Spicy Tuna and Crispy Rice Bowls

This time of year, so many of us are searching for healthy, easy recipes to help us transition from the free-for-all that is November through December to the austerity that some of us crave in January. In that search, I found a tuna salad recipe that wasn’t a tuna salad: Ali Slagle’s Spicy Tuna Salad with Crispy Rice. And that is the inspiration for these Spicy Tuna and Crispy Rice Bowls.

These bowls are so much more than a little tuna salad on a plate. Spicy and tangy and crispy and fresh, they are a super satisfying path to a quick and yummy lunch or dinner – all with a healthy foundation.

Spicy and tangy and crispy and fresh, these Spicy Tuna and Crispy Rice Bowls are a super satisfying path to a quick, healthy, and delicious lunch or dinner. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Spicy Tuna and Crispy Rice Bowls
Makes 2

1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup cooked brown rice
1 5-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained well
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup mixed greens
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped cucumber
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Warm the sesame oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice and let it sit, untouched, for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the rice starts to brown. Stir and repeat for another 5 minutes, until the rice is mostly browned and crispy.

In a small bowl, stir together the tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha or hot sauce, and soy sauce.

Divide the greens between two bowls. Top with the crispy rice, then the tuna, then the cucumber. Sprinkle sesame seeds over.