Tekka Maki is a simple fresh tuna sushi roll made in minutes. It features fresh ahi tuna wrapped in a bed of seasoned sushi rice and nori seaweed. This easy roll is perfect for beginner sushi makers and makes a great appetizer or side for your next Japanese meal.
Sushi is one of our favorite foods to enjoy for lunch, dinner, potlucks, and more. Lately, we have been making some simple rolls at home like tekka maki. We especially love tekka maki because it highlights the rich, clean flavor of the tuna and tastes wonderful with a cozy bowl of miso soup.
These easy tuna rolls pair deliciously with other sushi rolls like our Crunchy Spicy California Roll or our Spicy Kani Roll. They are also perfect with a light main course like our Teriyaki Chicken or Teriyaki Salmon Donburi.
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About Tekka Maki
- Taste - The fresh tuna, rice, and nori are a simple and refreshing combination.
- Texture - The tuna is soft while the rice is firm and the nori adds a light crunch.
- Effort - This is one of the simplest sushi rolls you can make and is great for beginner sushi makers.
- Time - It takes about a half hour to cook the rice then another 10-15 minutes to assemble the roll.
What is Maki?
Maki is a cylindrical Japanese sushi roll. It typically includes sushi rice and a topping or toppings wrapped in nori. It is often paired with shoyu (soy sauce) and sometime wasabi for extra spice. Tekka maki includes raw tuna surrounded by sushi rice wrapped in nori. Maki can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or main course.
Ingredients
- Rice - Japanese short grain rice is best for sushi because it is both sticky and fluffy enough to retain its shape.
- Seasoned rice vinegar (sushi vinegar) - Add seasoned rice vinegar to normal rice to make sushi rice. The vinegar adds a light sweet and tart flavor.
- Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna - Fresh, sushi grade or sashimi grade tuna is key to delicious sushi rolls.
- Nori seaweed sheets - Nori is dried Japanese seaweed used to wrap and keep the rice and filling together. Nori sheets also tastes delicious with the other ingredients.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Brown Rice - You can use Japanese brown rice instead of white rice for a healthier option, but be sure to use plenty of water so the rice is sticky enough to form into a ball.
Variations
- Spicy Tuna Maki - Mix the tuna with spicy mayo to make this a spicy tuna roll.
- Avocado - Avocado adds creaminess and an earthy and nutty flavor.
- Cucumber - Add sliced cucumber for a sweet crunch. Japanese cucumbers (Kyuri) are preferable because they are slightly sweeter than their American and European counterparts. They also have a thinner and crispier skin.
- Sesame seeds or oil - Sprinkle white and black toasted sesame seeds or add a ½ teaspoon of sesame oil for a mild and nutty flavor.
- Tobiko or masago (Japanese Flying Fish Roe) - Add roe for a briny and savory flavor to the sushi.
Instructions
Rice
- Cook rice - Rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Then add in water and cook on the stovetop or in an electric rice cooker pot. See recipe card for full stovetop and rice cooker instructions.
- Make sushi rice - Transfer rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Then gently fluff and fan the rice with a rice paddle, careful to not smash the grains. (Photo 1)
Assemble Tekka Maki
- Spread rice on nori - Cut the two nori sheets in half widthwise along the perforation. Place the bamboo sushi mat on a clean dry surface. Place a sheet of nori on top of the bamboo mat with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands and place ¼ of the rice on the nori. Use your fingertips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori, making a thin layer of rice and leaving about a ½-inch of nori at the top. Do not push or squeeze the rice or it will turn mushy. (Photo 2)
- Add tuna - Cut tuna into ½-inch thick strips. Place the tuna strips in the center of the rice making a line of tuna across. Gently lift the mat away from you and roll it over to touch the other side. (Photo 3 and 4)
- Form the roll - Gently squeeze with both hands to form the roll. Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients until you make 4 rolls. (Photo 5)
- Slice and serve - Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 6 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. (Photo 6 and 7)
Pro tip: Use a very light touch when making the bed of rice on the nori. If you press too hard, the rice will become more of a paste. A good way to tell if you are doing it right is to make sure that you can still see individual kernels of rice on the nori bed.
How to Eat Tekka Maki
We often dip the maki in soy sauce (shoyu) with a little wasabi for refreshing and pungent spice. If you want to make a complete meal with this roll, it pairs wonderfully with other sushi rolls like our Crunchy Spicy California Roll or veggies like our Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers and Miso Glazed Japanese Eggplant.
Storage
In order to store leftover tekka maki, place it the refrigerator in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to 2 days. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rolls don't dry out. This tuna roll recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
Recipe FAQs
You can buy the ingredients for these simple rolls at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, or some common chain grocery stores.
Yes, this roll is low in calories and high in healthy fats. The only part of this dish that isn't super healthy is white rice since it is high in carbohydrates without much added nutrition. If you want to make this dish healthier, use brown rice instead of white.
Tuna makki is made of 3 simple ingredients: raw tuna, rice, and nori.
Maki is a type of traditional sushi. While maki is rolled into a cylindrical shape, other sushi comes in a variety of different shapes.
Both maki and temaki can contain the same or similar ingredients. However, maki is a cylindrical shape while temaki is rolled into a cone shape.
Top tips
- When you are cooking the rice, make sure you don't add too much water or the rice will be mushy (we want it firm).
- Do not overcook the rice or it will be too hard and not pliable enough to use for sushi.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the roll to ensure each piece comes out clean.
- If you are having a hard time getting the nori to stick to itself when you roll the sushi, try smashing a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick to itself.
- If you slice the roll and the pieces end up deformed or misaligned, place the bamboo mat over the entire roll and apply gentle, consistent pressure. This will realign and reshape the pieces.
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Tekka Maki (Tuna Sushi Roll)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Japanese short grain rice
- 1½ cups filtered water
- 1½ tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 nori sheets
- 4 oz ahi tuna or ¼ pound
- soy sauce
- wasabi
- pickled ginger
Instructions
Rice
- Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.1 cup Japanese short grain rice, 1½ cups filtered water
- Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
- Make sushi rice - Transfer rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Fluff and fan the rice until cool.1½ tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Assemble Tekka Maki
- Spread rice on nori - Cut the two nori sheets in half widthwise along the perforation. Place the bamboo sushi mat on a clean dry surface. Place a sheet of nori on top of the bamboo mat with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands and place ¼ of the rice on the nori. Use your fingertips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori, making a thin layer of rice and leaving about a ½-inch of nori at the top. Do not push or squeeze the rice or it will turn mushy.2 nori sheets
- Add tuna - Cut tuna into ½-inch thick strips. Place the tuna strips in the center of the rice making a line of tuna across. Gently lift the mat away from you and roll it over to touch the other side. Gently squeeze with both hands to form the roll. Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients until you make 4 rolls.4 oz ahi tuna
- Slice - Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 6 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger
Notes
- Make sure you don't add too much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
- When you are cooking the rice, make sure you don't add to much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
- Be careful to not overcook the rice or it will be too hard and not pliable enough to use for sushi.
- Make sure to use a sharp knife to cut through the roll to ensure each individual piece comes out clean and doesn't get messy.
- If you are having a hard time getting the nori to stick to itself when you roll the sushi, you can smash a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick to itself.
- If you slice the roll and the pieces end up deformed or misaligned, place the bamboo mat over the entire roll again and apply gentle, consistent pressure. This will realign and reshape the pieces.
- Refrigerate leftover tekka maki in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to 2 days. This tuna roll recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
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