These simple TunaStacks are an explosion of flavor! We use a 1 cup measuring cup to quickly assemble these stacks which have four easy layers: a simple cucumber mango salad, creamy avocado, lemon-olive oil tuna, and sweet white rice.
Drizzling on some soy sauce and an easy sriracha mayo sauce takes them to the next level. Satisfy your sushi cravings easily from the comfort of your home!
We love the ease of canned tuna; try some of our other popular tuna recipes next: this cheesy one-skillet Tuna Pasta, our classic Tuna Salad, or this potluck favorite: Tuna Macaroni Salad. And if you’re catering to vegetarians, these Vegetarian Sushi Bowls are a great meat-free option.
Tuna Stack
My toddler has a serious obsession with quick hyper-lapse foodie videos. It may be because he watches me make them (and often helps out with them — those adorably fat baby hands you occasionally see are his).
He calls them “yummy videos” and says “yum-mmmmmy” several times throughout each video we watch. It doesn’t matter if the video is for sweet or savory or even a kitchen hack — he loves them all!
One video we watched together was how to make California Sushi Stacks by my incredibly talented friend Gina over at Skinnytaste. After watching that video we both immediately wanted sushi stacks for lunch! But without having several of the ingredients, we whipped up something pretty different borrowing the same concept. Since making our take on those sushi stacks a few month ago, we haven’t been able to quit making them — it’s reached obsession level for sure!
Tuna Stack Tips
- Use canned tuna packed in olive oilfor the best flavor. My personal favorite is Genova’s® albacore tuna. Tuna packed in olive oil is richer and has a fresher flavor.
- Ready and fully ripemangoes and avocados are game changers for Tuna Stacks. The creamy texture and flavor are far superior if both ingredients are fully ripe. (See Quick Tip below)
- I recommend Persian (sometimes labeled as mini cucumbers) or Englishcucumbers. These cucumbers are nearly seedless and very crisp (instead of watery). They have a sweet, mild flavor and a great crunch; they’re the perfect complement to the other ingredients.
- Tame the bite of red onion. If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in ice cold, salted water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before using in these tuna stacks.
- For best success in inverting these tuna stacks, lightly grease the measuring cup with nonstick spray before starting. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the measuring cup before inverting the stack. (It’s normal for some of the mango cucumber salad to stick to the measuring cup, just pull it out and sprinkle on top of the tuna stack.)
QUICK TIP
To tell if an avocado is ripe, press gently around (not on) the stem and if it gives, the avocado is ripe (the “give” should feel like pressing the tip of your nose). No part of the avocado should be mushy to touch. (This means it’s overripe) To tell if a mango is ripe, always judge by feel. Squeeze the mango gently; a ripe mango will give slightly (overripe will squish down). Also, here’s a great guide on how to cut a mango!
Shortcut prep tips
- Use leftover cold white rice. We have Tuna Stacks so often for lunches that I will make a huge batch of rice at the beginning of the week to use. If you don’t have to cook the rice, these come together very quickly.
- Another very quick alternative is Minute Rice®. It takes 5 minutes to make and, in that time, you can have all the veggies and the tuna prepped. (If you are using Minute Rice, use 1 cup uncooked.)
- Prep ahead of time. The cucumber mango salad and Sriracha mayo can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that flavors on both intensify as they sit. (Red onion can become sharper and flavor the other ingredients stronger; Sriracha mayo becomes spicier.)
- Use grocery short-cuts. Many grocery stores have prepared (peeled and cut) mango spears, which save on some prep time. Simply dice up those prepared spears to use in these Tuna Stacks.
More tuna recipes
- Creamy Tuna Pastawith sweet peas
- Avocado Tuna Saladwith an avocado-based dressing
- Mediterranean Tuna Orzo Saladwith a lemon vinaigrette
- Sriracha Tuna Salad Wrapswith fresh veggies
Tuna «Sushi» Stacks
Tuna «Sushi» Stacks
Ingredients
- 1/2cup (98g)uncooked white rice+ 1 cup water (207g)
- 2tablespoonsrice (or rice wine) vinegar
- 1largeripe mango(~1-1/4 cup; 194g)
- 1/2cup (70g)Persian or English cucumber(~1/2 English cucumber, 1 Persian cucumber)
- 1/4cup (31g)diced red onion(~1/4 of an onion)
- 1largeripe avocado
- 1largelemon (juiced),juice divided
- 5ouncecanned tunapacked in olive oil, well-drained
- 1/2cup (100g)regular mayo,divided (we love Hellman’s/Best Foods)
- 1.5teaspoonsSriracha
- 3-6teaspoonslow sodium soy sauce
- Optional: fine sea salt & pepper, sesame seeds (I used black and white)
Instructions
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RICE: Add 1/2 cup rice and 1 cup water to a small pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste. Bring to a boil and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keeping the pot covered, and let stand and steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove the lid, let cool slightly, and then toss with rice vinegar and let fully cool.
Alternatively, use cold leftover rice or white Minute Rice (1 cup uncooked) for a super-quick assembly.
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MANGOSALAD: Meanwhile, dice the mango, cucumber, and red onion. Toss together in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
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AVOCADO: Peel and remove the pit from an avocado. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and add to a bowl. Mash the avocado with a pinch of salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. (I add 1/8 teaspoon salt & 1/8 teaspoon pepper.)
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TUNA: Thoroughly drain the tuna and flake with a fork. Add to a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup (50g) mayo and another 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir gently.
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ASSEMBLE: Lightly spray four 1-cup measuring cups with nonstick spray. Divide the mangosalad evenly into the bottom of each measuring cup. Compress the salad with the back of a spoon. Divide the avocado mixture evenly on top, pressing and smoothing (with the back of a spoon) into an even layer. Divide the tuna mixture on top and again smooth and press into an even layer. Divide the rice evenly on top of that. Use the back of a fork to press down and compress everything into each measuring cup. Repeat in all four measuring cups. As you finish one stack, put it in the fridge; they are slightly easier to remove when chilled for a few minutes.
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SERVE: Lightly run a sharp knife around the edge of the measuring cup and then invert onto a plate. (I do this by putting a plate on top of the measuring cup, flipping it over, and then gently pulling the cup up and off.) Some of the mango salad may be stuck behind in the cup; simply pull it out and put it on top. Drizzle each Tuna Stack with 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce, sesame seeds, and another squeeze of lemon as desired.
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SRIRACHAMAYO: In another bowl stir together the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) mayo with the Sriracha sauce (See Note 1) and 1 more tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle over the Tuna Stacks. Enjoy immediately. These stacks don’t store well.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.
