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Quickest Tuna & Rice Bowl

Charlotte Brooks

August 3, 2023

Table of Contents

The quickest Tuna-Rice Bowl is a nutritious and flavorful meal that can be on your table in 15 minutes or less! We start with a base of rice topped with a creamy and spicy tuna blend and finish it off with a few veggies. A squeeze of fresh lemon adds the perfect final touch. The dish is packed with protein, healthy fats, carbs, and fiber, making it an ultra-satisfying meal.

Overhead image of the Tuna-Rice Bowl

This Tuna-Rice Bowl is part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients, or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!

Tuna-Rice Bowl

If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen the viral salmon rice bowls that everyone’s raving about. Have you tried them yet? Well, those bowls inspired this dish. Except we’re cutting down on prep time even more!

This dish is aimed to be one of the quickest, throw-together meals that is filling, satisfying, and downright delicious!

I enjoy this meal for lunch quite frequently, and I can attest to its staying power. If you’ve got a busy day ahead, this is the perfect choice to fuel you up! Not only is it satisfying, but it’s also super tasty. From the creamy-spicy mayo to the rice filled with green onions to the creamy avocado and crisp cucumbers, every bite is a treat!

QUICK TIP

We mention several brand names in this post: Minute Rice, Hellman’s/Best Foods, Kewpie and Genova. We respect trademarks and mention these by name because we truly believe they are of higher quality than others–plus, they are easily recognizable. We use these brands in our test kitchen, but of course, you’re welcome to use similar products under different labels.

Tuna-Rice Bowl: The Rice

If you happen to have some leftover white rice, feel free to use it for these Tuna-Rice Bowls! Personally, I love to whip up a big batch of white rice during my weekly meal prep to use in various recipes–including this one– throughout the week.

However, if you don’t have any leftover rice and don’t feel like making a fresh batch from scratch (after all, this is our “short-cut” recipe series!), the best option is to use microwave rice. These little containers of Minute Rice® are perfect for this recipe as they only take a minute to microwave, and no other prep is needed. So easy and convenient!

To give the rice some extra flavor, we mix in some soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Just a pinch of salt and pepper is all it takes to bring the rice to life! And if you’re a fan of green onions, you can also add the bottom halves of the onions to the rice. It’s a simple way to add loads of flavor with very little extra effort!

Tuna-Rice Bowl: The Tuna Mixture

I highly recommend tuna packed in olive oil; it makes a huge difference to the overall taste of the bowls. My personal favorite is Genova’s® albacore tuna. The olive oil gives a richer and fresher flavor.

To the tuna, we add some mayo, sriracha, and another pinch of salt and pepper. The mayonnaise adds a nice creaminess and holds everything together well. We love either Kewpie® Mayo or Hellman’s/Best Foods® in this recipe. If you’re watching fat intake, feel free to use lite mayo, but know there is a sacrifice of flavor.

QUICK TIP

What is sriracha? It’s a popular hot sauce that originated in Thailand and contains chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. The sauce has a bright red color and a spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet taste. Sriracha has become a popular condiment worldwide and is commonly used to add flavor and heat to dishes like these Tuna-Rice Bowls!

When using sriracha sauce, a little goes a long way to add lots of flavor and heat to your dish. If you’re cautious when it comes to hot sauces, you can always add the sriracha slowly and adjust it to taste. It’s always better to start with a small amount and add more gradually, rather than overdoing it and making your dish too spicy to enjoy.

Tuna-Rice Bowl Toppings

The toppings are what take these bowls to the next level!

Avocado: A ripe avocado adds a delicious creamy texture to the dish. To check if an avocado is ripe, give it a gentle press; it should yield slightly (similar to touching the tip of your nose).
Cucumbers: We highly recommend using English or Persian cucumbers (sometimes labeled as mini cucumbers) for their wonderful crunchy texture and superior flavor.
Lemon: A squeeze of lemon juice adds a burst of freshness and brightens up the dish. In my opinion, the more lemon, the better!
Black sesame seeds: These tiny seeds add a subtle nutty flavor and a pop of visual interest to the dish. They’re a great optional addition for some added texture. You can usually find black sesame seeds in the spice aisle of the grocery store, near the regular sesame seeds. Note: These are not the same as poppy seeds!

More Easy Tuna Recipes:

Tuna & Rice Bowl

The quickest Tuna-Rice Bowl is a nutritious and flavorful meal that can be on your table in 15 minutes or less! We start with a base of rice topped with a creamy and spicy tuna blend, and finish it off with a few veggies. A squeeze of fresh lemon adds the perfect final touch. The dish is packed with protein, healthy fats, carbs, and fiber, making it an ultra-satisfying meal.

Tuna & Rice Bowl

Instructions

RICE: Thinly slice the green onion, separating the green top section from the bottom whites. Measure out one cup of cooked and cooled rice. Or, follow package instructions to microwave packets of Minute Rice then add to a bowl. Drizzle in vinegar, soy sauce, a pinch of salt & pepper, and bottom whites of green onions. Stir.
MAYO: In another small bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha, and another pinch of salt & pepper. Thinly slice cucumber and add a tiny pinch of salt.
ASSEMBLE: Add tuna mixture on top of the rice. Add cucumber, remaining green onion, and diced avocado, Drizzle extra sriracha on top of everything if desired. Squeeze on lots of lemon and sprinkle on black sesame seeds if using. Enjoy promptly.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Rice: I love to whip up a big batch of white rice during my weekly meal prep to use in various recipes throughout the week. But, if you don’t have any leftover rice and don’t feel like making a fresh batch from scratch (after all, this is our “short-cut” recipe series!), the best option is to use microwave rice. These little containers of Minute Rice are perfect for this recipe as they only take a minute to microwave, and no other preparation is needed. So easy and convenient!
Note 2: Tuna: I highly recommend tuna packed in olive oil; it makes a huge difference to the overall taste. My personal favorite is Genova’s® albacore tuna.
Note 3: Sriracha: When using sriracha sauce, a little goes a long way in adding lots of flavor and heat to your dish. If you’re worried about the spice level, you can always add the Sriracha slowly and adjust to taste. It’s always better to start with a small amount and add more gradually, rather than overdoing it and making your dish too spicy to enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.