Sunday, November 9, 2025

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (Nobu)

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This Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice recipe is a shameless copycat of a signature appetiser on the fashionable Nobu restaurant. Chew measurement crispy rice is served with tuna in a creamy spicy dressing. I like it. It’s costly. So I copied it. And added a canned tuna possibility too. 🙂

Spicy tuna crispy rice ready to be eaten
Or toppings as finger meals!

Nobu copycat: Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

There’s no feel-good story behind at the moment’s recipe. It’s only a blatant undeniable fact that I actually love the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice at Nobu* which is a signature starter of this globally famend restaurant. However you pay by means of the nostril for it – $30 for a really small serving. Right here it’s at Melbourne Nobu – fine quality cellphone snaps! 😂

* In case you’re not aware of Nobu, it’s a stylish trendy Japanese restaurant based by world-famous chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa that’s now world with a presence in main cities like New York, Tokyo, London, Dubai, Sydney. Received’t lie – I’ve had hits and misses in numerous cities. However total, it’s very dependable. Agency favorite with celebrities.

Worth apart, I don’t need to go to Nobu each time I need to have it. So I made a decision to repeat it. It appeared like a easy sufficient recipe – and it’s! Crispy rice topped with uncooked finely chopped tuna blended with a creamy spicy dressing.

Pile of Crispy rice cakes
The crispy rice desserts. See separate recipe right here.
Plate of Spicy tuna crispy rice
Platter with a mixture of uncooked and canned spicy tuna on crispy rice desserts.

Nobu vs my model

At Nobu, the rice is served in small dice type which you stab with (fancy) toothpicks then dip into the tuna which is so finely minced it is sort of a unfold. Primarily based on the right golden color on either side of the rice cubes, I believe they’re deep fried.

I’ve made my rice desserts flatter to allow them to be pan fried as a substitute of deep fried, and pre-assembled with the toppings. I additionally wouldn’t have a dipping sauce as a result of I’ve integrated seasonings within the tuna toppings.

Plus, I’ve made a canned tuna model as nicely, as an possibility you make proper now as a substitute of going out to search out sashimi-grade tuna! Assume – canned tuna fillings in sushi rolls. It’s actually tasty! That is the canned tuna model:

Spicy tuna crispy rice - canned tuna version
The canned tuna model. It’s like tuna sushi roll filling – actually tasty!

What you want

Right here’s what you must make this Nobu copycat Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice.

1. Sashimi tuna or salmon – OR canned!

As talked about above, the bottom recipe is a copy-cat of the Nobu model which is made with uncooked sashimi-grade tuna, Plus, I’ve created a canned tuna model too as a better make it now model / those that can’t get or don’t like uncooked tuna. It’s just like the canned tuna filling you get in sushi rolls – it’s actually tasty!

Tuna for Spicy tuna crispy rice

Sashimi grade tuna – To make the uncooked tuna model, you’ll need to get sashimi grade tuna. That is tuna that’s recent sufficient, dealt with and saved in a fashion fit to be eaten uncooked. It’s dearer than tuna supposed for cooking.

Frequent sashimi tuna varieties

  • Bluefin tuna – the frontrunner, most premium sort. For flavour, color and texture.

  • Yellowfin and bigeye tuna (ahi ahi) – The extra widespread sort that’s extra economical. It’s softer, not as pink.

Canned tuna – Tuna in oil is greatest. If utilizing tuna in spring water, the combination is a bit of drier so maybe add additional mayo.

2. Spicy creamy dressing & assembling

Right here’s what you must make the creamy dressing and for assembling. The identical components are used for each, it’s simply that you just want extra for the canned tuna (a number of little tuna bits = extra floor space = extra dressing required).

Ingredients in Spicy tuna crispy rice
  • Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayonnaise that has a smoother flavour than Western ones. Substitute with complete egg mayonnaise. Regular mayonnaise (ie not labelled “whole-egg”) is tangier / sweeter which can dominate the uncooked tuna model an excessive amount of however okay for the canned tuna model.

  • Sriracha is a pink Asian spicy sauce that has different flavours in it along with chilli, similar to vinegar and garlic. Substitute with different spicy sauce of alternative, however regulate amount based mostly on spiciness.

    Non spicy possibility – Ketchup!

  • Inexperienced onion – For good inexperienced specks and a little bit of freshness.

  • Sesame oil & seeds – For toasty sesame flavour!

  • Lemon – For the canned tuna model, I discovered a touch of additional tang was fascinating. For the uncooked tuna model, recent lemon juice made the dressing a bit of too free so I follow utilizing the tang in sriracha.

  • Avocado – Non-obligatory (and never in Nobu’s model), however I actually like the way it provides an additional creamy factor. If avocado will not be in season or expensive, I’d skip it.

Crispy rice

All you actually need for the crispy rice is sushi rice, oil for cooking and salt for seasoning. Nevertheless it makes it additional tasty to flavour the rice with sushi rice seasoning – simply rice vinegar and sugar.

Ingredients in Crispy rice

See the separate crispy rice recipe for commentary on the components.


Tips on how to make Nobu’s crispy rice with spicy tuna

The crispy rice desserts has been revealed as a separate recipe – as a result of it’s deemed worthy as such! It’s very easy – prepare dinner rice, press in pan, chill to set, reduce, pan fry.

So the steps beneath are for the topping and assembling.

1. Nobu spicy tuna topping

Tip: Uncooked fish is difficult to finely cube as a result of it’s so smooth. To make it (a lot!) simpler, partially freeze the fish first to make it firmer. Simply half-hour within the freezer.

How to make Spicy tuna crispy rice
  1. Partially freeze the uncooked tuna (or salmon) within the freezer for half-hour. It will make it a lot simpler to chop.

  2. Reduce into small 0.5cm / 1/5″ cube. To do that, I slice 0.5cm / 1/5″ thick items, then 0.5cm / 1/5″ strips, then cube.

  3. De-chill the fish for 20 minutes or so, so it’s not ice-cold. Sushi tastes greatest when at room temperature which is round 18C/65F. Small diced tuna will de-chill pretty rapidly.

  4. Combine – Add the mayonnaise, sriracha, inexperienced onion, sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt. Combine gently to mix. Then refrigerate till required. However bear in mind to intention for the room temperature for serving! Heat crispy rice desserts with ice-cold tuna isn’t preferrred. 🙂

Creamy canned tuna topping

How to make Spicy tuna crispy rice
  1. Mash the drained canned tuna with a fork till it’s actually nice. The finer the higher.

  2. Add every thing else and blend!

3. Assembling the crispy rice desserts

Nobu serves this as a DIY arrange with cubes of rice that’s speared with fancy toothpicks then dunked into the spicy tuna which is sort of in paste-like type. I wish to assemble for a straightforward finger meals possibility.

Additionally, cubes of rice both should be turned 6 occasions in a pan (what a ache!) or deep fried (what a ache!). Pan frying 2 sides of a flatter items is a lot much less effort!

  1. Prepare dinner the rice desserts after you’ve blended the toppings. See instructions within the crispy rice desserts recipe.

  2. Avocado – Place on a serving platter and high with avocado slices. You may both use 1 giant, or fan out smaller items as I’ve carried out. You could possibly additionally pipe on avocado sauce – a great possibility for fast assembling if making large batches.

  3. Form – Use 2 teaspoons to form a mound of the topping right into a “soccer” form so it sticks collectively.

  4. Assemble – Place tuna on avocado. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, high with jalapeño. Repeat with remaining rice desserts. EAT!

Picking up Spicy tuna crispy rice
Overhead photo of Spicy tuna crispy rice

I see you making this for pals who come spherical for Saturday evening drinks. Impressing the pants off your folks at e book membership. On your mum’s birthday lunch.

And simply usually since you need to eat Nobu within the consolation of your personal dwelling, in trackies and your favorite slouchy t-shirt, and really feel smug that it price you round…oh I don’t know. About 80% much less? No less than!! – Smug Nagi x


Watch how you can make it

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Picking up Spicy tuna crispy rice

Crispy rice with spicy tuna (Nobu copycat)

Servings15 items

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. A shameless copycat of a signature Nobu restaurant appetiser – crispy rice desserts with tuna or salmon in a creamy spicy dressing. Straightforward to make at a fraction of the fee – they cost $30 for a minuscule serving! Function a canapé, starter for dinner or as a fundamental with an Asian aspect salad or smashed cucumbers.The unique makes use of uncooked tuna however I’ve additionally created a canned tuna model – assume, sushi roll filling.

Substances

Creamy spicy canned tuna topping:

Directions

  • Begin the rice the day earlier than or very first thing within the morning – it wants minimal 4 hours to sit back.

  • Make the toppings first, then refrigerate whilst you prepare dinner the crispy rice desserts.

  • Prepare dinner the crispy rice desserts and sprinkle with salt per the recipe.

  • Assemble – Place rice desserts on a serving platter. Pile on toppings – I take advantage of teaspoons to make soccer shapes then slide on. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, high with jalapeño. Eat!

Nobu spicy tuna topping:

  • Freeze to agency – Place tuna within the freezer for half-hour to partially freeze – it is a lot simpler to finely chop when barely agency.

  • Reduce into 0.5cm / 1/2″ cubes – the smaller the higher! Place right into a bowl and let it de-chill for 20 minutes (not as good ice-cold).

  • Combine – Add every thing into the tuna and blend till mixed.

Creamy canned tuna (sushi-roll filling model):

Recipe Notes:

Makes 15 items 4 x 6.5cm/ 1.5 x 2.5″ (crispy rice dimensions).
1. Tuna or salmon – Because the fish is served uncooked, please make sure you get sashimi grade tuna which is additional recent, dealt with and saved in a fashion fit to be eaten uncooked. It is going to be labelled as such on the retailers. You too can get frozen sashimi grade fish lately. It’s snap deep-frozen at -60C and fit to be eaten uncooked. I’ve gotten it from Japanese supermarkets in Sydney (Tokyo-mart, Northbridge).
2. Sriracha is a pink Asian spicy sauce that has different flavours in it along with chilli, similar to vinegar and garlic. Substitute with different spicy sauce of alternative, however regulate amount based mostly on spiciness.
Non spicy possibility – Ketchup!
3. Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayonnaise that has a smoother flavour than Western ones. Substitute with complete egg mayonnaise. 
4. Canned tuna – in oil is greatest. Springwater tends to be a bit of dry.
5. Leftovers – As soon as assembled, rice desserts will soften inside an hour. The uncooked tuna topping must be eaten inside an hour as soon as out of the fridge, although will hold within the fridge for the day. Canned tuna topping combination will hold for a number of days. Makes a bit of greater than you want – eat leftover as dip or on sandwiches!
Vitamin per rice cake (15 items)

Lifetime of Dozer

Crispy rice cake measurement context.



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