Seared Ahi Tuna Hand Rolls
The search for the perfect party app is over. Our Ahi Tuna Hand Rolls tick all the boxes: they’re delicious, customizable (everyone can assemble their own roll), good for grazing as you go and sure to impress.
The tuna has a light soy marinade with a nice char on it, but it’s still medium-rare on the inside, so you get a nice crunch and a lovely, soft center. (You can cook the tuna on the grill instead of pan searing it, if you wish). The veggies are super crunchy and delicious, and the crackly seaweed adds another fun layer of texture. All the fresh, wholesome ingredients will leave you feeling full without weighing you down.
When guests or family members make their own rolls, they can customize the heat level — a really important factor in any Minnesota get-together. Your Aunt Bev can load up on the Sriracha mayo and pickled ginger and your Uncle Rick can skip them all together.
Letting people DIY their own rolls has another advantage: Hand rolls are best enjoyed very fresh, so the ideal way to serve them is to have an interactive meal and bring all the components — the nori, sushi rice, cucumbers, avocado, tuna, Sriracha mayo and pea shoot microgreens — to the table and let everyone go to town.
4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes to 4 hours of marinating time)
Cook time: 2 minutes
Ingredients
For the ahi tuna:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili oil
½ teaspoon L&B White Sesame Seeds
½ teaspoon black sesame seeds
⅛ teaspoon gochugaru Korean chile flakes
1 pound ahi tuna steaks
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
For the sushi rice:
3 cups cooked sushi rice, warm
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon sesame oil
For the hand rolls:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 sheets roasted seaweed (sushi nori), cut in half lengthwise
3 mini cucumbers, trimmed and sliced into matchsticks
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
¼ cup Sriracha mayo
¼ cup pea shoot microgreens
Pickled ginger, for serving
Directions
- To make the ahi tuna: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, chili oil, sesame seeds and gochugaru. Stir to combine. Pour the marinade into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.
- Add the tuna steaks, seal the bag and gently toss to combine. Place the bag on a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning once.
- To make the sushi rice: In a medium bowl, combine the cooked rice, salt, sugar, mirin, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Gently mix to combine. Press plastic wrap against the top of the rice and store at room temperature until ready to use.
- To sear the tuna: Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil. Once the oil is shimmering, gently place the tuna steaks in the pan. Cook until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Flip and cook until the other side is charred and the internal temperature of each steak reads 135 F, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the tuna steaks to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice each steak against the grain into ½-inch pieces.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.
- To assemble the hand rolls: Hand rolls are best enjoyed very fresh, so we like to assemble them right at the dinner table, which makes for a fun and interactive meal.
- Place one sheet of the nori on a plate or cutting board. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the sushi rice in the middle of the nori. Top with 4 cucumber matchsticks, 2 avocado slices and 1 to 2 tuna slices. Top with a spoonful of Sriracha mayo and a few microgreens. Fold one side of the nori over the filling, then tightly roll it into a cone shape. Repeat until all hand rolls are made.
- Serve the hand rolls with pickled ginger, citrus soy sauce and Sriracha mayo for dipping. Enjoy immediately.
