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Home » Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll

Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll

October 13, 2015 by Debi 8 Comments

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Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll is a delicious sushi roll that you can make at home. And if you don’t like raw fish, this one takes all that worry out of it for you and uses delicious cooked tuna!

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is!

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Sushi is a popular snack

I don’t know if sushi is as popular everywhere as it is in California, but almost every party I go to now they have sushi. People just love it here! So, I thought it would make a great Tailgating Snack. Make it early, pack it in the fridge or in the cooler (depending on where your tailgate party is), and you’re good to go with a nice healthy yummy tailgate snack!

It’s amazing and super fun to make your own sushi at home. And, it saves money, if you’re looking at a budget. You can also customize the sushi to your own liking. Add more avocado if that makes you happy (and, oh yes, that makes me very happy!). Add Carrot Slaw to a Spicy Tuna Roll. Make the tuna spicier or less spicy. It’s all good. And, this Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll is so good; you’ll be so happy you made these, and so will your tummy!

Sushi isn’t a beginner recipe. It takes a little learning, and a bit of practice. But, once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy. At first your rolls may not look beautiful. That’s ok! They will taste amazing! This should be a fun and entertaining day of sushi making. We usually stand around nibbling and chatting while we make sushi. And, it makes for a great evening with a couple of good friends. My inspiration for this whole recipe is Use Real Butter.

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com

I highly recommend that you seek out Sushi Rice or shari. It makes for nice sticky rice. In a pinch I’ll use medium grain Calrose Rice that I normally buy for dinners, but the short grain sushi rice is best for this, and it gets sticky without being too sticky that you can’t work with it. I make the rice in the (affiliate link) rice cooker (it’s just easier that way). When removing the rice from the rice cooker or the saucepan, be careful not to scrape the browned rice from the bottom of the pan. You don’t want that brown color in your sushi rice, nor do you want the crunchy bits of browned rice in your sushi.

If you like your food really spicy hot, feel free to use more Sriracha, or start with Island Trollers Habanero Albacore Tuna instead of Island Trollers Jalapeno Albacore Tuna. Find Island Trollers Tuna here. You can also drizzle these rolls with Vegan Kewpie Mayo.

If you’d like to read about how I met them, hop over here. And, right now (until Oct 19, 2015) I have a giveaway going on where you can win some Island Trollers Amazing Tuna! Hop over here to enter!

Sushi rolls

We made 3 cut rolls out of one can of Island Trollers Tuna (minus the little nibbles I took off of the tuna just with a fork).

I might be unusual, but I prefer my sushi without wasabi, soy sauce, or pickled ginger. So, you don’t see any of those in the pictures. If you like them, please feel free to add them to your sushi plate. You could also serve this with some awesome homemade Teriyaki Sauce. We used the Teriyaki Sauce in the Dan Roll, a Teriyaki Steak Roll (find it here).

There is a right side and a wrong side to use for the nori. As you look at the nori, you’ll see a shiny side and a dull side. If you make a roll with the rice on the inside, you want the shiny side out, and the dull side in. If you do an inside out roll (which is a little more difficult), put the rice on the shiny side of the nori. Also, as you look at the nori, notice that there are lines, almost like perforations. The lines go in the same direction as the rolling mat, so that you are rolling up the sushi with these lines, and not against these lines.

Nori for the Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll
Both sides of the nori. The piece on the left shows the shiny side, and the piece on the right shows the dull side. Also, you can see how we cover the bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. This keeps the mat clean as you roll the sushi (it’s nearly impossible to clean if you get rice all inside the mat).

I’ve placed each part or step of the Spicy Tuna Roll in a separate recipe card, and they’re in order of the way I would make them. I felt this was a much more manageable way to look at this recipe and work off of it. While the rice is cooking/cooling you can make the other parts (like the Creamy Sriracha and the Spicy Tuna) and store them, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.

I’ve added the recipe for Carrot Slaw though it isn’t traditional in a spicy tuna roll, nor did I put it in the pictures, it’s delicious! (We made some rolls with the slaw that we simply ate and didn’t photo.) You will see that I used the Carrot Slaw as a garnish on the plate. I first posted the recipe for Carrot Slaw along with my California Roll Sandwich Recipe; you’ll find it here.

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll, the inside out version. I love making my own sushi at home; it's delicious, better for your budget, and fun! https://lifecurrentsblog.com
The inside out version (meaning that the rice is on the outside of the nori) of the Spicy Tuna Roll

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com
Lay the nori on the plastic wrapped sushi mat and top with sushi rice, leaving a strip of nori without any rice (this is where the roll will seal). Top with the fillings, being careful not to overfill.

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com
Gently roll the sushi up using the mat to assist

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com
Shape the roll and don’t worry if a little filling escapes, just nibble on those little snacks!

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Inside out roll

We also made an inside out roll. This is a little more difficult because you don’t have the nori holding everything inside. Below are some detailed photos of the inside out roll if you’d like to try making one.

filling nori with rice, hands in picture.
Place the rice all over the nori for an inside out roll. Then flip over and start filling the nori.

filling the nori and rice with tuna and avocado
The nori has been flipped so the rice is underneath. Now start filling the nori, again trying not to overfill the roll.

rolling a sushi roll with a sushi mat
Gently roll it all together using the sushi mat

cutting an inside out tuna roll with a knife.
Start cutting the rolls by cutting the whole thing in half. Then cut each half in half, and so on so you get 8 pieces

Tuna Roll

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Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll Recipe

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll - make your own sushi at home for Tailgating Snacks Month and see how awesome this appetizer is! https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Island Trollers Spicy Tuna Roll Recipe

Debi
A delicious spicy tuna roll made with canned albacore tuna, carrot slaw, and spicy sriracha
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour hr
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 rolls
Calories 252 kcal

Ingredients
  

Spicy tuna filling

  • 7.5 ounce can Island Trollers Jalapeno Albacore Tuna undrained
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Sriracha

Sushi Rice

  • 2 cups uncooked short grain sushi rice or shari
  • 3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons rice vinegar divided use
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups + ½ cup water divided use

Creamy Sriracha

  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Carrot Slaw

  • ¾ cup shredded carrot
  • ¾ cup julienned jicama
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons water
  • ¾ tablespoon sugar

Assemble sushi (additional items needed)

  • Bamboo Sushi Mat
  • Plastic wrap
  • 1 package sheet nori
  • 1 ripe avocado peeled, pitted, and sliced
  • Sesame Seeds

Instructions
 

Make spicy tuna filling:

  • In a medium bowl, mix the tuna and Sriracha together with a fork, breaking the tuna into small pieces as you mix.

Make sushi rice:

  • Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse until all the cloudy white is gone, and the water runs clear. Drain rice. Combine ½ cup water plus 2 tablespoons vinegar, and set aside. In a separate small bowl, make the dressing by combining 3 tablespoons vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small bowl, and stir until dissolved; set aside.
  • Rice cooker: Combine the rice and 2 cups water in the bowl of the rice cooker, and cook according to the instructions on your rice cooker.
  • Stove top: Soak rice in water to cover for 30 minutes; drain. Combine rice and 2 cups water in a saucepan and cover. Place the pan over moderately high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam undisturbed, without removing the lid, for 10 minutes.
  • Wet a large bowl, preferably a wooden one, with water. Wipe off excess water with a paper towel. Wet the bowl a second time with vinegar water that you made before. Wipe off any excess water.
  • Take the rice out of the rice cooker, or saucepan, being careful not to scrape any browned rice off the bottom of the pan. Place the cooked rice in center of the wetted wooden bowl. Allow the cooked rice to cool in the bowl for 10 minutes. Pour the dressing over the rice, and mix the dressing in evenly with a large spoon or rice paddle. While mixing, fan the rice to cool it. The rice is ready to use when it reaches body temperature.

Make creamy sriracha:

  • Mix all creamy sriracha ingredients (sour cream, sriracha, and sesame oil) in a small bowl.

Make carrot slaw:

  • Place shredded carrot and jicama in a large bowl and set aside. Combine vinegar, water, and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly; pour cooled dressing over carrots and jicama. Let stand 15 minutes; drain.

Assemble the rolls:

  • Wrap the bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap. Place one sheet of nori shiny side out, and the dull side in on top of the mat. (If you do an inside out roll, put the rice on the shiny side of the nori). The lines of the nori go in the same direction as the rolling mat, so that you are rolling up the sushi with these lines, and not against these lines. With wet hands, grab a small handful of sushi rice and evenly spread across the nori being sure to place the rice all the way to sides of the nori, while leaving a strip at the end of the roll, about ½ to 1-inch. Press the rice down to ensure it sticks to the nori.
  • Lay a thin line of the spicy tuna on top of the rice, and stack the avocado strips on top of the tuna. This is the point to add the Carrot Slaw if you’ll be using that. Be careful not to overfill the roll or it will be difficult to roll and eat.
  • Holding the mat, gently start rolling the fillings up inside the rice and nori. Gently squeeze the roll to tighten it up. Using your finger, wet the open edge of the nori with a little water. This will help seal the roll shut after rolling it up.
  • Use the bamboo mat to firm up the shape and compact the roll. Remove the bamboo mat and the plastic wrap from the roll. Dip a very sharp knife in water (to keep the roll from sticking to the knife), and cut the roll in half. Continue cutting the pieces in half until you have 8 pieces.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds over the roll. Serve with Creamy Sriracha Sauce if desired.

Notes

And remember, if you’re making this recipe with Island Trollers Albacore Tuna, you don’t want to drain off those tasty juices from the can; they’re the juices from the fish itself, not just plain water or oil. Those juices are loaded with Omega 3s. So, it might feel a little weird not to drain the tuna, but don’t do it.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 16gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 1019mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 5816IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword sushi, tuna
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!
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Filed Under: Appetizers, Gluten-free, Seafood Tagged With: albacore, appetizers, Cooking, Food, football, healthy, island trollers, nori, recipe, rice, seafood, Snacks, appetizers, tailgating, sushi, tailgating, tuna

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. culinaryginger

    October 13, 2015 at 7:04 am

    I love making my own sushi so I can control what goes in. This is a great spicy tuna recipe and I’m going to try it.

  2. Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    October 13, 2015 at 9:29 am

    Love this recipe (and all your helpful photos)! I’ve tried making sushi before, and I’ll admit I need more practice 🙂 This looks so tasty & look forward to trying it!

  3. Florian @ContentednessCooking

    October 13, 2015 at 11:27 am

    Those look amazing! Love the step by step pictures!

  4. pattyanderson54

    October 13, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    You have done an amazing job here.

  5. Debra @ Bowl Me Over

    October 13, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    These looks so good!! I definitely need to learn to make sushi!

  6. Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish

    October 14, 2015 at 10:53 am

    This is awesome! I have not attempted making sushi before. Well done!

  7. justine @ Full Belly SIsters

    October 14, 2015 at 11:02 am

    This is SUCH a wonderful post! From the detailed instructions to the wonderful photos, it’s just perfect.

  8. Kaila

    October 16, 2015 at 6:04 am

    Sushi certainly isn’t as popular here as in California, but I still really enjoy it! I loved your step-by-step pictures, they were so helpful- a phenomenal guide. AND, your sushi sounds delicious. It was great to find your blog through Gluten Free Fridays, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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