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This Spicy Tuna Bowl Makes A Quick, High-Protein Dinner From Pantry Ingredients

Author:

Michelle Braxton

October 16, 2024

Food Writer & Recipe Developer

By Michelle Braxton

Food Writer & Recipe Developer

Michelle Braxton is the author of the cookbook Supper with Love and the creator, recipe developer, and photographer of Supper with Michelle, a blog she founded in 2014.

Image by Erin Scott

October 16, 2024

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This bowl is basically deconstructed tuna sushi, and it’s for days when I crave sushi but don’t have fresh tuna on hand. I make this canned tuna version for lunch a lot during the week. And when I’m looking for something a little lighter, I substitute romaine lettuce for the rice.

Other options: If you have leftover brown or white rice, use that instead of sushi rice and just drizzle the reheated rice with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Or you can do a crispy rice situation: Drizzle a little neutral oil in a large skillet, mash the rice down, and fry until golden and crispy.

Spicy Tuna Bowls

Serves 2 (with leftovers)

Ingredients

Spicy tuna

2 (5-ounce/142 g) cans water-packed wild-caught chunk light tuna, drained
¼ cup (55 g) plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, Hellmann’s or Kewpie (Japanese mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce, plus more for serving

For assembly

½ cup (80 g) frozen shelled edamame
2 cups (367 g) cooked sushi rice orother cooked grain
½ medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup/133 g)
1 medium carrot, shredded or cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) matchsticks (about ½ cup/110 g)
Nori snack sheets (optional)
Black or toasted white sesame seeds
Sliced scallions

Protein Check

One serving contains about 27 grams of protein. To up the protein you could increase the serving size or swap rice for quinoa.

Directions

Make the spicy tuna: Combine the tuna, mayonnaise,Sriracha, sesame oil, and tamari in a medium bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the bowls.

Assemble the bowls: Place the frozen edamame in a small bowl of hot water.Let them thaw for several minutes and then drain.Add some sushi rice to each of two bowls. Top with some of the spicy tuna mixture along with the edamame, cucumber, and carrot. Serve garnished with nori (if using), sesame seeds, and scallions

Sushi rice

Makes about 3 cups (550 g)

Ingredients

1 cup (200 g) sushi or short-grain rice, rinsed untilwater runs clear
¼cup (60 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons pure cane sugar or granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

Bring 1½ cups (360 ml) water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (for firmer rice, use 1 ¼ cups/300 ml water). Stir in the rice. Partially cover the saucepan (to allow some steam to escape) or use a vented lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the rice until all of the water is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Uncover and lightly fluff the rice with a fork, then transfer to a large bowl. Mix the unseasoned rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Once dissolved, drizzle the mixture evenly over the rice and give the rice a stir. Allow time for the rice to cool and then