Although the this roll is fun and delicious, check out our other easy sushi recipes for beginners here or visit our entire library of sushi rolls sorted alphabetically!
What you need to know before ordering a Spicy Tuna Roll…
Spicy tuna rolls are made of raw tuna, cucumber, cream cheese, and avocado. A spicy tuna roll roll is topped with spicy mayo sauce on top to give it an extra kick and is frequently paired with soy sauce. This roll is raw and popular for its flavor combined with simplicity! Below you will find FAQ, ingredients lists, and an easy at home recipe!
Main Ingredients
- Tuna
SAUCES & Toppings
- Spicy Mayo Sauce
VEGGIES & FILLING
- Cool Cream Cheese
- Crunchy Cucumber
- Creamy Avocado
Dipping Sauces
WANT THE RECIPE?
CANT DECIDE WHAT TO ORDER?
Are you a beginner or need a quick snack but raw fish is more your style? Then the spicy tuna is the roll for you. Simple and delicious with a kick! Check out our link to our spicy mayo sauce, its just three common ingredients all mixed together.
The hardest part of making this roll is finding ahi tuna steaks. I have found that the best place to find ahi tuna steaks is in the seafood case at higher end grocery stores, although I have found them frozen in the freezer isle.
Click here to visit our sushi roll library!
What is a Spicy Tuna Roll?
A Spicy Tuna Roll is an inside-out sushi roll (meaning the rice is on the outside) that typically is made with tuna (sashimi grade) as the protein. The spicy tuna roll ingredients also includes cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and spicy mayo sauce to give it an extra kick. The spicy tuna roll is a popular and usually cheap sushi roll at sushi restaurants.
What is the best way to serve and eat sushi?
When Serving Sushi:
Sushi is one of those fun meals that you will frequently see pop up on friends snapchat or instagram stories or whatever social media companies sharing application. Whether it is at a restaurant or in your own kitchen, sushi is extremely instagrammable. Sushi is very trendy and typically served at higher end restaurants, therefore there is a high likelihood that the group is either on a date night or out on the town and dressed accordingly! Lots of pictures are flying around on these kind of nights therefore the presentation of the sushi tends to get some notice!
Typically sushi is plated in a very eye catching and palatable pattern on plates that have good visual appeal, frequently made of melamine in traditional japanese fashion. Restaurants tend to make a big deal of the presentation. Some ways sushi is presented can be on a small wooden boat brought out to the table or even lit on fire!
When Eating Sushi:
Experienced sushi eaters know that sauces can make or break your eating experience. There are two ways that sauces can be eaten with sushi:
Sauces on or in the sushi roll
This tends to be sauces that are either mixed in with other ingredients or added as a topping. Examples of this are spicy mayo sauce which is frequently mixed in with shredded imitation crab or drizzled on top of the sushi roll in patterns that are visually appealing. Some other sauces that are put on top or in the sushi roll are unagi eel sauce and teriyaki sauce.
Sauces that the sushi roll can be dipped in
The first sauce and most popular that probably comes to mind is soy sauce. (I have linked my favorite soy sauce to the right or below on mobile). Soy sauce is cheap and can be found at any grocery store or restaurant. Soy sauce is also an ingredient in numerous other recipes, not just sushi or even japanese based recipes.
Soy sauce can be given a little extra heat by mixing wasabi into the soy sauce.
Spicy Tuna Roll FAQ and Tips
Is a Spicy Tuna roll raw?
A spicy tuna roll contains raw tuna as its main fish or meat.
What fish is in a spicy tuna roll?
A spicy tuna roll’s main ingredient is raw tuna.
How many calories are in a spicy tuna roll?
A spicy tuna roll is fairly simple. It is safe to say that each roll contains under 300 calories, mostly coming from the addition of spicy mayo sauce. The spicy tuna roll is a healthy option, although you may need to eat a few to fill up!
What makes a spicy tuna roll spicy?
A spicy tuna roll is topped with a spicy mayo sauce which is a combination of sriracha sauce and mayonnaise. You can make the sauce more or less spicy by adjusting the ratio of sriracha and mayonnaise! Obviously more sriracha would make the spicy mayo sauce spicier, and more mayonnaise would make it more mild.
What other sushi rolls are like a spicy tuna roll?
Spicy tuna rolls are popular for their fresh, delicious flavor and low price point at restaurants. The spicy tuna roll is super simple. What really separates it from the pack is the fact that it requires spicy mayo sauce to give it its “spicy” flavor. Other rolls that either have that spicy flavor or are just as simple at a low price point in restaurants are the California roll, the Philadelphia roll, the spicy crab roll, and the Boston roll. Adding spicy mayo sauce to any of these rolls can turn up the heat!
What is a spicy tuna roll made of?
Sushi Rice: It is very important to use sushi rice instead of traditional long grain white rice when making sushi. Sushi rice and normal white rice differ in the fact that sushi rice is short grain and has more starch and protiens than long grain rices which is the traditional kind. The increased levels of starch and protein makes the sushi rice sticky which allows you to shape it into a roll. Click here to read our post about why you should use sushi rice instead of white rice!
Nori Sheets (Seaweed): These sheets of dried seaweed work best for making sushi, are very healthy for you, and have relatively little flavor. Sheets of nori can be found at most grocery stores like Walmart, Kroger, or HEB. You can even order sheets of nori off of Amazon.
Ahi Tuna: Ahi tuna is way easier to find than you would expect. You can easily find fresh tuna steaks at most grocery stores in the seafood section or frozen ahi tuna steaks work just as well. Ahi tuna gives a delicious fresh taste and is a pupoular ingredient in sushi rolls. Ahi tuna can also be found as a topping on salads or in poke bowls!
Spicy Mayo Sauce: This delicious topping can add a kick to liven up numerous dishes, not just sushi! Spicy mayo sauce is just a combination of sriracha and mayonnaise. You can make the sauce spicier by adding more sriracha and mellower by adding more mayo. Check out our recipe here.
Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is not typically something that someone would think about when eating sushi but it sure is delicious on the s[icy tuna roll. It provides a cool, mellow flavor that is perfect when combined with the salmon. In addition to sushi, cream cheese can be found commonly as a spread on a bagel or in a kitchen where sweet, savory cooking is occurring.
Avocado: Avocado is found in most sushi rolls, not just the spicy tuna roll, not to mention the fact that avocado is just down right delicious! To pick an avocado, look for dark skin colors and place them in the palm of your hand. If it is to firm, it is not ripe yet. If it is to squishy, it is overripe. You should be looking for a dark skinned avocado that you can give a slight squeeze!
Cucumber: Cucumber is found in the majority of sushi rolls, not only in the spicy tuna roll. The best cucumbers to use for sushi are what are called “japanese cucumbers” which are known to be straight, thin, and contain less water than a traditional cucumber. Cucumbers are known for numerous health properties.
Spicy Tuna Roll Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cooked Sushi Rice (Click link for easy sushi rice instructions)
- 1/4 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 4 Half Sheets Nori (Click link for folding instructions)
- 8-12 oz Sashimi Grade Tuna Sliced into strips
- 1/2 Cup Spicy Mayo Sauce (Click the link for an easy recipe!)
- 1 small cucumber Sliced into matchsticks
- Cream cheese sliced into matchsticks
- 1 small avocado cut sliced into matchsticks
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Cooking Equipment
- Bamboo rolling mat inside a gallon bag
- cutting board and a sharp knife
Cooking Instructions
Preparation
- Add the seasoned rice vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and mix together.
- Place your bamboo rolling mat inside a plastic gallon bag (trust us, this makes clean up much easier, all you have to do is throw out the bag!)
- Place one half sheet of nori on the rolling mat (remember we tore the full sheet in half hamburger style) with the rough side facing up.
Making the Roll
- ONLY ONCE THE RICE HAS COOLED, grab a handful of rice and cover the rough side of the nori leaving a 1 inch gap at the top without any rice. If using sesame seeds, sprinkle them over the rice. Grab the nori by the top, and flip it over so the rice is against the bamboo rolling mat and the 1 inch gap is now on the bottom.
- Starting 1/3 of the way up from the bottom begin to align the “guts” of the sushi roll in a horizontal line beginning with the strips of tuna. The horizontal row of tuna should be about half an inch to an inch thick all the way across the nori.
- After the tuna, add a row of cucumber, cream cheese, and another row above that of avocado.
- Grab both the sushi mat and the nori and roll the mat over from the bottom until the empty space we left at the bottom is touching the other side, squeezing down on the roll to make it nice and tight and allowing to hold its shape.
Sauces and Presentation
- Once the roll is formed, it is time to add the spicy mayo sauce! There are two ways to do this:1) The easy way is to just spread it across the top of the roll with a fork2) The “Instagram-worthy-way” is to put the spicy mayo sauce in a small bag, cut off the corner and then push the sauce out of the bag while doing zig-zags up and down the roll.
- Place the roll on a cutting board and get a knife and damp paper towel. Cut the toll into 8 equal sizes (easiest if you start by cutting the roll in half). Before you make each cut DAMPEN THE KNIFE WITH THE PAPER TOWEL or else the roll will fall apart when you slice through it.
- Serve with soy sauce, take some pictures for your friends, and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe or have feedback, please scroll down and leave a rating, comment, or critique!
See our printer friendly recipe version below!
Here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind while making sushi
- Check out our easy rice recipe here!
- Always wet your hands before handling rice. Rice is extremely sticky!
- While on the topic of rice.. please wait for it to cool. Getting excited and touching hot rice is no fun.
- Use a wet paper towel and wipe down your knife between cuts while slicing your rolls! If you do not, the roll will fall apart!
Spicy Tuna Roll- Delicious Recipe & Easy Ingredients!
Equipment
- Bamboo rolling mat inside a gallon bag
- cutting board and a sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cooked Sushi Rice (See below link in notes for easy sushi rice instructions)
- 1/4 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 4 Half Sheets Nori (See below link in notes)
- 8-12 oz Sashimi Grade Tuna Sliced into strips
- 1/2 Cup Spicy Mayo Sauce (See below link in notes for easy recipe)
- 1 small cucumber Sliced into matchsticks
- cream cheese cut into matchsticks Sliced into matchsticks
- 1 small avocado cut Sliced into matchsticks
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Add the seasoned rice vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and mix together.
- Place your bamboo rolling mat inside a plastic gallon bag (trust us, this makes clean up much easier, all you have to do is throw out the bag!)
- Place one half sheet of nori on the rolling mat (remember we tore the full sheet in half hamburger style) with the rough side facing up.
- ONLY ONCE THE RICE HAS COOLED, grab a handful of rice and cover the rough side of the nori leaving a 1 inch gap at the top without any rice. If using sesame seeds, sprinkle them over the rice. Grab the nori by the top, and flip it over so the rice is against the bamboo rolling mat and the 1 inch gap is now on the bottom.
- Starting 1/3 of the way up from the bottom begin to align the "guts" of the sushi roll in a horizontal line beginning with the strips of tuna. The horizontal row of tuna should be about half an inch to an inch thick all the way across the nori.
- After the tuna, add a row of cucumber, cream cheese, and another row above that of avocado.
- Grab both the sushi mat and the nori and roll the mat over from the bottom until the empty space we left at the bottom is touching the other side, squeezing down on the roll to make it nice and tight and allowing to hold its shape.
- Once the roll is formed, it is time to add the spicy mayo sauce! There are two ways to do this:1) The easy way is to just spread it across the top of the roll with a fork2) The "Instagram-worthy-way" is to put the spicy mayo sauce in a small bag, cut off the corner and then push the sauce out of the bag while doing zig-zags up and down the roll.
- Place the roll on a cutting board and get a knife and damp paper towel. Cut the toll into 8 equal sizes (easiest if you start by cutting the roll in half). Before you make each cut DAMPEN THE KNIFE WITH THE PAPER TOWEL or else the roll will fall apart when you slice through it.
- Serve with soy sauce, take some pictures for your friends, and enjoy!
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