We’ve all had that moment: a sudden, intense desire for the clean, zesty taste of sushi strikes, but the effort of making it from scratch or ordering a delivery just seems too much. But what if you could have all those wonderful flavours in a fraction of the time, using a simple ingredient from your pantry? Allow us to introduce our incredible Canned Tuna Sushi Bowl Recipe. This is more than just a fast meal; it’s a delightful discovery. We’ll show you how to turn a basic tin of tuna into the centrepiece of a gorgeous bowl filled with spicy, creamy goodness, seasoned rice, and crisp, fresh vegetables. It’s the perfect answer for a quick, delicious, and surprisingly sophisticated meal, any day of the week.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Packed with sensational flavours. The blend of rich, spicy tuna with fluffy, seasoned rice and fresh, crunchy toppings delivers a delightful mix of tastes and textures that hits the spot every time.
• Incredibly fast to prepare. This has to be one of the best ideas for a quick tuna lunch, as you can go from cupboard to table in well under half an hour. Ideal for those hectic days!
• Uses affordable, everyday ingredients. You don’t need a special shopping trip for this one. It relies on pantry essentials like tinned tuna and rice, making it wonderfully budget-friendly.
• Completely customisable. The beauty of this tuna sushi bowl is that you can make it your own. Mix and match your favourite toppings to create a new and exciting bowl every single time.

The Pantry Hero: Why Canned Tuna Works So Well

Tinned tuna is often overlooked, usually finding its way into simple salads or sandwiches. We think it’s time to celebrate this versatile kitchen staple. Using tinned tuna is the secret to this recipe’s simplicity and speed. It’s a brilliant source of protein that’s ready to go, and it soaks up our creamy dressing beautifully. The result is a mixture that has all the satisfying richness of a classic spicy tuna roll, but without any of the fuss. For the best results, we suggest using tuna packed in either spring water or olive oil, and be sure to drain it thoroughly to get that perfect consistency for your tuna bowl recipe.

A Note on Japanese Mayonnaise

Our ingredients list specifies Japanese mayonnaise, and if you’ve never used it, you’re in for a lovely surprise. What makes it different from the mayo we’re used to? It’s made using only egg yolks, not the whole egg, which gives it an incredibly luxurious, custardy texture and a much richer, more umami taste. It also has a gentle tang from the addition of rice vinegar. This is what gives our spicy tuna its wonderfully creamy consistency. It’s widely available in the international food sections of larger supermarkets, or you can easily find it online. However, if you can’t get hold of it, a good-quality standard mayonnaise will work just fine. We suggest stirring in a splash of rice vinegar and a tiny bit of sugar to get a closer flavour.

Ingredients

• 300g sushi rice
• 400ml cold water
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 x 160g tins of tuna in spring water, well drained
• 5 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (or good quality regular mayonnaise)
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha, to taste
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 large cucumber, finely sliced or cut into ribbons
• 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
• 150g frozen edamame beans, thawed
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sheet of nori, cut into thin strips (optional)
• Pickled ginger and wasabi, to serve (optional)

Choosing Your Toppings

While the list above outlines our go-to combination, the true fun of this canned tuna sushi bowl lies in its versatility. Consider the seasoned rice and spicy tuna your base, and let your creativity shine with the toppings. Feel free to switch things up based on what you love or what you have in the fridge. Here are some other wonderful additions:

• Fresh Vegetables: Shredded carrot, fine radish slices, sweetcorn kernels, or vibrant red cabbage can bring extra colour and a lovely crunch.
• A Touch of Sweetness: Cubes of fresh mango or pineapple can introduce a delightful tropical note that pairs beautifully with the spicy flavours.
• Added Texture: For an extra bit of crunch, try adding some crispy fried onions, crushed wasabi peas, or even some tempura batter bits.

Feel free to have a rummage through your kitchen and see what delicious combinations you can discover. If you enjoy this kind of simple, satisfying meal, we think you’ll also adore our Bang Bang Chicken Thighs, which offer a similar spicy and creamy kick.

Instructions

1. Cook the Sushi Rice: Start by giving the sushi rice a very good rinse in a sieve with cold water. Keep rinsing until the water is no longer cloudy – this is key for fluffy, not sticky, rice. Place the washed rice in a saucepan with 400ml of cold water. Bring it to a rolling boil, then instantly turn the heat down as low as it will go. Pop on a lid and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes without peeking. Once the time is up, take it off the heat and let it steam, still covered, for a further 10 minutes.
2. Mix the Rice Vinegar Seasoning: As the rice cooks, you can make the dressing for it. Simply combine the rice vinegar, caster sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir well until everything has dissolved. A quick 20-second burst in the microwave can help speed this along.
3. Season the Cooked Rice: After the rice has finished steaming, gently tip it into a large bowl (avoid using metal). Drizzle the vinegar seasoning all over the warm rice. With a spatula, use a cutting and folding motion to mix it all in, being careful not to crush the delicate grains. Let it cool down to room temperature; fanning it will help it cool quicker.
4. Create the Spicy Tuna Mix: Take your well-drained tinned tuna and flake it apart in a mixing bowl using a fork. Add the Japanese mayonnaise, sriracha, light soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Give it a good stir until the tuna is completely coated in a creamy, flavourful sauce. You can add more or less sriracha depending on how spicy you like your spicy tuna bowl.
5. Get Your Toppings Ready: As the rice is cooling, use the time to prepare your fresh toppings. Slice the cucumber, avocado, and spring onions. If you’re using nori, slice the sheet into fine ribbons. Getting everything ready now makes building the bowls a breeze.
6. Build Your Sushi Bowls: Spoon the cooled, seasoned rice into your serving bowls, dividing it evenly. Add a hearty portion of the spicy tuna mixture on top of the rice. Neatly arrange your prepared cucumber, avocado slices, and edamame beans around the edges.
7. Add the Finishing Touches: To finish, scatter over the toasted sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, and delicate nori strips. For the full experience, serve straight away with a side of pickled ginger and wasabi. Now it’s ready to enjoy!

We love how this recipe takes a handful of simple, everyday items and transforms them into something quite spectacular. It’s the same principle we use in our fun and delicious Cheeseburger Lasagna Recipe, which turns basic ingredients into an exciting meal the whole family will love.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy Your Effortless Sushi Experience

So there we are! A stunning, flavourful meal that brings the taste of sushi into your kitchen without any complicated steps or expensive shopping trips. Our Canned Tuna Sushi Bowl recipe is all about the joy of combining simple things to make something truly wonderful. We come back to this recipe often because it’s quick, easy, and incredibly tasty. It’s a wholesome, fulfilling, and beautiful dish that shows how a speedy meal can still be exciting.

We really hope this becomes a new favourite for you, just as it is for us. It’s such a brilliant method for turning a simple tin of tuna into an impressive dish. We encourage you to make it for your next quick lunch or simple supper and have fun experimenting with different toppings! We’d be delighted to hear how it turns out, so do leave us a comment and tell us about your own unique bowl creations.

Recipe Card

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300g sushi rice
• 400ml cold water
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 x 160g tins of tuna in spring water, well drained
• 5 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (or good quality regular mayonnaise)
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha, to taste
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 large cucumber, finely sliced or cut into ribbons
• 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
• 150g frozen edamame beans, thawed
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sheet of nori, cut into thin strips (optional)
• Pickled ginger and wasabi, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the Sushi Rice: Start by giving the sushi rice a very good rinse in a sieve with cold water. Keep rinsing until the water is no longer cloudy – this is key for fluffy, not sticky, rice. Place the washed rice in a saucepan with 400ml of cold water. Bring it to a rolling boil, then instantly turn the heat down as low as it will go. Pop on a lid and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes without peeking. Once the time is up, take it off the heat and let it steam, still covered, for a further 10 minutes.
2. Mix the Rice Vinegar Seasoning: As the rice cooks, you can make the dressing for it. Simply combine the rice vinegar, caster sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir well until everything has dissolved. A quick 20-second burst in the microwave can help speed this along.
3. Season the Cooked Rice: After the rice has finished steaming, gently tip it into a large bowl (avoid using metal). Drizzle the vinegar seasoning all over the warm rice. With a spatula, use a cutting and folding motion to mix it all in, being careful not to crush the delicate grains. Let it cool down to room temperature; fanning it will help it cool quicker.
4. Create the Spicy Tuna Mix: Take your well-drained tinned tuna and flake it apart in a mixing bowl using a fork. Add the Japanese mayonnaise, sriracha, light soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Give it a good stir until the tuna is completely coated in a creamy, flavourful sauce. You can add more or less sriracha depending on how spicy you like your spicy tuna bowl.
5. Get Your Toppings Ready: As the rice is cooling, use the time to prepare your fresh toppings. Slice the cucumber, avocado, and spring onions. If you’re using nori, slice the sheet into fine ribbons. Getting everything ready now makes building the bowls a breeze.
6. Build Your Sushi Bowls: Spoon the cooled, seasoned rice into your serving bowls, dividing it evenly. Add a hearty portion of the spicy tuna mixture on top of the rice. Neatly arrange your prepared cucumber, avocado slices, and edamame beans around the edges.
7. Add the Finishing Touches: To finish, scatter over the toasted sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, and delicate nori strips. For the full experience, serve straight away with a side of pickled ginger and wasabi. Now it’s ready to enjoy!

`);win.document.close();win.focus();win.print()})})})