For something bold and full of umami, this Spicy Asian Tuna Salad brings the heat in the best way. It’s made with sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, and crunchy veggies for a high-protein, flavour-packed tuna salad that’s perfect in rice bowls, lettuce cups, or seaweed wraps.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This bold and flavourful tuna salad brings the heat with sriracha and sesame, balanced by fresh veggies and a creamy dressing.
- Spicy, savory, and packed with umami flavor
- Lightened up with just a touch of mayo
- Crunchy carrots and cucumber add texture and freshness
- Perfect for lettuce wraps, rice bowls, or seaweed snacks
- Comes together in minutes with pantry-friendly Asian staples
Ingredients
- Canned tuna – I like skipjack for this one - it’s bolder and pairs well with the spicy, savoury flavours.
- Mayonnaise – I like using Japanese Kewpie mayo for this recipe - it has a nice little umami flavour that works really nice. But you can use regular mayo instead if you prefer.
- Sriracha – Brings the heat and a bold, garlicky kick.
- Soy sauce – Adds umami depth and saltiness.
- Toasted sesame oil – A little goes a long way for rich, nutty flavor.
- Rice vinegar – Balances out the richness with gentle acidity.
- Shredded carrots – Adds sweet crunch and color.
- Green onion – Brings a mild, zesty bite.
- Toasted sesame seeds – Add a nutty crunch and boost the sesame flavor.
- Roasted seaweed – Great for scooping or wrapping, adds a savoury, umami boost.
See recipe card for quantities.
Choosing Tuna (Types of Tuna)
Chunk, Solid, or Flaked: I prefer using chunk or solid tuna as it gives you a meatier texture compared to flaked tuna, and also allows you to control how shredded or intact you want the tuna to be, just by flaking the chunk/solid tuna using a fork into your desired size.
Albacore vs. Skipjack: Albacore (also known as white tuna) gives you a milder flavour and meatier texture, so this works great if you are a bit more sensitive to that fishy tuna taste. Skipjack (also known as light tuna) will have a bolder flavour but is generally more budget friendly and affordable than albacore, so it can be a good option if you are mixing in bold spices and seasonings into your tuna salad (like this recipe!). Regardless, both tuna types are great options that I use often.
Water vs. Oil-Packed: Tuna also comes packed in either water or oil (like olive oil). I prefer water-packed tuna, as it's lighter, lower in calories, and allows me to control the amount of fat I want to add. Oil-packed tuna is richer in flavour, but also comes with more calories.
Instructions
STEP 1: First, drain two (5-oz) cans of tuna to get rid of any water or oil.
STEP 2: Add drained tuna to a large mixing bowl, followed by all of the other ingredients (leaving out the sesame seeds and roasted seaweed).
STEP 3: Give everything a mix until well combined.
STEP 4: Mix in toasted sesame seeds and crumbled roasted seaweed for a bit of crunch (leave this in until the end to retain its crunchiness). Enjoy!
Storage and Pairings
You can enjoy the tuna salad right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
It’s perfect to enjoy as part of sandwiches, wraps (tuna melt!), lettuce cups, or grain bowls. Or, enjoy it as a dip or spread with crackers or veggies (like carrot sticks).
It's also great as a topper on a bowl of rice, and also as a protein to use wrapped in some roasted dried seaweed with some sticky rice (kind of like sushi!).
Toasty's Tips
- Choosing tuna: You may be overwhelmed by the many different types of tuna available at the grocery store. Check out the 'Choosing Tuna' section above to figure out how to decide, and which works best for you. I prefer using Skipjack (light tuna) for this recipe, as it has a stronger taste that pairs well with bold sauces, but albacore works too if you prefer something milder.
- Drain the tuna well: Excess liquid can make your tuna salad watery and unpleasant. Use a fine mesh strainer, or press gently with the lid of the can (after opening) to remove as much water or oil as possible before mixing.
- Adjust the heat to your taste: Start with a smaller amount of sriracha and build up - it’s easy to add more spice, but hard to take it out once it’s in.
- Toasted sesame oil: Make sure to use toasted sesame oil, as it has a much richer, nuttier flavour. Just a teaspoon adds depth without overpowering the dish.
- Dice ingredients evenly into small pieces: Dice up the celery, green onions, and carrots into similar-sized small pieces to ensure balanced texture and flavour in every bite.
- Add crunchy seaweed right before serving: Crumbled roasted seaweed is best added just before serving to keep them crisp. This also adds a salty, umami-rich bite and makes the salad more fun to eat.
- Enjoy it in different ways: This tuna salad pairs super well with roasted seaweed as a little mini wrapper, and if you like, a bit of sticky rice to make it like sushi! It's also great as a topper on a bowl of rice or other grain bowl.
Other Recipes to Try:
Looking for other tuna salad recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Spicy Asian Tuna Salad
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (5 oz) cans canned tuna - 240g drained
- ⅓ cup Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise - or regular mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup celery - diced
- ½ cup green onions - sliced
- ½ cup carrots - thinly chopped
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted
- ¼ cup roasted dried seaweed (optional) - crumbled
- ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- First, drain two (5-oz) cans of tuna to get rid of any water or oil.
- Add drained tuna to a large mixing bowl, followed by all of the other ingredients (except for dried seaweed and sesame seeds).
- Give everything a mix until well combined.
- Add in toasted sesame seeds and roasted dried seaweed as final toppings, and give it all a quick stir.
- Enjoy it in a sandwich, wrap, salad, or rice bowl, use as a veggie or cracker dip, or wrap it in some roasted seaweed and sticky rice for some homemade sushi!
Notes
- Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Choosing tuna: You may be overwhelmed by the many different types of tuna available at the grocery store. Check out the 'Choosing Tuna' section above to figure out how to decide, and which works best for you. I prefer using Skipjack (light tuna) for this recipe, as it has a stronger taste that pairs well with bold sauces, but albacore works too if you prefer something milder.
- Drain the tuna well: Excess liquid can make your tuna salad watery and unpleasant. Use a fine mesh strainer, or press gently with the lid of the can (after opening) to remove as much water or oil as possible before mixing.
- Adjust the heat to your taste: Start with a smaller amount of sriracha and build up - it’s easy to add more spice, but hard to take it out once it’s in.
- Toasted sesame oil: Make sure to use toasted sesame oil, as it has a much richer, nuttier flavour. Just a teaspoon adds depth without overpowering the dish.
- Dice ingredients evenly into small pieces: Dice up the celery, green onions, and carrots into similar-sized small pieces to ensure balanced texture and flavour in every bite.
- Add crunchy seaweed right before serving: Crumbled roasted seaweed is best added just before serving to keep them crisp. This also adds a salty, umami-rich bite and makes the salad more fun to eat.
- Enjoy it in different ways: This tuna salad pairs super well with roasted seaweed as a little mini wrapper, and if you like, a bit of sticky rice to make it like sushi! It's also great as a topper on a bowl of rice or other grain bowl.
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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