Crispy Sushi Tacos 🌮 🍣

Spicy salmon and tuna on baked nori-rice shells

click HERE for the video tutorial

Okay so these sushi tacos have been living in my head rent free for weeks and I finally made them happen. The idea is simple: take everything you love about a spicy tuna roll, but make it handheld and a little crispy. The nori shells bake up crunchy with a thin layer of sushi rice pressed onto them, and then you pile on spicy tuna, spicy salmon, avocado, and all the good crunchy toppings.

A few things before you start. Get sushi-grade fish, this matters since you're eating it raw. Don't overfill the tacos, I know it's tempting but a cleaner taco genuinely looks so much prettier and holds together better. And assemble them right before you serve, the shells lose their crunch if they sit too long.

Makes 9 tacos.

Sushi Rice

1 ½ cups sushi rice

1 ¾ cups water

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

¾ tsp kosher salt

Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cook it according to the package directions. While it's still warm, fold in the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let it cool until it's just slightly warm.

Crispy Taco Shells

5-6 full nori sheets

neutral oil spray

Cut the nori into circles about 4 to 4½ inches wide. Place them into taco holders. With wet hands, press a thin layer of sushi rice onto one side of each nori circle. Lightly spray with oil. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes, until the nori is crisp and the rice edges are lightly golden. Make 2 to 3 extra shells just in case, they're delicate.

Spicy Tuna

6 oz sushi-grade ahi tuna, diced

1½ tbsp kewpie mayo

2 tsp sriracha

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp chili crisp

1 tbsp finely sliced scallions

Mix everything together and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble.

Spicy Salmon

6 oz sushi-grade salmon, diced

1½ tbsp kewpie mayo

1 tsp sriracha

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp yuzu juice or lemon juice

½ tsp honey

1 tbsp finely sliced scallions

Mix everything together and refrigerate. The little hit of acidity from the yuzu works so beautifully against the richness of the salmon.

Toppings

1 avocado, thinly sliced

crispy onions

black and white sesame seeds

microgreens

thinly sliced scallions

Assembly

Assemble these immediately before serving. For each taco, start with a baked rice-nori shell. Top with about 1 heaping tablespoon of the seasoned fish. Add a thin avocado slice, a sprinkle of crispy onions, some sesame seeds, and finish with microgreens or scallions. Again, don't overfill them.

That's it. Enjoy!