Spicy tuna topped on crispy, crunchy Japanese shiso leaves are a keto sushi lovers dream! Lighty fried shiso leaves are topped with a traditional spicy tuna, giving you a crispy, spicy and savory bite of tuna sushi heaven!
One of the reasons why I love eating at restaurants is because I get inspiration to come home and make my own keto friendly versions to share with you all!
This particular tuna sushi recipe was so impressive to my entire family that I knew I had to make my own!
The hardest part about creating this recipe was figuring out how to make the shiso leaves crispy.
We baked it, we air fried it, but in the end, we found that a light fry with some oil was the best way to give them the perfect crispy texture.
When it comes to the spicy tuna, I used our tried and true spicy tuna recipe that my entire family goes crazy for without fail!
And if you’re looking for other spicy tuna recipes, you can check out some below:
What is spicy tuna?
Spicy tuna is a mixture of finely chopped raw tuna, mayo, sesame oil, sriracha, spices and green onions. It’s usually served as cut rolls in sushi restaurants.
What kind of tuna do you recommend using for spicy tuna sushi?
We recommend using sashimi or sushi grade yellowfin tuna. We usually find it at our local Asian market and can be either fresh or frozen/saku blocks. If you don’t live near a supermarket with a fresh selection, we recommend ordering through Catalina Offshore Seafood.
Another great option is bigeye tuna, but the locations that carry that particular tuna are rather limited.
How long will spicy tuna mix last once made?
Spicy tuna is best when eaten the same day. We recommend consuming it within 24 hours. If you do refrigerate it, make sure you press saran wrap down on the mix to reduce the amount of air it touches.
What are shiso leaves and how do we make them crunchy?
Shiso leaves are in the mint family and have a very distinct flavor. People have described it as having flavors of mint, cinnamon, citrus, and licorice, but we think it just has a flavor of its own. To make it crunchy, a very light pan fry with a little oil is all you need.
What dipping sauce should I use with this spicy tuna sushi ?
No sauce is necessary for this recipe as the spicy tuna mix is already adjusted for a no dip approach. But if you prefer, you can drizzle a little extra soy sauce on top to liking.
To make spicy tuna at home, the special ingredients you would need are Sriracha, Sesame Oil, Kewpie Mayo, Toasted Sesame Seed (optional), Togarashi, sushi/sashimi grade tuna and shiso leaves. You can pick up most of these on Amazon or a local Asian supermarket.
Also, we’ve recently partnered up with Catalina Offshore Seafood to help bring you fresh ahi right to your door steps. So if you don’t have access to a local fresh sashimi grade ahi, definitely give them a try!
Now, let’s get making some Spicy Tuna on Crispy Shiso Leaves!
- Prepping Time 5M
- Cooking Time 5M
- Total Time 10M
- Net Carb/Bites ~.5g
- Servings 15
Ingredients
- 15-20 Large Shiso Leaves
- 1 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil (we used sunflower oil for this recipe)
- 1/2 lb Sushi/Sashimi Grade Yellowfin Tuna
- 2 Stalk Green Onion
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Kewpie Mayo (can replace with American mayo, but will alter taste)
- 1/2 tsp Togarashi (can substitute with Cayenne Pepper, but use 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1/8 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed (optional)
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) In a Teflon frying pan, add neutral cooking on medium low heat. Let the oil warm up for about 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and add shiso leaves. Cook shiso leaves for 20-30 seconds per side until crispy (you should be able to pick it up without it falling over). Set aside on cooling rack.
3) Finely mince Yellowfin Tuna and place into a small mixing bowl.
4) Finely chop green onions and place into small mixing bowl.
5) In the same small mixing bowl, add Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Kewpie Mayo, Togarashi, Sriracha and mix well. Set aside.
6) Take 1 tbsp of the spicy tuna mix and place on top of crispy shiso leaves. Sprinkle optional Toasted Sesame Seed and enjoy as is! No dipping needed.
Hope you enjoy your low-carb/keto Spicy Tuna on Crispy Shiso Leaves!
If you’re looking for other recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of Asian inspired recipes!
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Spicy Tuna on Crispy Shiso Leaves
Ingredients
- 15-20 Large Shiso Leaves
- 1 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil we used sunflower oil for this recipe
- 1/2 lb Sushi/Sashimi Grade Yellowfin Tuna
- 2 Stalk Green Onion
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Kewpie Mayo can replace with American mayo, but will alter taste
- 1/2 tsp Togarashi can substitute with Cayenne Pepper, but use 1/4 tsp
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1/8 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed optional
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a Teflon frying pan, add neutral cooking on medium low heat. Let the oil warm up for about 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and add shiso leaves. Cook shiso leaves for 20-30 seconds per side until crispy (you should be able to pick it up without it falling over). Set aside on cooling rack.
- Finely mince Yellowfin Tuna and place into a small mixing bowl.
- Finely chop green onions and place into small mixing bowl.
- In the same small mixing bowl, add Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Kewpie Mayo, Togarashi, Sriracha and mix well. Set aside.
- Take 1 tbsp of the spicy tuna mix and place on top of crispy shiso leaves. Sprinkle optional Toasted Sesame Seed and enjoy as is! No dipping needed.
Video
Nutrition
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so good, i’ve made this a couple of times now. I have a room mate who is allergic to onions so i substitute cilantro and in my latest batch i omitted the mayo. plus as i didn’t have the shito leaves this time around i used romaine leaves and turned it into a lettuce wrap… delicious!!!
thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe, without it I may not have had the courage to try to do a poke at home!!!
Hey Roxanne! Glad you liked the spicy tuna and I like the idea of a spicy tuna wrap! Also, if you are looking for Hawaiian style poke recipes, we have a couple of great ones on our site!