(Sorry in advance for the lack of proper tags, I’m not sure how to add them on mobile)
So I tend to eat a can of tuna once or twice a week, usually with just a little salt, pepper and a dab of kewpie mayo and stuffed into onigiri. Are there any spices or sauces I can add to make it more interesting? Or any other easy tuna recipes I can make for one, preferably with rice? I really enjoy spicy foods and fermented/pickled things, but I’m not sure the best ways to combine that with something like tuna.
try adding dill and capers, maybe a dash of lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce.
I keep seeing capers, what are they like? Are they similar to olives? I’ve never had anything with capers before, but I like dill, pickles, olives of all kinds so it seems like it’s up my alley
They’re like tiny extra-salty olives. I use them in homemade tartar sauce.
Yeah you’d probably like them if youre into pickles and olives. They are a pickled bud of a plant, cant really describe what they taste like other than “like capers.” They’re bitter and kinda floral I guess? Anyway, a good paring with fish.
Use Cajun seasoning powder (Tony chacheres is my go to), and lemon pepper, a large spritz of lemon, and mix Frank’s red hot in with your mayo (I’ve not tried Kewpie Mayo, maybe you don’t want to pollute it). Some red chili flakes and Italian seasoning, maybe some garlic or onion powder, is my tuna mixture for tuna melts.
(I am in no way a chef, but this is what I make when it’s my turn to cook)
My go-to can-of-tuna meal is two 5-oz cans (or one 12-oz can), a heavy dollop of mayo, and a spoonful of sweet relish. Stir it all up, serve in a bowl.
This used to be my standard recipe for tuna fish sandwiches, but then I figured, why add bread? That’s just extra calories. I’d rather have a bit more mayo than two slices of dry bread.
EDIT: I prefer two 5-oz cans because I squeeze out all the water from the cans (open with can opener, use lid to compress and squeeze out water) and it’s harder to squeeze out most of the water from the large 12-oz can. Two smaller cans works better. I don’t like my tuna watery. My wife does, though; she says it adds a stronger tuna-y flavor to the dish.
Sweet relish sounds very strange in a good way. I’ll have to try that!
Soy sauce, chili sauce, chili crisps, rice vinegar, curry powder, or any combination of them. Adding scallions or grapes is also good (maybe not both, never tried it).
Lemon juice, pepper, and parmesan is also good.
Both of the above assume some mayo is used as a base binder.
Basically fat, acid, salt, and heat (in this case spice, but you can also add bread crumbs and egg to make tuna cakes)
Chili crisps! I hadn’t thought of that with tuna, I like to add them to my eggs. Do you have a go to brand? I like the laoganma, but I think it would be too chunky for tuna?
Lao gan ma is my favorite. I like to toast my bread, so the crunchy parts don’t bother me.
Lee kum kee is also good, or doubanjiang (sometimes spelled tobanjan) is also nice. Doubanjiang might be the generic name for Lee kum kee.
Or make your own. It’s not hard, easy to make a big batch, but it’s not as good as Lao Gan ma.
If you’re already putting it into onigiri, try adding pickled plum or pickled ginger
When I was living on the road, I used to enjoy making what I’d call “Poor Boys”.
Tuna + Mayo. Put it in a hotdog bun, along with a leaf of lettuce.
Why on earth a hot dog bun? I’m very confused. I love hot dog buns though so I’ll give it a try!
It’s cheaper than a hoagie.
Probably not what you’re looking for but also a neat camping trick so here it is.
Partially open the lid, stuck a folded paper towel inside it so it soaks up the oil and light it on fire. It’ll burn for several minutes and you can use that heat to cook something else.
At the end remove the paper towel and the tuna will have been cooked nicely.
Not what I’m looking for, but still super interesting! I’m looking to camp more this year, I’ll have to try this!
There are more advanced techniques to turn a can of tuna into a stove you can look up, it’s surely a nice trick to show off.
Garlic salt.
Maybe add some sliced grapes or chopped walnuts? Or if you want something fermented/pickled maybe add some chopped up kimchi? I bet some radish kimchi would give it a nice crunch
Another fruit/nut combo to try are craisins and slivered almonds. I’m not a fan of raisins unless they’re in cinnamon bread or bagels, but I love substituting craisins in salads and other savory dishes that call for raisins.
This was my college-era budget-stretcher:
Mix into 1 can of tuna (in water), drained …
- Equal parts Hellmann’s Organic Mayonnaise* and Inglehoffer Original Stone Ground Mustard*.
- 1-2 diced Claussen Hearty Garlic Pickles*.
- Sliced pepperoncini.
- Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste.
… and serve with toast or crackers.
*These are my brands. Just use whatever you got.
Do you drain the water before mixing?
Yes.
Chopped pickles and hot sauce with the.mayo is my go to answer. Or chopped smoked Chipotle in Adobo sauce. Veg like tomato and celery also work well.
Grew up in the southern US where we pretty much treated canned tuna as a conduit for mayonnaise & an excuse to eat ritz crackers for dinner.
Given that, I took to just adding diced tomatoes to the mix, which at least gave the meal a hint of nutritional value.
Not sure how well that combo works with onigiri, but thought I’d put it out there.
Take a look at the flavored pouches of tuna. They’re comparable price to the cans, but they don’t need to be drained.
Sounds like tuna salad, which is delicious. Add spring onion or red onion or whatever oniony thing you want. Possibly a bit of celery if you’re into that (small pieces so it’s not stringy).
Try some citrus zest and/or juice. The juice is only if the rice isn’t too acidic already.
Oh, and if you’re into spice, sriracha goes on a lot of different things - it is chili sauce with vinegar and garlic, which seems like a good fit. If that isn’t your thing, you can still bring the spice level up with cayenne or whatever chili flake. “Chili powder” could work but often has some un-onigiri-like extra spices.
I used to use tuna to make my typical Mac and cheese more filling so you can go that route.
However, since you were mentioning rice I would add some kimchi, rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds.
Kimchi, apple, and tuna is excellent. It’s crunchy and perfect.
Apple in savory dishes is underrated. We make a great sausage and apple filling for squashes in the fall
Agreed, but with fish? That sounds… strange lol but I’ll try it!