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How to Make Canned Tuna Sushi in Just 10 Minutes

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at U Iowa chapter.

You’ve been trying to familiarize yourself with the kitchen—what is rhubarb anyway?—and only experienced minor scarring until you decided to try for sushi. The odds of you having sushi-grade fish lying around are slim to none, so you think to use canned tuna instead. But can you really make canned tuna sushi? Here’s what you need to know. 

Sushi-Grade Fish

why is sushi expensive sushi salmon
Jocelyn Hsu

No, this doesn’t have to do with your GPA—you’re safe here. Basically, any uncooked edibles from an animal has the potential to be infested with parasites. Fun, right? But due to the high temperatures used in cooking, the parasites and bacteria usually aren’t a problem.

But what about raw sushi? Well, sushi-grade guarantees that the fish has been frozen at temperatures too low for life to persist, and thus is safe to eat. 

Yeah That’s Cool, But…

Do you really need to buy this specially-prepared, fancy AF sushi fish? What if it’s simply not available to you? And how trustworthy are the people handling the fish anyway? The dangers when you aren’t experienced in the skill of selecting fresh, quality fish, can be daunting.

But, boy, do I have the solution for you.

paleo shopping list beer
Kimberlee Bochek

You can make sushi with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Known as “poor man’s sushi,” canned tuna sushi utilizes the simple stuff so you get a great meal without all the fuss. Here are the deets.

Canned Tuna Sushi

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 5 minutesTotal time: 10 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Hailey Tom

    Lay your nori on a towel lined with cling wrap. Throw down some rice, leaving about a half an inch around the edges.

  2. Hailey Tom

    Place about a serving (half the can) of tuna across the rice, about halfway but slightly more toward the lower half.

  3. Hailey Tom

    Begin rolling by tucking the exposed nori closest you you beneath the tuna. Don’t roll too tightly or everything will fall out—just trust yourself and do what feels right.

  4. Hailey Tom

    Keep rolling, molding with your fingers and tucking as you go.

  5. Hailey Tom

    When you get to the end, seal the nori by wetting the exposed edge so it sticks to the roll.

  6. Hailey Tom

    Cut up your sushi with a VERY sharp knife. Nori is delicate and will tear, so if your rolls come out a little ragged, that’s cool. They’re just going through that rebellious stage.

As you can tell by my not-so-neatly sliced sushi pieces, the last step is the trickiest. In fact, it’s so tedious and difficult that I’ve taken to eating my canned tuna sushi rolls without cutting it, burrito-style. Much easier and trendier.

canned tuna sushi rice shrimp
Hailey Tom

So there you have it—no need to worry yourself with the task of finding the perfect sushi-ready fish, no need to spend tons of cash at a sushi bar. When in doubt, just whip up some canned tuna sushi and roll-out. 

"I think the carrots counteract the vodka, like, health-wise, right?"An intern for HQ this summer!