Name: How To Make Tuna Sushi Rolls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups cooked sushi rice; 2-3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (✅); 2 sheets nori (✅); 5 ounces tuna in water; 1/2 cucumber, cut into strips; 1/2 avocado, cut lenthwise

Learn how to make Tuna Sushi Rolls using canned tuna. A simple and delicious kid-friendly lunch or dinner idea. Learn to make your own sushi rolls at home in just a few simple steps. Gluten-free.

tuna sushi rolls showcasing canned tuna , cucumber, and rice.

Making tuna sushi rolls at home is both delicious and fun to make with kids. Let them pick the veggies that go inside the roll. The recipe is easy enough kids can make them all on their own. If they don’t like tuna you can try making these with canned chicken or salmon or just make them with veggies and a little cream cheese.

How to make

Equipment

sushi mat or plastic wrap
small dish of water

Ingredients

1.5 cups cooked sushi rice
2-3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar ✅
2 sheets nori ✅
5 ounces tuna in water
1/2 cucumber, cut into strips
1/2 avocado, cut lenthwise

Grab a bag of sushi rice and a bottle of seasoned rice vinegar. You do need to use sushi rice – this rice is sticky rice that holds the roll together. I found this rice in our small local grocer, so I’m guessing you should be able to grab it at most stores.

Follow the directions on the back of the bag of sushi rice. Mine said to rinse the rice until the water ran clear, then soak for 30 minutes, then cook.

Related: Tuna Pasta and Salmon Patties

After cooking the rice, add 2-3 tbsp. of seasoned rice vinegar. It must be rice vinegar, not regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar whose flavors are too strong for rice. Seasoned rice vinegar is just rice vinegar with a little sugar and salt added for flavor.

Rice vinegar is needed to help with the consistency of the rice and when using raw fish, it helps balance the acidity. I liked the flavor it added to the rice.

After you have the rice cooked and cooled, you’re ready to get rolling!

If you don’t have a sushi mat, which I didn’t, you can simply use a kitchen towel topped with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of Nori on top of the plastic wrap, shiny side down.

Next, place your sushi rice on top, leaving an area at the top without rice.

Choose what additions you want in your tuna sushi roll, I chose cucumbers and avocado.

Next up, add the canned tuna!

Now you’re ready to roll the homemade sushi.

Start by slowly wrapping the bottom of the nori around the section with the fish and vegetables. Gently, roll tightly around, using the wrap to pull snug.

tuna sushi roll being rolled on a white surface.

Continue rolling, removing plastic wrap as you go.

When you get to the end, dip your finger in water and get the end a little wet. Roll up completely, the end is sealed with the water.

Slice the tuna sushi in half, then into thirds. Serve with soy sauce, ginger, and chopsticks if desired and enjoy!

For a delicious appetizer you can pick up and eat, check out my Chicken & Veggie Pinwheels and for lunch this fun Turkey “Sushi” Rolls are always a hit!

canned tuna sushi shown between chopsticks with cucumber, avocado, and rice.

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

Rate Recipe Add to Recipe Box