If you’re a fan of sashimi, you will enjoy this albacore tuna bowl. In this recipe, the soft tender albacore tuna is lightly flavored with a soy-sesame sauce and served over rice. It’s a simple meal that the whole family will enjoy.
Did you know troll-caught or pole-caught pacific albacore tuna (びんちょうマグロ) is considered sustainable and environmentally friendly (read more)? There is a misconception about the quality of albacore tuna because it is used in canned tuna. However, albacore tuna is really delicious with a mild flavor and tender texture when served as sashimi or sushi. I also like that it is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids than other tuna species.
Watch How to Make Albacore Tuna Bowl
Soft tender albacore tuna sashimi marinated in soy-sesame sauce served over rice. Garnish with shiso and scallion.
Albacore Tuna Bowl (びんちょう鮪の漬け丼) is very easy to prepare. I use MSC Certified sashimi-grade albacore tuna that’s vacuum sealed for this dish. Simply defrost in the refrigerator for about 5-6 hours and it’s ready to enjoy.
This rice bowl dish is flavored with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sesame oil – the usual condiments for most Japanese meals. The meal is simple, yet make a quick special treat for the family at the end of a long day.
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Albacore Tuna Bowl
Video
Ingredients
- 9 oz sashimi-grade albacore tuna
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per donburi serving)
- 4 Tbsp shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori)
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 3 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba)
- ½ inch ginger (½ inch, 1.3 cm)
- ½ tsp wasabi (optional)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- To make the sauce, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer the sauce into a small bowl, set on ice over a larger bowl.
- Cut the scallion into fine slices, roll up the shiso leaves together and slice thinly, and grate the ginger.
- Slice the albacore tuna into about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick slices and marinate in the sauce for 10 minutes.
- To serve, put steamed rice in bowls, sprinkle shredded nori and sesame seeds, and place sliced albacore tuna. Garnish with scallion, shiso leaves, ginger, and wasabi.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day.
Nutrition
Our Recommendations for Buying Sashimi Online
When we have a sudden craving for sashimi we usually buy from our local Japanese supermarkets. If you don't have a reliable shop to purchase quality sashimi nearby, we would recommend buying from Catalina Offshore online.
They've been in business for over forty years and all the sashimi products we've tried from them are outstanding. Use J1COOK20 for 10% discount. Disclosure: We earn a small percentage commission from your purchase of products linked to Catalina Offshore.
This looks and sounds so delicious, can’t wait to try it! If I can’t use sake, should I replace it with something else or just omit it altogether? Thanks!
Hi Melly! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
You can substitute with dry sherry. But if you cannot consume alcohol in your cooking, you can simply replace it with water or Dashi.
We hope this helps!
[…] Albacore Tuna Bowl […]
Made this tonight using the albacore tuna from your online sashimi store and it was so delicious! It showcased the high quality fish perfectly 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Hi Janice! So happy to hear your feedback, and thank you so much for writing! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this dish. Hope you enjoyed other orders. Thank you!!
Hi Nami!
I have been reading your blog for a few months now and have made several of your dishes–they are always amazing! I just made this one tonight, and we LOVED it! Unfortunately our local market did not have shiso leaf or albacore tuna, but it was still fantastic! We love Japanese culture and food, and I am so thankful that you have shared your knowledge so that I can bring these dishes to my own table.
Aimee
Hi Aimee! I’m so happy you liked this recipe! Yay!! I know shiso can be quite hard to get depending on where you live… I used to live far from Japanese supermarkets and missed it in my cooking. I’m glad to hear you enjoy my blog, and thank you so much for following! xo 🙂
I was wondering how you got that beautiful color on the tuna, and read on to find about the magical marinade! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us; such a quick and easy meal for busy days.
Hi Kimmi! It’s albacore tuna, so the original color of the sashimi is very light, like pink. Hehee I like the word “magical marinade”. With a bit of sesame oil, it’s really wonderful sauce. Thank you for your kind comment! Have a great weekend!