This easy and delicious Japanese Spicy Tuna Salad recipe is a quick and inexpensive way to make spicy tuna at home! Made with simple ingredients, this salad goes great with cucumbers, crispy rice, or in a rice bowl!
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A Quick and Easy Japanese Spicy Tuna Salad Recipe
If you're a sushi lover like me, you're going to love this fast and tasty Spicy Tuna Salad! This sushi-inspired salad is ready in less than 10 minutes, and is the perfect simple appetizer for a party, a tasty snack, or quick lunch when you've got the craving for sushi!
Made with plenty of fresh, crispy veggies, a spicy sauce, and drained canned tuna, this recipe is so simple, inexpensive, and satisfying! I love to serve the salad on sliced cucumbers for a light lunch or snack, or in a rice bowl!
This Spicy Tuna Salad always satisfies, and is easy to make with simple items from your fridge and panty!
Ingredients
This easy and delicious Spicy Tuna Salad is ready in minutes, with just a few simple ingredients! Here's what you'll need to make it:
- A can of yellowfin or albacore tuna in oil, drained. I find the texture of tuna packed in olive oil to be a bit better than that of tuna packed in water.
- Mayonaise. You can use regular mayonaise for this recipe, but if you can find Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie mayonnaise), I find it has a really great flavor for this recipe, as well as for spicy mayo. I usually find Kewpie Mayo in the grocery store now, as it has grown in popularity. You can also find it at most Asian grocery stores.
- Sriracha sauce. This gives the salad it's classic spicy tuna flavor.
- Rice vinegar. This adds a little tang to the salad.
- Diced celery.
- Diced jalapeño, for a little extra heat.
- Salt and black pepper, to taste.
- A bit of soy sauce. I use low sodium soy sauce, but you could use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Green onions (aka scallions), thinly sliced.
How to make the Spicy Tuna Salad
This tuna salad requires only a few minutes of prep before it's ready to eat! Here's how to make it:
- Drain the tuna well, and add to a small or medium mixing bowl.
- Dice the celery and jalapeno, and thinly slice the green onions, and add to the bowl.
- Add the mayonaise, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar and soy sauce, and stir to combine.
- Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. (see recipe card below for full instructions and ingredients list).
What to serve with the Spicy Tuna Salad
This Japanese Tuna Salad is super versatile! Here are some great ways to enjoy it:
- Serve the salad over cucumber slices for a light, easy, and low carb snack or lunch!
- Top some crispy rice with the salad, and garnish with nori sheets or sesame seeds.
- Make a spicy tuna bowl with a sheet of nori or seaweed sheets and some Spicy Tuna Salad and thinly sliced cucumber. I love to use sushi rice for this, or brown rice. Any short grain rice works!
- Prep some seasoned rice (sushi rice) and make spicy tuna rolls!
- Make some quick and easy hand rolls (sushi rolls).
- Make a rice ball (aka spicy tuna onigiri).
- Make a tuna salad sandwich on some toast or bread.
- Make a tuna melt with some pepper jack cheese!
Garnishing the Spicy Tuna Salad
I love to top the Spicy Tuna Salad with a bit of chili oil, sesame oil, or chili crunch (or Trader Joe's Chili Crunch Seasoning) when serving!
Substitutions and Additions
This Spicy Tuna Salad recipe is easily adapted to your personal preferences, and to work with what you have in your refrigerator and pantry. Here are some great swaps and additions you can make to make this salad your own:
- Use red onion or raw onions in place of the scallions.
- Use whatever canned tuna you have on hand!
- Swap out the mayonnaise for plain greek yogurt. If you can't find Kewpie Mayo, use regular mayo.
- Use lime juice if you don't have rice vinegar. You could also try lemon juice.
- Want things a bit less spicy? Omit the jalapeno, or reduce the amount of sriracha sauce and add to taste.
- Use coconut aminos or regular soy sauce in place of the low sodium soy sauce.
- Add a drop or 2 of toasted sesame oil for an extra flavor boost.
Storing leftover Tuna Salad
You can store the leftover Spicy Tuna Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If some liquid forms on top, just give the salad a goos stir before serving the reincorporate the ingredients.
More Japanese Inspired recipes
If you love this quick and easy Japanese Spicy Tuna Salad recipe, you'll love these delicious Asian Inspired recipes, too!
- Kani Salad, Shrimp and Avocado Sushi Bowls
- Oven Baked Veggie Tempura Bowls
- Wasabi Fried Shrimp Tacos with Sriracha Mayo
- Bang Bang Shrimp Salad
- Ahi Tuna Poke
- Shrimp and Mango Poke Bowls with Wasabi Ginger Dressing
Easy Japanese Style Spicy Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 4 oz can yellowfin or albacore tuna in olive oil, drained
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- ½ medium jalepeno, finely diced
- 4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Mayonaise (Kewpie preferred, but you can use any mayo you like)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tuna well, and add to a small or medium mixing bowl. 2. Dice the celery and jalapeno, and thinly slice the green onions, and add to the bowl. 3. Add the mayonaise, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar and soy sauce, and stir to combine. 4. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. This salad goes great with sliced cucumbers, tortilla chips, wonton crisps, and in rice bowls or over crispy rice!
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