My lunches were getting so sad. It was the same boring sandwich every single day. Then I remembered these tuna rice balls a friend of mine used to make, and they’ve totally saved my afternoons. These Tuna Rice Balls are now the thing I look forward to. It’s the soft rice with that creamy, savory tuna inside, plus the little salty pops from the seaweed. It’s just a perfect little package. My one piece of advice: don’t skimp on the seaweed. Seriously. That’s the stuff that makes them amazing.
What You’ll Need
The list for these Tuna Rice Balls is short and sweet. No weird ingredients you have to hunt down at a specialty store.
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice
- 1 (5-ounce) can tuna in water, drained well
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (Japanese mayo is awesome if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons crumbled nori (those seaweed snacks work perfectly)
- A pinch of salt
Recipes You May Like
How to Make Them
This is the fun part. It’s basically like playing with your food.
1. The Tuna Mix
Get a bowl. Throw in the drained tuna, mayo, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions. Stir it all together until it’s mixed well. That’s it, the filling’s ready.
2. The Rice
In a different, bigger bowl, add your sesame seeds, nori, and a bit of salt to the cooked rice. Use your hands or a spatula to gently get everything combined. Just try not to smash all the rice grains while you’re at it.
3. Putting It All Together
Okay, wet your hands first. This is the most important trick, it stops the rice from becoming a sticky mess all over your fingers. Grab a blob of rice, flatten it in your hand, and drop a spoonful of the tuna mix in there. Fold the rice over the tuna and roll it into a ball. Make them big or small, whatever you like. Just keep going ’til everything’s used up.
Why These Are My Go-To
Look, I’m just obsessed with these Tuna Rice Balls because they’re easy, they taste awesome, and I can make a whole batch to eat for a few days. They are a lifesaver when I’m too busy to think about cooking a real lunch. The flavor is just right—not too heavy, but it definitely fills you up. Anyway, I hope you make them. And if you do, tell me what you think in the comments. Did you change anything? I always want to know.
Tuna Rice Balls
The perfect easy snack! These savory Tuna Rice Balls are so simple to make with creamy tuna, nori, and sushi rice. Your new go-to for a quick, satisfying lunch.
Ingredients
- about 2 cups of cooked sushi rice
- 1 can of tuna (5 ounces), make sure you drain it well
- 2 big spoons of mayonnaise
- 1 little spoon of soy sauce
- about half a spoonful of sesame oil
- 2 spoonfuls of chopped green onions
- 2 spoonfuls of toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spoonfuls of crumbled seaweed snacks (nori)
- just a little salt
Instructions
- First, grab a bowl. Dump in the drained tuna, the mayo, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions. Just stir it all up.
- Get another bowl for the rice. Gently mix in the sesame seeds, seaweed, and a pinch of salt. Try not to mash up the rice while you do it.
- Okay, get your hands wet. This is the big trick so the rice doesn't stick to you. Take a handful of the rice, flatten it out, and put a spoonful of the tuna stuff in the middle.
- Now just wrap the rice around the tuna and roll it into a ball. Give it a little squeeze so it sticks together. Just keep doing that 'til you're out of ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Amount Per ServingCalories 195Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 15mgSodium 210mgCarbohydrates 24gNet Carbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 1gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 10g