Tuna Rice is a quick and easy Hawaiian-inspired dish made with a spicy sriracha tuna mix layered over white rice. Add crunchy, umami toppings and dig into this budget-friendly and protein-packed meal that everyone will love!
Tuna Rice is a popular Hawaiian recipe that’s so much more than just canned tuna topped on a bowl of cooked rice. It’s a fun way to switch things up from your usual tuna salad or tuna casserole, and still budget-friendly and made with pantry staples!
To make tuna rice, regular canned tuna is upgraded with Kewpie mayo, sriracha, and other Japanese seasonings. Scoop the tuna mixture on top of the rice, finish it with the right toppings, and you have a main dish or side that’s bursting with rich, spicy, tangy, and umami-forward flavors.
Even if you aren’t feeling the rice part of tuna rice, you can simply leave it out and enjoy the tuna as-is. It’s an easy and foolproof low carb, high protein snack.
Ingredients needed
- Canned tuna – Tuna packed in oil is best here because the extra fat makes the tuna much more tender and flavorful. And while the traditional version of this dish is made with canned tuna, sushi-grade raw tuna works, too.
- Kewpie Japanese mayo – This unique mayonnaise is made with egg yolks, giving it a golden color and a distinctly rich, custardy mouthfeel. If you can’t find it, regular American mayonnaise made with whole eggs works in a pinch.
- Sriracha – Use more or less depending on how much spicy heat you like.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Soy sauce – Regular or low sodium. Use tamari if you’re gluten free.
- Cooked white rice – You can make this recipe with any kind of cooked white rice, including sushi rice, sticky rice, basmati, or jasmine rice. Refer to my Rice Cooker Rice and Instant Pot Rice guides for fail proof cooking techniques.
How to make tuna rice
Cook the white rice if you haven’t already. You can do this hours or even days in advance.
Mix the drained tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Add a scoop of white rice to another bowl. Spoon the creamy tuna mix on top, then finish with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Topping ideas
Toppings are a necessary part of a tuna rice bowl because they add crunch, depth, and color. Use your favorites or any of these suggestions:
- Avocado
- Black sesame seeds
- Furikake
- Edamame
- Cucumber
- Fried egg
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Tobiko (fish roe)
- Nori strips
- Kimchi
- Quick pickled onions
- Sliced green onions
To finish, top your tuna bowl with any of these 15 easy and flavorful rice bowl sauces to take it over the top.
Storing
- The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
- To enjoy throughout the week, keep the cooked rice and tuna mixture in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
FAQs
The creamy tuna and rice are best served slightly chilled or at room temperature. If you want something warm, you can heat the rice before assembling your bowl. Do not heat the tuna mixture.
Instead of rice bowls, use the tuna mixture to make:
Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice – Swap the spicy salmon for spicy tuna in this crispy rice recipe.
Spicy Tuna Lettuce Wraps – Spoon the mixture into romaine or bibb lettuce cups.
Spicy Tuna Salad Sandwich – Spread the mixture onto sliced bread just as you would a classic tuna salad sandwich.
Serving suggestions
You can use the recipes below as additional toppings or serve them on the side:
- Vinegar Slaw
- Hawaiian Coleslaw
- Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
- Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
- Homemade Kimchi
- More → 15+ Sushi Side Dishes
Erin’s wine pairings
- Dry Riesling
- Grüner Veltliner
- Sparkling Wine
- Sake
- MORE —> 8 wines that pair with tuna rice perfectly!
More rice bowl recipes
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Have more canned tuna on hand? Check out these 40+ Canned Tuna Recipes!
Spicy Tuna Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked white rice
- 1 5-ounce can tuna (drained (oil packed tuna preferred))
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise preferred)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce.
- Add the white rice to a bowl and spoon the tuna mixture on top. Sprinkle with your desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
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