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Spicy Tuna Scallion Nori Tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sushi rice*
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 (5 oz) cans tuna, drained (about 3 ½ cups crumbled)**
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white/light green and dark green parts separated
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 cucumber or 1 bunch radishes, cut into matchsticks (or use both)
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 6-8 nori sheets, cut into quarters
  • Sesame seeds, for topping

For the spicy sauce:

  • ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tbsp sriracha***
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • *After spending time in Japan and eating all the amazing rice, I’ve been converted to sushi rice or Japanese short grain white rice. It’s sticky, chewy, and so delicious. This is what I order! This would work fine with jasmine white rice or short grain brown rice if that's what you have.
  • **I used skipjack tuna packed in water. If your tuna is packed in olive oil then you can reduce the olive oil in the recipe to 2 tablespoons.
  • ***You can leave this out or reduce it if you don’t want it spicy at all. Just add a teaspoon of rice vinegar and an extra dash of soy sauce, to taste.

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Cook 2 cups sushi rice (short grain white rice) or use jasmine rice
  • Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions, white/light green and dark green parts separated 
  • Make the tuna filling
  • Cut radishes and/or cucumber into matchsticks
  • Make the spicy sauce

Instructions

  • Cook the rice (instructions here).
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the tuna and white/light green parts of the scallions. Spread everything out evenly and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, undisturbed, or until the tuna is beginning to brown a little bit in some spots. Give it a stir and break up any large tuna chunks. Turn off the heat and stir in the soy sauce and the rest of the scallions. Let it cool off for a couple of minutes.
  • To make the sauce, add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until combined. Stir about ¼ cup of the sauce into the tuna mixture until combined. Save the rest for drizzling.
  • Now it’s time to assemble! Place one of the nori squares in your hand or on a plate. Add a spoonful of rice down the center. Scoop a spoonful of the tuna next to the rice. Add a slice of avocado and cucumber/radish. Drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Eat it like a taco and repeat!

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, use crumbled tofu in place of the canned fish (about 3-4 cups worth).
  • To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt alternative.
  • If you’re not into nori, you could eat this as a rice bowl and leave the nori off.
  • If you can get your hands on sushi grade fish, you could totally use that in place of the canned fish (just leave it raw obviously!).

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
    • Tuna: up to 4 days in the fridge
    • Rice: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
    • Sauce: up to 6 days in the fridge

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Turn it into a sushi bowl. I’d recommend tossing the raw veggies in some rice vinegar and salt before adding to your bowl and perhaps making an extra batch of that spicy sauce if you’re running low.
  • You could heat up the rice and tuna together in a skillet to make a fried rice-style bowl. Rice heats up best in a skillet with a splash of water to rehydrate it. Once the rice is rehydrated, add the tuna and mix it all up. Serve topped with cucumber or radish, avocado, crumbled nori, sesame, scallions, and spicy sauce. That rice/fish base could also just be topped simply with the sauce and some crunchy veggies. Or put an egg on it!