers, and chives. Accompanied by a homemade sweet and savory eel sauce for an elevated sushi experience at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Seasoning
- 1 ¼ cup sushi rice (short grain)
- 1 ⅔ cup water
- 1 kombu strip (optional, but recommended)
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- avocado oil (for frying)
Eel Sauce
- ⅓ cup tamari
- ⅓ cup mirin
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
Spicy Tuna Topping
- 10–12 oz sushi-grade tuna
- 3 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp tamari
- ½ tsp sugar
Garnishes
- 1 to 2 Serranos, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, cut into small wedges
- Chopped chives
Instructions
- Prepare the Rice: Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch. Add the rice, water, kombu strip, and a pinch of salt to a rice cooker or saucepan and cook until tender. Once done, remove and discard the kombu.
- Season the Rice: In a small bowl, stir together sugar and rice vinegar until sugar dissolves. Mix this along with potato starch into the hot cooked rice, stirring gently until evenly combined for perfect seasoning and binding.
- Press and Chill: Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Press the rice firmly into an even layer about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap, place another baking sheet on top, and weight it lightly to compress. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours to set, then transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up without freezing solid.
- Make the Eel Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine tamari, mirin, and cane sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly thickened and able to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the Spicy Tuna: Finely chop the sushi-grade tuna into very small pieces. Transfer to a bowl and mix with Japanese mayonnaise, sriracha, chopped chives, sesame oil, tamari, and sugar until well combined.
- Cut and Fry the Rice: Remove the chilled, firmed rice slab from the freezer and cut into 2-inch squares or rounds. Heat about ½ inch of avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Fry the rice pieces in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crispy on both sides. Avoid moving rice pieces before flipping to prevent them from falling apart. Drain on a rack or paper towels.
- Assemble: Spoon or pipe the spicy tuna mixture onto the crispy rice pieces. Drizzle generously with cooled eel sauce, then top with an avocado wedge, serrano slice, and chopped chives. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use sushi-grade tuna to ensure safety and the best flavor.
- Kombu is optional but adds umami depth to the rice cooking liquid.
- Potato starch helps give the rice its crispy texture when fried.
- Be careful when frying the rice to avoid breaking the pieces—do not flip too early.
- The rice slab can be prepared a day ahead and kept chilled until frying.
- Adjust the amount of sriracha according to your spice preference.
- Serve the crispy rice immediately after assembling to enjoy maximum crispiness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Crispy rice, Spicy tuna, Sushi, Japanese appetizer, Sushi rice, Fried rice cakes, Tuna sushi, Eel sauce, Avocado, Spicy mayo
