Do you like ahi tuna? These Ahi Sushi Cups are beautiful, healthy and delicious to bring for a potluck, serve to guests in your home or for your family. It’s a simple dish that seems like it takes work! We enjoyed this dish for lunch when I hosted our neighborhood cookie baking day, and everyone raved about it!
This short video from a while back shows how to make this easy dish!
The hardest part of this recipe is making the rice cup molds. If you don’t need the dish to look pretty, I suggest skipping that step and placing the rice on some parchment paper in a casserole dish before putting on the rest of the ingredients. This will make an ahi “layered type” dish.
What makes this dish special is the sauce. I usually don’t add cream cheese to rice but the small amount added in this recipe pairs beautifully with the tangy/sweet/spicy taste of the sauce covered cucumber/avocado/tuna. If you want to sub out any of these ingredients, you can- except for the sauce and rice mix. Those are what make this recipe taste so good.
This dish will not disappoint! Serve it with some edamame and you are set.
Ahi Sushi Cups
This recipe can be found on myrecipes.com. I modified it a bit, based on my family’s preferences.
For instance, the original recipe uses 1 Tbs of kosher salt which is very salty for us (dare I say it’s a typo on their page?). I use 1 tsp of salt as shown below. I added more cucumbers and finished the dish off with crumbled toasted nori to make a very tasty and healthy dinner for the family!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sushi Rice, rinsed well (short grain rice cooked per package directions) Note: added 1/2 Cauli rice is great for a healthier option
- 8 tsp Rice Vinegar, divided into 6tsp/2tsp
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- 1 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt (divided into 1/2 tsp)
- Cooking Spray
- 2 Tbs Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 cup English or Persian Cucumber (diced)
- 1lb Raw Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna (cut into 1/2- inch cubes)
- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 serving Nori (toasted seaweed) to sprinkle on top
Optional: Sesame Seeds
Directions
1. Rice Mix: Combine vinegar and sugar in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add cream cheese and 1/2 tsp salt. Gently fold vinegar mixture into rice. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prep Rice Cups: Lightly coat muffin cups with cooking spray and place parchment paper in cups to form a liner. With wet hands, press rice mix into the cups with a hollow center. Alternatively (to save time), fill the bottom of a casserole dish with a thin layer of rice (1/3 inch) over parchment paper. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes.
3. Sauce: Combine remaining 2 tsp vinegar, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, soy sauce, oil, and red pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add the cucumber, avocado, and tuna. Toss.
Diced cucumber (note: I usually like to get Persian or cocktail cucumbers, so I don’t need to peel skin)
Diced avocado Note: rinse with cold water to keep color from turning brown
Sushi grade Ahi – I got pre-prepared spicy tuna from local grocer Bristol Farms, but unseasoned fresh Ahi is what recipe calls for. Either will work.
Cucumber and avocado mixed with prepared sauce.
4. Fill Cups: Divide mixture over rice cups or layer over the rice in the casserole and sprinkle with toasted seaweed. Optional: top with sesame seeds. Serve!
Will you try it? Let me know how your Ahi Sushi Cups turn out!
Ahi Sushi Cups
The delicious taste of sushi without all the work.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sushi Rice, rinsed well (short grain rice cooked per package directions) Note: added 1/2 Cauli rice is great for a healthier option
- 8 tsp Rice Vinegar, divided into 6tsp/2tsp
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- 1 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt (divided into 1/2 tsp)
- Cooking Spray
- 2 Tbs Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 cup English or Persian Cucumber (diced)
- 1lb Raw Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna (cut into 1/2- inch cubes)
- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 serving Nori (toasted seaweed) to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Rice Mix:
Combine vinegar and sugar in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add cream cheese and 1/2 tsp salt. Gently fold vinegar mixture into rice. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.
Prep Rice Cups:
Lightly coat muffin cups with cooking spray and place parchment paper in cups to form a liner. With wet hands, press rice mix into the cups with a hollow center. Alternatively (to save time), fill the bottom of a casserole dish with a thin layer of rice (1/3 inch) over parchment paper. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes.
Sauce:
Combine remaining 2 tsp vinegar, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, soy sauce, oil, and red pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add the cucumber, avocado, and tuna. Toss.
Fill Cups:
Divide mixture over rice cups or layer over the rice in the casserole and sprinkle with toasted seaweed. Optional: top with sesame seeds. Serve!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 155Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 414mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
