Spicy Tuna Salad With Crispy Rice Recipe • 5★

Updated October 11, 2023

Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

This recipe transforms the sushi-restaurant specialty of spicy tuna crispy rice — raw spicy tuna balanced atop bricks of seared rice — into a straightforward, pantry-friendly, any-night meal. Instead of portioning and frying rice, you can cook seasoned rice in a skillet until it crisps, then scoop it onto plates. The tuna stays spicy and creamy, but this recipe calls for humble canned tuna instead of raw. Sliced cucumbers add freshness, but feel free to embellish further with sprouts, avocado, nori sheets or jalapeño slices.

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1 ½ cups sushi rice, rinsed well

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

2 Persian or mini seedless cucumbers

4 (5-ounce) cans water-packed tuna, drained

1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed), plus more as needed

Step 1In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, stir together 2 cups water, the rice, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, stir together 2 cups water, the rice, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Step 2Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions and cucumbers. In a large bowl, stir together the scallions, tuna, mayonnaise, Sriracha, soy sauce and remaining 2 teaspoons rice vinegar. Taste and add more Sriracha for more heat. Refrigerate until the rice is ready (or up to 5 days).

Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions and cucumbers. In a large bowl, stir together the scallions, tuna, mayonnaise, Sriracha, soy sauce and remaining 2 teaspoons rice vinegar. Taste and add more Sriracha for more heat. Refrigerate until the rice is ready (or up to 5 days).

Step 3Sprinkle the cucumbers with a pinch of salt.

Sprinkle the cucumbers with a pinch of salt.

Step 4Now crisp the rice: Make 4 or 5 small holes in the rice in the skillet, then pour the oil down the sides of the pan and into the divots. Increase heat to medium and cook until the rice is browned at the edges, 4 to 7 minutes. (You can lift the rice to check.) If you don’t see oil bubbling in the holes, add a teaspoon or two more oil.

Now crisp the rice: Make 4 or 5 small holes in the rice in the skillet, then pour the oil down the sides of the pan and into the divots. Increase heat to medium and cook until the rice is browned at the edges, 4 to 7 minutes. (You can lift the rice to check.) If you don’t see oil bubbling in the holes, add a teaspoon or two more oil.

Step 5Divide the rice, crispy side up, among bowls or plates and serve with a scoop of the spicy tuna and the cucumbers.

Divide the rice, crispy side up, among bowls or plates and serve with a scoop of the spicy tuna and the cucumbers.

2 cups rice, 2 cups water. 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar.

2 cans tuna. Less mayo, more sriracha. May not need soy sauce if tuna is salty.

This was terrific! Five stars. Used sushi rice and followed the crisping directions once ready and it turned out perfect. We seasoned a bit differently with less mayo, more vinegar and Sriracha, Korean chili flakes and added chopped celery and carrots for more veggies and crunch. We topped with green onions, toasted sesame seeds and some sliced jalapeño pepper.

Wouldn’t it be better to use day-old rice, like for fried rice? Less moist = more crisp?

I've make this often using leftover cooked salmon in place of the tuna, and reduce the soy sauce a smidge since the salmon is usually seasoned. Also do less mayo/more sriracha as other commenters suggested: it's a really satisfying meal for being so simple and quick.

You can sub out some of the mayo for greek yogurt and it tastes exactly the same. When I make this for myself for lunch, I use these ratios:

- 1 can of tuna - 1/2 tbsp of kewpie mayo - 1 tbsp of greek yogurt - 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil - 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce

and a TON of sriracha (to taste!) Comes out wonderful (even tho it does look a bit like cat food). My new hyperfixation meal, wish tuna didn't have so much mercury so I could eat it more than 2x a week.

This is also delicious with shredded rotisserie chicken.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024471-spicy-tuna-salad-with-crispy-rice