Tekka Maki (Tuna Sushi Roll)

Sliced sushi roll pieces on a plate with chopsticks.

Tekka Maki (Tuna Sushi Roll)

Tekka maki or a simple tuna sushi roll, features sushi grade tuna wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and a crisp nori seaweed sheet. This easy tuna sushi recipe is perfect for novice sushi chefs and can be eaten as a snack, lunch or dinner!

Course Appetizer, Appetizer & Sides, Lunch & Dinner Recipes, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword tekka maki, tekka maki roll, tekka roll, tekkamaki, tuna maki, tuna maki roll, tuna roll, tuna sushi, tuna sushi recipe, tuna sushi roll

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 368kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ½ cup uncooked sushi rice short grain or medium grain
2 cup water
3 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Assemble

½ lb ahi tuna sushi or sashimi grade
¼ cup water
2 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
5 sheets nori seaweed sheets

To serve

Instructions

Sushi Rice

Cook the rice. Thoroughly the rice 4-5 times until the water turns clear. Add the water and cook the rice in a rice cooker. Alternatively, you can bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then stir in the rice and lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
Add in seasoning. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until everything has dissolved. Once the rice is cooked, toss the mixture with the cooked rice in a large bowl and toss until combined.

Assemble

Cut the tuna. Cut the sashimi-grade tuna lengthwise into ~1/2-inch thick strips.
Make hand dipping water. Combine the water and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar into a small bowl. You will dip your hands into this to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
Cut the nori. The nori sheets are not perfectly square. Make sure to cut the longer side of the nori sheet in half (or about a 1/2 inch more than half if you need more space to roll). Place the nori sheets you are not working within an airtight bag to keep them fresh.
Add rice. Place the nori half sheet onto your bamboo mat with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands with the dipping water. Then place about a 1/2 cup (90 g) of rice on the left side in the center of the nori. Use your fingers to gently and evenly spread the rice to the right side and then to the top and bottom. Keep about 1/2 inch of space at the top of the nori.
Add tuna. Place the thin strip of tuna in the center of the rice. If the tuna is shorter than your nori, place an additional piece on the end.
Roll. Hold the tuna down with your fingers. Gently lift the mat on the side closest to you and roll the rice over the filling applying light pressure. Stop where the end of the rice is and gently tighten and shape the roll. Then pull the top of the bamboo mat to complete rolling the roll. Apply gentle pressure again shape and seal.
Cut and Serve. Lightly wet a sharp knife or sushi knife, then slice the roll in half and then into thirds for 6 pieces total. Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Enjoy!

Notes

Cooking the perfect sushi rice: Use high-quality medium-grain or short-grain sushi rice for this recipe. Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Let the rice cool slightly before adding the seasoning. The rice should still be warm.
To prevent the rice from sticking to your hands: wet your hands with the tezu which is made with 1/4 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.
Apply a thin layer of rice. The easiest way to do this is to start on the left center, move the rice evenly across to the right, and then thinly spread towards the top and bottom. Don’t press the rice down to smush the rice.
Apply gentle yet firm pressure to prevent the tekka maki roll from falling apart. Squeeze gently halfway when rolling and squeeze again once you finish rolling. We want a delicate balance of keeping the rice from falling apart and smushing the rice into a paste.
For clean cuts: use a sushi knife or a very sharp knife. Start at the end of the knife where your hand is and then glide downward in one firm motion to the tip of the knife. You can make a tiny sawing motion to cut through the nori at the top but then avoid sawing the rest of the way downward. Cleaning and wetting your knife with water in between cuts also helps.
Storage Instructions: When storing sushi in the fridge, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises that raw fish can be refrigerated for 1–2 days from the date purchased. Wrap any leftovers with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Do not let the tekka maki roll sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Nutrition