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Easy and delicious spicy tuna crispy rice inspired by Nobu’s famous dish. It’s a lot easier to make than it looks and much more affordable making it home!
What Makes This Recipe Great
This Nobu-Inspired Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice features sticky rice packed, flattened, and chilled, before getting pan-fried until ultra crispy. It’s then topped with spicy tuna seasoned with a spicy mayo sauce, avocado slices, and jalapeños. This sushi restaurant favorite is made in the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the price!
While there is time involved in the chilling and cooking process, it’s actually quite an easy recipe to make. Not to mention, it’s so much fun! Garnish with optional toppings like avocado, sesame seeds, jalapeño slices, scallions, and/or red pepper flakes for additional spice. Serve as an appetizer, side dish, or full meal!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Crispy Rice
- cooked sushi rice: Make sure to use sushi rice and pack the rice tightly into the pan so it holds together when you take it out and slice it.
- rice vinegar
- granulated sugar
- avocado oil: Or any neutral flavored oil, for frying.
Spicy Tuna
- Sashimi-grade or sushi-grade tuna: Make sure to buy “sushi grade tuna” or “sashimi grade tuna” that’s safe to eat raw. They are the freshest and highest quality fish that’s treated with extra care. Salmon is a great alternative if you prefer, but make sure it’s sushi grade as well.
- mayonnaise: I recommend Japanese mayo like Kewpie mayonnaise.
- sriracha
- soy sauce: Or tamari sauce, for gluten-free.
- sesame oil
- rice vinegar
- green onions
Garnish
- avocado
- jalapeño peppers
- sesame seeds: Black and/or white.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- If the rice isn’t fresh, heat in the microwave until hot. Add rice vinegar and sugar and stir together.
- Line an 8×8 dish/square pan with a plastic wrap and press the seasoned rice tightly to pack evenly into the pan.
- Cover with the cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. To cut down on time, you can freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the rice is chilling, prepare the spicy tuna by combining all ingredients (tuna, kewpie mayo, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and green onion) in a large bowl and mixing together. Taste to adjust seasoning. Cover, and set aside in the fridge while you fry the rice.
- Carefully remove the rice from the pan, then slice it into mini rectangles with a sharp knife. I made 24 rectangles – 6 strips, each cut into 4 pieces.
- Heat avocado oil in a thin layer in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the rice squares in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy, then flip gently and repeat.
- Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel. Pan fry the rest of the rice squares.
- Assemble: Add sliced avocado on top of the crispy rice cakes. Top with about 2 teaspoons of the spicy tuna mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then add a jalapeño slice on top. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make sure to buy “sushi grade” or “sashimi grade” tuna that’s safe to eat raw. They are the freshest and highest quality fish that’s treated with extra care. You can also use salmon if you prefer, but make sure it’s sushi grade as well.
- Make sure to use sushi rice and pack the rice tightly into the pan so it holds together when you take it out and slice it.
Serving Tips
Serve these bites as an appetizer or full meal. You can always add additional spicy mayo dipping sauce or eat them as is.
Storage Tips
This is best enjoyed fresh. If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days.
More Delicious Recipes
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Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna (Nobu Copycat)
Video
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
- 3 cups cooked sushi rice, about 1½ cup dry
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- Avocado oil, or any neutral flavored oil, for frying
Spicy Tuna
- 8 oz sushi or sashimi grade tuna, finely diced
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise, I recommend Japanese mayo like Kewpie
- 1 tbsp sriracha, more or less, to taste
- 2 tsp soy sauce, or tamari sauce, for gluten free
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp green onions, thinly sliced
Other Toppings
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds , black and/or white
Instructions
- If the rice isn't fresh, heat in the microwave until hot. Add rice vinegar and sugar and stir together.
- Line an 8×8 dish with a plastic cling wrap and press the seasoned rice tightly to pack evenly into the pan.
- Cover with the cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. To cut down on time, you can freeze for 30 minutes-1 hour.
- While the rice is chilling, prepare the spicy tuna by combining all ingredients in a bowl and mixing together. Taste to adjust seasoning. Cover, and set aside in the fridge while you fry the rice.
- Carefully remove the rice from the pan, then slice into mini rectangles with a sharp knife. I made 24 rectangles – 6 strips, each cut into 4 pieces.
- Heat avocado oil in a thin layer in a pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the rice squares in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy, then flip gently and repeat.
- Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel. Pan fry the rest of the rice squares.
- Assemble: Add sliced avocado on top of the crispy rice. Top with about 2 teaspoons of spicy tuna. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then add a jalapeño slice on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use sushi-grade or sashimi-grade tuna from a trusted source for this crispy rice recipe. Look for fish clearly labeled for raw consumption, or ask your fishmonger which cuts are best for eating uncooked.
- Pack the rice very firmly before chilling. The first time I made these, I didn’t compress the rice enough, and flipping them was a mess! Chilling and packing it tightly solved that instantly.
- Let the rice chill fully before slicing and frying. Cold, compact rice crisps up better and flips more easily in the pan.
- “Sushi-grade” isn’t a regulated term, so the most important factor is buying very fresh tuna from a trusted fishmonger. Let them know you plan to eat it raw and ask which cuts are best for that purpose. Always keep the tuna cold and use it the same day for the best texture and flavor.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- This dish is best enjoyed fresh while the rice is hot and crisp. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, keeping in mind the rice will soften over time.
- You can prep parts of this crispy rice with spicy tuna recipe in advance, which makes it great for entertaining. The rice can be packed and chilled up to 24 hours ahead, then sliced and pan-fried just before serving. For the best texture, mix the spicy tuna shortly before assembling and fry the rice fresh so it stays hot and crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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