Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways are my favorite kinds of sushi. I purchased fresh sushi grade albacore tuna and turned it into 4 rolls.
I made Spicy Tuna Rolls (my favorite), California Tuna Rolls, Tuna Rolls, and The Kitchen Sink Tuna Rolls.
Homemade sushi can be intimidating but I’ll show you my tricks for making mouthwatering sushi at home!
Easy Tuna Rolls 4 Ways
OK, a show of hands. How many of you are intimidated by making sushi at home? I’m here to tell you making mouthwatering sushi at home is easier than you think! Homemade sushi is also less expensive than dining out. I’m sharing my tips for Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways so you can enjoy a tasty and flavorful night in!
Kieran and I were supposed to attend an Asian themed potluck awhile back but I got sick. In fact, the host of the potluck got sick too so the entire event got canceled. We rescheduled the potluck so I was able to bring the homemade sushi I wanted to make. Kieran purchased sushi grade tuna so I made Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways.
I made:
Spicy Tuna Rolls – my absolute favorite.
Tuna California Rolls – the classic California roll with a twist.
Simple Tuna Roll – using tuna as the only roll filling.
The Kitchen Sink Tuna Roll – where I used up a bunch of the leftover ingredients.
Check out our sushi making video:
I believe people are intimidated making sushi at home because it’s time-consuming and easy to mess up. Here are my tips and tricks on how to successfully make Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways at home:
-IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BUY FISH, ASK-
Purchase Fresh Sushi Grade Fish Only. Sushi grade fish normally can’t be found at your local grocery store. If you don’t know where to find sushi grade fish, ask your local grocery store or call around. Please, do not purchase any’ole fish and think it’s safe for sushi. We bought the tuna for this post at Portland’s Flying Fish Company. The staff pointed us to fish that was sushi grade
Buy Fish The Day Of If Possible. I always tell the staff when I’m making sushi to ensure I’m getting the freshest catch. Especially if I’m making sushi the following day. The staff will guide you so you’re making the best possible choice for your needs.
-EXTRA EXTRA-
Buy Extra Seaweed. Seaweed, otherwise known as Nori is delicate AF. I’ve manhandled and ripped nori in the past, rendering it useless in sushi. I find it less stressful to keep extra nori on hand so you always have enough.
Make Extra Rice. Less is more doesn’t apply here. When making homemade sushi, nothing is more stressful and aggravating than running out of rice. I make double the amount I think I need to ensure I have enough.
-KNIFE SKILLS-
Use A Sharp Knife. I sharpen my knife with a sharpener before making sushi at home. If you don’t have a knife sharpener use the sharpest knife you have on hand.
Wipe The Blade. Every. Single. Time. I make a cut into a sushi roll, I wipe the blade with a damp paper towel. This method helps prevent the rice from sticking to the blade and making a huge ass mess of your roll.
Go Slow. If you go full beast mode and come at your sushi like a saw on steroids you will make a mess of your roll. Make slow, deliberate strokes for a clean cut.
-ROLL IT UP-
Wrap The Bamboo Mat In Plastic Wrap. I find this method helps prevent the rice from sticking to the mat.
Practice Makes Perfect. It takes time getting the feel for rolling sushi. First, you may roll too tightly resulting in sushi innards squishing out. The next time you may roll too loosely which results in the sushi falling apart when you cut. The only way to get good at rolling sushi is to do it. This is where extra rice and nori come in hand again! If you mess up, no biggie!
The Ugly Ones And Ends. Real talk – your first few rolls may look wonky but don’t get discouraged. The ends of the sushi rolls are normally the craziest or ugliest looking. I pop those in my mouth and consider them a snack. The ugly ends are also considered my taste test. I taste the roll to ensure the flavors are on fleek. I adjust the flavors of the next roll accordingly.
-RELAX AND HAVE FUN-
Take A Deep Breath. Sushi can sense fear. It knows you’re nervous and will taunt you, silently, like the jerk bag it is. Don’t let sushi get the upper hand, approach it calmly and confidently.
Give Yourself Ample Time. If you start making sushi 20 minutes before your guests arrive you’re going to hate the homemade sushi experience because you’ll feel rushed and your rolls will look like crap. Even though making sushi is a cinch, it’s time-consuming to make an appetizing roll. You have to cook the rice, prep your fish/veggies, then assemble. Give yourself time so you’ll feel relaxed and enjoy the experience.
Experiment. Once you get the hang of rolling sushi the true fun begins! Make sushi like the kind you get at your favorite restaurant or experiment with new flavor combinations.
I thinly slice my vegetables and fish in the morning while I’m preparing the sushi rice. The vegetables drain on a paper towel while I go take a shower and get ready. I prep my workstation a couple hours before dinner. I fetch a tub of water and a paper towel for cleaning the knife and wrap my mat in plastic wrap. All of the ingredients are set out in front of me so every ingredient is at my fingertips when it’s time to roll.
I’m not going to lie, the last time I made sushi was for my Spicy Tuna Roll post back in March 2014. I thought for SURE I’d mess up this post since it’s been so long since I’ve made homemade sushi. I’m happy to report making homemade sushi is like riding a bike, once you learn you don’t forget how.
Kieran helped make the Spicy Tuna Rolls back in 2014 but this attempt was 100% my doing. I took my time and had fun creating sushi that was mouthwatering and affordable! I mean, Kieran and I have spent $80+ going out for sushi in the past. Most rolls start out around $6-8 and we usually order 3-4 each. That shit adds up!
This meal cost us roughly $45 (including the filler vegetables and sauces) and rendered 11 rolls. The Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways were delicious and a fun way to dine in with friends. Plus, it was fun to experiment with Tuna Roll flavors. Here is a quick breakdown of what each roll featured:
Spicy Tuna Roll – Tuna mixed with a spicy sauce and rolled with sliced jalapeno and cilantro. The outside of the roll was sprinkled with black sesame and jalapeno seeds. The roll was topped with a hot sauce mayo and green onion.
Tuna California Rolls – Tuna rolled with English cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese.
Simple Tuna Roll – Tuna was the only filling besides rice.
The Kitchen Sink Tuna Roll – Tuna rolled with red and jalapeno pepper, English cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and cilantro.
I loved the pop of fresh flavors like cilantro, red and jalapeno pepper, and cucumber within the rolls. The vegetables gave a favorable crunchy contrast to the creamy avocado and cream cheese. The flavor combinations were killer which means I’ll 100% be making them again!
Alright, folks, that’s a wrap on this week’s post! Tuna Rolls – 4 Ways are the perfect meal whether you want a romantic dinner with your significate other or a rip-roaring dinner party with friends! If you still have questions about making sushi leave me a comment below. I’ll do whatever I can to put you at ease so you can make delicious sushi at home too. Think of it this way – if Christina clumsy man hands (that’s me) can make sushi at home, you can too! I’m not 100% sure what’s coming up next week but I’ll do my best to make our video entertaining!
Easy Tuna Rolls 4 Ways Ingredients
Ingredients
Spicy Tuna Rolls:
- Nori seaweed
- Sushi rice
- Albacore tuna thinly sliced or minced
- jalapeño thinly sliced. Remove and save the seeds
- cilantro
- Black sesame seeds
- Jalapeno seeds
Spicy Tuna Sauce:
- A good squirt or spoonful of the following
- Chili paste I used Sambal Oelek
- Sriracha
- Hot sauce I used El Yucateco
- Mayo
- Green onion chopped
Mayo Topping
- Hot sauce I used El Yucateco
- Mayo
- Green onion
California Tuna Roll:
- Nori seaweed
- Sushi rice
- Albacore tuna thinly sliced or minced
- English cucumber thinly sliced
- avocado thinly sliced
- cream cheese firm and thinly sliced
- Black sesame seeds
Simple Tuna Roll:
- Nori seaweed
- Sushi rice
- Albacore tuna thinly sliced or minced
- Black sesame seeds
The Kitchen Sink Tuna Roll:
- Nori seaweed
- Sushi rice
- Albacore tuna thinly sliced or minced
- red pepper thinly sliced
- Jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (deseeded unless you want the heat)
- English cucumber thinly sliced
- avocado thinly sliced
- cilantro
- Black sesame seeds
Serve with:
- Soy sauce
- Wasabi
- Pickled Ginger
Instructions
Spicy Tuna Rolls:
- In a small bowl, mix together a good squirt or spoonful of the chili paste, Sriracha, hot sauce, mayo, and chopped green onion. Set aside.
- Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the bamboo mat (wrap with plastic wrap first). Wet your fingers with water, or use a spatula to spread a generous amount of rice evenly over nori sheet. Sprinkle black sesame seeds and some jalapeno seeds over the rice.
- Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is facing down. Line the edge of nori sheet at the bottom end of the bamboo mat.
- Depending on how stuffed you like your sushi rolls will determine the next step. I like to grab 4-6 pieces of sliced tuna and line them along the bottom end of the nori sheet. Avoid over-stuffing or the sushi won't seal. Once I've determined if 4-6 pieces of tuna will be sufficient, I remove the tuna and dunk it in the spicy sauce. Once the tuna is thoroughly coated with the sauce, return it to the nori sheet. See notes.
- Place 2-4 slices of jalapeno alongside the tuna. Top the tuna and jalapeno with some cilantro leaves.
- Grab the bottom edge of the bamboo mat while keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, roll into a tight cylinder (if it's not tight enough, it will be difficult to cut). Lift the edge of the bamboo mat and continue to roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat.
- Dampen a paper towel in water and wipe the blade of a very sharp knife, then cut the roll in half and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Clean the knife with the paper towel after every cut.
- Put a dollop of the spicy mayo on top of each sushi and garnish with the remaining green onion.
The other 3 rolls:
- The concept is the same except you don't have to add any sauce.
- Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the bamboo mat. Add the rice and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Add the filling and carefully roll. After each roll is complete cut and serve! To change things up, don't turn over the nori sheet covered with rice. Keep the sheet rice side up and place your ingredients on top! That particular roll will have the rice on the inside which gives the rolls a unique appearance!