These Spicy Tuna Onigiri Sushi combine fresh, raw spicy tuna and seasoned sushi rice for a delicious beginner-friendly homemade sushi meal! While traditional onigiri are not made with seasoned sushi rice, and are not considered sushi, this recipe is a fun alternative. Because these onigiri are made with seasoned sushi rice, they are sushi! When using an onigiri mold, it's so easy to make these picture-perfect, so these are a fantastic option if you're new to making sushi at home.
I love classic onigiri, and personally I think sushi rice makes everything better, so why not combine the two? I've been looking for good options to help beginners get started making sushi at home (like my Sushi Bowl recipes), and these are another perfect option! They are also a great way to stretch a small amount of fish because they are heavier on the rice than most of my other sushi recipes.
If you're interested in learning how to make sushi rolls, nigiri, and more, check out my Sushi Beginner's Guide which will walk you through everything you need to know, from finding ingredients to step-by-step recipes.
Where to Buy Fish for Sushi
Finding fish that is safe, and delicious, for making sushi at home is the #1 barrier most people encounter when they decide to make sushi for the first time. I purchase fish marked for sushi/sashimi from a Japanese grocery store, but I've put together a comprehensive guide of all the options that are available to you. Please click the following link to view the guide: Where to Buy Fish for Sushi at Home
FAQ
Are onigiri sushi?
No, traditional onigiri are not sushi, because they are prepared with plain rice rather than seasoned sushi rice. This recipe uses seasoned sushi rice instead, so these onigiri are sushi, but typical onigiri are not.
Are onigiri gluten-free?
It will depend on the filling, but most onigiri can easily be made gluten-free. The rice itself is gluten-free, so you just need to ensure the filling is gluten-free as well.
How are onigiri made?
Onigiri can be made by hand or in an onigiri mold. In either method, you start with a base of rice, add your filling, then add more rice to completely surround the filling.
Which rice should I use for onigiri?
Onigiri is typically made with Japanese short or medium grain rice. For this recipe, I use medium grain sushi rice. I don't recommned you use other varities of rice, because it may not stick together well to hold the onigiri shape.
Key Tips - Spicy Tuna Onigiri Sushi
Buy an inexpensive sushi mold, rather than forming by hand.
- If you want perfectly shapped onigiri like the ones pictured in this post, it doesn't take practice or skill, it just takes an onigiri mold! They are so inexpensive and you can find the on Amazon or at your local Japanese grocery store. I used this onigiri mold for the onigiri pictured in this recipe!
This is a great introduction into sushi making.
- Sushi bowls were the first sushi I ever made at home, and both sushi bowls and these easy onigiri sushi are a great starting point for beginners.
- This recipe is much quicker to prepare than making sushi rolls. While some people may struggle with rolling sushi when they are first starting out, this recipe has no rolling or other complicated steps.
- If you're interested in learning how to make sushi at home, check out my Sushi Beginner's Guide!
Keep the fish refrigerated as much as possible.
- Please keep food safety in mind and do not have the fish out of the fridge longer than necessary. Remove the fish from the fridge just before preparing the spicy tuna, then return the fish to the fridge until you're ready to assemble the bowls.
Prepare the tuna as the rice cooks.
- Assuming one person is cooking, you should have enough time to prep the tuna as the rice cooks and rests.
- If more than one person is helping, consider starting the rice a little bit ahead of everything else, so you aren't waiting around for the rice to cool with everything else ready to go.
Dietary Restrictions
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free!
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Most soy sauce contains gluten. To make this dish fully gluten-free, use a gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari.
Variations
Make classic onigiri.
- Classic onigiri use unseasoned rice, as opposed to this recipe where the rice is seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt. If you want to make a classic onigiri, just skip the seasoning step and use plain rice.
Substitute salmon.
- This spicy sauce is also delicious with salmon, you can substitute salmon for the tuna without changing anything else about the recipe.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. I've listed the serving size as one onigiri, but many people may want to eat more than one in a sitting.
Spicy Tuna Onigiri Sushi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 nori sheet sushi roll size
For Sushi Rice:
- 1 ½ cups medium grain sushi rice
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 6 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar (This should have no calories. If it has calories, the vinegar is already seasoned with sugar and salt.)
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon table salt
For Spicy Tuna:
- 4 oz sushi quality tuna
- 1 green onion
- 1 ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce 1 tablespoon is mild, use more as desired
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar optional, balances flavor
Instructions
For Sushi Rice:
- Please click here to see my detailed guide to sushi rice if this is your first time preparing it. The rice takes about 50 minutes to prepare, but has a lot of hands-off time. The tuna and veggies for this meal can be prepared as the rice cooks. Optionally, you can substitute plain white rice to make this recipe if desired.
- Place the rice in a large pot (that has a lid). Rinse and drain the rice until the water runs clear, at least 3 times (rinse the rice even if the bag says it's "prewashed"). Drain as much water as possible.
- Add 1 ¾ cup lukewarm water to the pot (per batch), close with the lid, and place on the stove top.
- Heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil, once boiling cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, then reduce heat to very-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After simmering, remove from heat and let the pot stand undisturbed for another 15 minutes.
- Scoop the rice into a large non-metallic bowl. Dust with sugar and salt, then add the rice vinegar. Using a rice spatula or non-stick spatula, mix everything together and break up all the clumps of rice. Mix until every grain of rice is separated and coated in vinegar, the sugar and salt should dissolve completely. Don't worry if the rice seems too wet at this point, that will go away as it cools.
- Allow the rice to cool uncovered, mixing occasionally, until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). You can speed this process along by fanning the rice if desired. The rice should be slightly sticky once it's cooled.
For Spicy Tuna:
- Rinse the tuna thoroughly, then pat dry with paper towels. Using a very sharp chef's knife, slice the tuna into strips. Once in strips, slice again into cubes. You do not need a sushi knife, a sharp chef's knife will do. I make my cubes about ½ cm in size, but choose any size you prefer. You can mince the tuna instead of cubing if desired.
- Remove the root tip of the green onions and discard, then slice as thinly as possible (green and white portions). After slicing, use your hands to separate the rings of the white portion as much as possible.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cubed tuna, green onion, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white sugar. Mix until fully combined. If not using immediately, cover and return to the fridge until ready to use.
Make the Onigiri:
- Rinse the onigiri mold with water and shake off the excess, this will help prevent the rice from sticking.
- Fill the bottom of the mold with a thin layer of rice, then scoop 1 tablespoon of filling into the center. Fill the rest of the mold with rice, then use the other side of the mold to firmly press everything together. Flip the mold around and gently press the onigiri out.
- Rinse the mold with water, and use your hands to remove any starchy residue. Repeat until all the onigiri are prepared.
- Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the nori sheet into small strips. I make mine about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. Wrap the nori strips around the bottom of the onigiri as pictured.
- Optional step: Pour sesame seeds or furikake onto a small plate. Roll the edges of the onigiri in the seasoning until covered.
- Serve immediately, with soy sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
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