How to make spicy tuna rolls

How to make spicy tuna rolls

Word from the author:

"The Spicy Tuna roll is a classic. Relatively simple to make, works with different cut sizes of tuna and, well, very spicy. Check out the recipe below to learn how to make the sauce as well as the roll itself."

(2.8 / 5)

About Spicy Tuna

Spicy tuna is a common name for different rolls of sushi with two things in common: the use of tuna, and a spicy sauce. The tuna this roll is diced into small pieces, so the size of the initial block doesn’t matter. So it’s a great solution for odd shape blocks of tuna you might end up having that won’t fit any other roll.

Let’s start with the sauce

What gives the spicy tuna roll its kick is the spicy mayo sauce.  You wouldn’t believe how easy that is to make! The following instructions are for making enough sauce to use in 4 ST rolls. My recommendation is to prepare double that amount and serving the remainder as dipping sauce.

You will need:

  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise of your choice (preferably Kewpie)
  • 1 tsp spicy chilli sauce (recommended Sriracha)
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil (Kadoya’s).

mayo_and_chili

Just mix together

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and, that’s basically it. Make sure to store in your fridge if not consumed right away. You can use a spoon to apply the sauce later to your roll or any other dish, or you can use a squeeze bottle if you have a spare one. The amounts you can see in the animated gif below are for one Spicy Tuna roll.

spicy_tuna_animated_small

Let’s start rolling

First step, we need to break the nori in two. Make sure you break the longer side. If it doesn’t break easily, that means the nori may have already absorbed some moisture, probably from the air in the room. If that happens, try to toast it a bit over the stoves until it is crispy enough to break. Next, notice the nori has a rough side and a smoother side. Place the half nori with the rough side facing towards you.

spread_rice

Wet your hands, and grab a handful of sushi rice. Shape it into a ball and place on top of the nori. With your hands still wet (otherwise the rice will stick) spread the rice along the nori to cover it equally. Don’t press the rice too much, just spread it. When you are done, flip the nori over so no the rice is facing the bamboo mat, and the smooth side of the nori faces you.

Fill it up

Load the nori with good stuff! Two thick slices of avocado, and with a spoon load the spicy mayo soaked tuna dices. How much tuna to use is really up to you. A recommended amount is about 70g of tuna per roll. Both should cover the length of the nori as equally as possible as shown below.

filling

Let’s Roll

This is the fun stuff! Close the bamboo mat on top of the roll filling and tighten from the center to the sides. Push the mat forward in a rolling motion and tighten again until you reach the end of the roll. If you need more help on on this section, you may refer to our guide: How to roll inside out sushi. Use a sharp and wet knife to cut the roll exactly down the middle. Each half you can cut in either 3 or 4.

roll_spicy_tuna

Final thoughts

When it comes to sushi, presentation is key. In the example below you can see two different toppings : Drop of spicy mayo (sides) or chopped chives and sprinkles of dark sesame (center). You could also top it with Panko, fish roe, maybe slices of mango? That sounds great to me.

spicy_tuna_presentation

Hope you enjoy this recipe, and please leave your comments below.