If you’ve ever had the spicy tuna crispy rice at Nobu you know exactly why this went viral and why people keep making it at home. Golden, crunchy sushi rice cakes topped with creamy spicy tuna, avocado, jalapeño, and a drizzle of eel sauce. The rice takes a little planning ahead since it needs time to set and chill before frying but the actual process is simple and the result looks and tastes way more impressive than the effort involved.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• That crunch — fried sushi rice gets golden and crispy on the outside while staying soft and chewy inside
• Creamy spicy tuna — sriracha, avocado mayo, sesame oil, and green onion make a topping that’s rich, spicy, and completely addictive
• Great for entertaining — make the rice ahead, fry to order, and top right before serving
• Customizable — swap the tuna for salmon, add tobiko, or adjust the heat level to your liking

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice: The Best Appetizer

This is one of those recipes where the technique is a lot simpler than you might think. The key is giving the sushi rice enough time to set and compress, whether you freeze it for 2 hours or refrigerate it overnight, so that when you cut and fry it the blocks hold their shape and develop that gorgeous golden crust without falling apart. The spicy tuna mixture comes together in minutes and the whole thing gets finished with avocado, jalapeño, and eel sauce right before serving. Make these for a dinner party and watch them vanish!

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice Ingredients

SUSHI RICE

• 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
• 2 cups water

SUSHI RICE SEASONING

• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, adjust to taste
• ¼ cup white sugar, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste

SPICY TUNA

• 8 oz raw sushi-grade tuna, finely chopped
• ¼ cup mayo (I used Chosen Foods avocado mayo)
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ cup green onion, finely chopped

GARNISH

• Avocado, thinly sliced
• Jalapeño, thinly sliced
• Eel sauce, for drizzling
• Neutral oil, for frying

The Sushi Rice

Sushi rice is the foundation of this entire dish and it needs to be seasoned and compressed properly to fry well. The vinegar mixture (rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt), gets mixed into the hot cooked rice while it’s still warm so it absorbs evenly. Taste as you add and adjust to your preference. Once seasoned the rice goes into a lined tray, gets pressed firmly and weighed down, and then chills until it’s set solid enough to cut and fry into clean uniform blocks.

Setting and Compressing the Rice

This is the step that makes or breaks crispy rice. The rice needs to be compressed tightly enough that when you cut and fry it the blocks hold their shape completely. I divided my rice between two 8×5 inch trays lined with plastic wrap, pressed firmly, covered with another layer of plastic wrap, and stacked the two trays on top of each other to use as weight. You can also weigh them down with anything heavy — a cast iron pan, cans, whatever you have. Then either freeze for 2 hours if you’re in a hurry or refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight works perfectly and makes this a great make-ahead component!

The Spicy Tuna

This is the easiest part of the recipe! All you have to do is mix everything together gently just until combined and keep it cold until you’re ready to plate.

How To Make Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

MAKE THE SUSHI RICE

1. Cook the rice: Wash sushi rice until the water runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker with 2 cups water according to your rice cooker instructions.
2. Make the seasoning: While the rice cooks combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Season the rice: Transfer cooked rice to a large bowl. While still hot pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold gently until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

COMPRESS THE RICE

4. Press and chill: Line two 8×5 inch rectangular trays with plastic wrap letting it hang over the edges. Divide the seasoned rice between the trays and spread into an even flat layer. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and press firmly and evenly across the entire surface. Stack the two trays on top of each other to use as weight, or weigh down with something heavy like a cast iron pan. Freeze for 2 hours or refrigerate for at least 6 hours until completely set and solid.
5. Cut: Remove from the tray by lifting the plastic wrap. Cut each tray into 8 equal bite-sized rectangles using a sharp knife, clean confident cuts keep the blocks intact.

FRY THE RICE BLOCKS

6. Fry: Heat neutral oil in a pan to 350°F. Carefully place the rice blocks into the oil and lower the heat slightly. They should be actively sizzling. Cook without moving until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy, then flip carefully and cook the other side until equally golden. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

MAKE THE SPICY TUNA

7. Chop the tuna: Finely chop sushi-grade tuna into small even pieces.
8. Mix: In a bowl combine chopped tuna, mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, and finely chopped green onion. Mix gently until just combined. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLE

9. Top and serve: Place a slice of avocado on each warm rice block. Add a spoonful of spicy tuna mixture on top. Garnish with a slice of jalapeño and drizzle generously with eel sauce. Serve immediately.

Storage & Make Ahead

Make ahead:
The compressed rice blocks can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept in the fridge — fry just before serving. The spicy tuna mixture can be made a few hours ahead and kept refrigerated but is best made fresh for the best texture and color.

Storage:
Fried rice blocks are best eaten immediately — they lose their crispiness as they sit. If you have leftover unfried compressed rice store in the fridge for up to 2 days and fry fresh when ready to serve. Leftover spicy tuna should be consumed within 24 hours since it’s raw fish.

Important: Because this recipe uses raw sushi-grade fish make sure you’re sourcing your tuna from a reputable fishmonger or grocery store that sells sushi-grade fish.