Tuna Avocado Rice Bowl (Print View)

Creamy avocado, tender tuna, crisp cucumber and sesame seeds atop fragrant jasmine rice. A quick, satisfying fusion meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Rice

01 - 1 cup jasmine rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Tuna

04 - 1 can (5 oz) tuna in water, drained

→ Vegetables & Fruit

05 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
06 - 1/2 English cucumber, diced
07 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, optional

→ Toppings

14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
15 - 1 tablespoon nori strips or crushed roasted seaweed, optional
16 - Fresh cilantro or microgreens, optional

# Directions:

01 - Rinse jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - While rice cooks, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and sriracha in a small bowl until well combined.
03 - In a medium bowl, gently combine drained tuna with 1 tablespoon of the prepared dressing. Mix carefully to preserve tuna texture.
04 - Divide warm jasmine rice equally between two serving bowls. Top each with equal portions of dressed tuna, diced avocado, cucumber, and sliced scallions.
05 - Drizzle remaining dressing over the bowls. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, nori strips, and fresh cilantro or microgreens if desired. Serve immediately while rice is warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in under half an hour, and most of that is just the rice quietly doing its thing.
  • The creamy avocado and nutty sesame dressing turn humble pantry tuna into something that feels restaurant special.
  • You can swap, add, or skip toppings based on whatever is lurking in your fridge, and it still tastes intentional.
  • It is filling enough to feel like a real meal but light enough that you will not need a nap afterward.
02 -
  • Do not skip rinsing the rice or you will end up with a gummy, sticky mess instead of light fluffy grains.
  • Toss the tuna gently with the dressing so it stays in chunks, overmixing turns it into a paste that loses its texture.
  • Cut the avocado just before serving or it will start to brown, a squeeze of lime juice can buy you a few extra minutes if needed.
  • Warm rice with cool toppings creates a contrast that makes the bowl more satisfying than if everything is the same temperature.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly until they turn golden and smell nutty, it takes less than two minutes but transforms their flavor.
  • Use a microplane to grate the ginger directly into the dressing so you get all the juice and none of the fibrous strands.
  • If your avocado is not quite ripe, place it in a paper bag with a banana overnight to speed things up.
  • For a richer dressing, whisk in a teaspoon of tahini or peanut butter, it adds body and a subtle nuttiness that ties everything together.
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