Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna — Damn, Spicy! (2024)

Make better-than-Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna at home! This trendy appetizer features bite-sized crispy rice topped with creamy thinly-sliced avocado, finely-chopped tuna mixed with a delicious spicy sauce, and jalapeños!

Cured and canned fish options available.

Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna

If you’ve been to Nobu, you know they make those delicious bite-sized rectangles of fried rice topped with spicy tuna. Huge fan of the crispy + creamy texture combo.

Depending on the location you go to, they serve their crispy rice spicy tuna differently. I was surprised when I found out that a lot of Nobu’s actually serve the spicy tuna mixture and crispy rice separately and it doesn’t come with avocado or jalapeño which… what?! WHY?

So, the solution is to make it at home. And go big on the avocado, if you ask me.

Why this recipe works:

• Flavor. You get all the flavor of tuna and the delicious spicy sauce that goes with it, the creaminess of avocado, the fresh bright flavor of jalapeños and the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and sour of fried sushi rice.
• Texture. The crispy rice is perfectly crispy on the outside and deliciously fluffy and sticky on the inside, topped with all the creaminess of spicy tuna ⎯ this combo is so good!
• Easy to make. While this appetizer might look difficult to make, it’s actually not and I’ll break down every step for you so you can make it yourself, no matter your skill-set!
• Make-ahead. You can easily make the sushi rice ahead of time and then fry and assemble the next day!
• Cured and canned option! If you can’t have sushi grade (raw) fish or don’t want to deal with it for whatever reason, I’ll offer 2 delicious tried-and-true alternatives!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Sushi rice. It’s essential that you get sushi rice for this recipe. It’s a Japanese short-grain rice with a very high starch content which is what makes it so sticky. You want sticky because you need the rice to hold its shape when you press it down and cut it into rectangles or circles.

Water to cook the rice.

Rice vinegar. You can use any brand, just make sure it’s unseasoned. This is for seasoning the sushi rice.

Sugar. Just white granulated sugar for seasoning the rice.

Salt for seasoning the rice (and avocado, if you want).

Vegetable oil or sunflower or peanut oil for frying the rice.

Tuna. For the Nobu copycat you want to get sushi grade ahi tuna. Because this is sushi grade tuna, you have to be very careful with timing and temperatures. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to use sushi grade fish but still want to make this appetizer, you can use smoked salmon or canned tuna.

Other fish options: Smoked salmon is great if you want to keep the same look as Nobu’s spicy tuna mixture and the delicate flavor of salmon is simply perfect for this appetizer because it keeps all the flavors balanced (it’s your best option). Canned tuna is good if you’re after the strong flavor of canned tuna, though it will give a very different flavor and vibe to this appetizer.

Japanese kewpie mayonnaise. For the most authentic flavor, I recommend using Japanese mayo but, of course, you can use regular mayo to keep it simple.

Sriracha. This is basically just a spicy chili sauce commonly used in Thailand, it’s somewhat similar to a spicy ketchup, to give you an idea, so it’s not overtly spicy.

Soy sauce for the mayo + Sriracha sauce.

Lime juice for some tang. I recommend freshly squeezed.

Avocado. Make sure you get a ripe yet still firm avocado so it’ll be easier to cut into aesthetically pleasing slices. This is optional as I’ve seen tons of Nobu locations serving their spicy rice with crispy tuna without avocado but I highly recommend it… it makes it so much better!

Jalapeños for topping. Optional, just like the avocado, do your thing.

Sesame seeds. Optional, for topping. This is honestly mostly a cute way to decorate this dish at home.

How to make crispy rice spicy tuna like Nobu’s

STEP ONE: Make the sushi rice. Rinse the sushi rice with cold water in a mesh-strainer until the water runs mostly clear (about 1-2 minutes). Add the rinsed sushi rice to a large saucepan, pour in the water, place over medium-high heat, and cover with a tight-fitting lid with a vent hole (if you don’t have one with a vent-hole, crack it open). Cook until the water starts bubbling up, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until it absorbs completely, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, make the sushi rice seasoning.

STEP TWO: Make the sushi rice seasoning. In a small saucepan over low heat, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve completely, stirring from time to time, then turn off the heat.

STEP THREE: Season and shape the rice. As soon as the rice is ready, transfer it to a 8″x 8″ (20 x 20 cm) baking dish, gently mix in the rice seasoning with a spatula or a spoon, then press down rice into the baking dish until you get an even 1/2-inch or 1-inch (1.20 cm or 2.5 cm) block of pressed rice. Allow to come down to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.

STEP FOUR: Cut the rice. Remove the rice from the refrigerator and use a knife to cut it into rectangles. With this recipe, I get 15 rectangles. You can also do squares or circles (using a small cookie cutter greased with non-stick spray or oil).

STEP FIVE: Fry the rice. Add about 1/2-inch (1.20 cm) of oil to a medium skillet over medium heat and allow the oil to heat until it reaches 350F (180C) in temperature. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer for this stepas you need the oil to be just right. Once the oil is hot, add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Place the fried rice onto a plate lined with parchment paper to absorb the excess oil.

STEP SIX: Make the spicy mayo sauce. In a medium bowl, add the Japanese kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Mix until combined.

STEP SEVEN: Prepare the tuna, avocado, and jalapeño. Finely chop the ahi tuna finely. If using smoked salmon, chop it finely. If using canned tuna, drain the tuna very well. For the avocado, use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise straight down the pit and all the way around the avocado, cutting it in half. Gently twist the two halves apart, firmly whack the knife into the pit and pull it out then place the avocado halves cut-side down, peel the skin off, then slice finely. For the jalapeño, simply finely slice the pepper (remove seeds and membranes for less heat).

STEP EIGHT: Assemble. Mix the chopped fish into the spicy mayo sauce. To assemble, add a few slices of avocado to each crispy rice, top with 1-2 tsp of spicy tuna mix, 1 slice of jalapeño, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Make-Ahead Instructions

To make crispy rice with spicy tuna ahead of time, follow the recipe through step 3, then let the rice chill overnight. The next day, follow step 3.

Storing Instructions

This appetizer doesn’t store well because of the avocado and jalapeño as well as the fish, especially if you’re using sushi grade fish which has to be eaten fresh within a short amount of time. I don’t recommend storing it.

More recipes you’ll enjoy:

• Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce
• Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
• Chinese Eggplant Recipe with Garlic Sauce