Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice Made in a Waffle Maker

Crispy rice usually means deep frying. This version uses a mini waffle maker and 2 cups of cooked sushi rice instead. You get the same crackly edge and soft center, without a pot of oil on the stove.

The rice gets a quick seasoning of rice vinegar and sugar, then presses into patties and cooks until golden. While that happens, you stir together diced sushi-grade tuna with soy sauce, sesame oil, Kewpie mayo, scallions, and habanero sriracha.

The habanero sauce makes more than you need for one batch. That's on purpose. It keeps in the fridge and works on eggs, rice bowls, and anything else that needs heat.

One thing up front: waffle makers vary a lot in wattage and plate size. A 350 to 500 watt mini model runs cooler than a 700 to 900 watt one, so your first patty is your test. Watch it, don't trust the light.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Blend the hot sauce

Add the habanada peppers, garlic, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, water, and fish sauce to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

2. Simmer until thick

Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.

3. Cool and store

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a little. Loosen it with water if it's thicker than you want, then pour it into a jar and refrigerate.

4. Mix the spicy tuna

In a bowl, combine the diced tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, 1 tablespoon of the habanero sauce, and Kewpie mayo. Stir until every piece is coated, then chill.

5. Season the rice

Stir the rice vinegar and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Fold it gently into the hot cooked rice and let it cool slightly.

6. Heat the waffle maker

Preheat your mini waffle maker and coat the plates lightly with cooking spray.

7. Press the rice patties

Form a small amount of cooled rice into a patty sized to your waffle maker. Set it on the hot plates and close the lid.

8. Cook until golden

Cook until the outside is crisp and golden brown, following your waffle maker's instructions. Repeat with the rest of the rice.

9. Assemble and serve

Set a crispy rice waffle on a plate. Add avocado slices, a spoonful of spicy tuna, and a drizzle of habanero sauce. Finish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Variations

No waffle maker

shape the rice into patties and pan-fry them in a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat until crisp on both sides.

No habanada peppers

use regular habaneros for a much hotter sauce, or swap in a store-bought sriracha and skip the simmering step.

No Kewpie mayo

use regular mayonnaise with a small pinch of sugar stirred in.

How to Store Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

Frequently Asked Questions

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice Made in a Waffle Maker

Seasoned sushi rice pressed in a mini waffle maker until golden, then topped with spicy tuna, avocado, and a drizzle of habanero sriracha.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal2Servings

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Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked sushi rice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• cooking spray
• 8 oz sushi-grade tuna (diced)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon Kewpie Mayo
• 1 tablespoon homemade habanero hot sauce (recipe below)
• 8 habanada peppers (stems removed)
• 4 garlic cloves
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• white sesame seed
• sliced avocado
• sliced scallion

Instructions

1. 1Blend the hot sauce — Add the habanada peppers, garlic, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, water, and fish sauce to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
2. 2Simmer until thick — Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
3. 3Cool and store — Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a little. Loosen it with water if it's thicker than you want, then pour it into a jar and refrigerate.
4. 4Mix the spicy tuna — In a bowl, combine the diced tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, 1 tablespoon of the habanero sauce, and Kewpie mayo. Stir until every piece is coated, then chill.
5. 5Season the rice — Stir the rice vinegar and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Fold it gently into the hot cooked rice and let it cool slightly.
6. 6Heat the waffle maker — Preheat your mini waffle maker and coat the plates lightly with cooking spray.
7. 7Press the rice patties — Form a small amount of cooled rice into a patty sized to your waffle maker. Set it on the hot plates and close the lid.
8. 8Cook until golden — Cook until the outside is crisp and golden brown, following your waffle maker's instructions. Repeat with the rest of the rice.
9. 9Assemble and serve — Set a crispy rice waffle on a plate. Add avocado slices, a spoonful of spicy tuna, and a drizzle of habanero sauce. Finish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Cook's note: Use a food thermometer if you ever cook the tuna through, and keep raw tuna refrigerated until the moment you serve it. Waffle maker wattage varies, so check your first patty rather than relying on the indicator light.

Servings: 2

Cuisine: Japanese-inspired

Course: Appetizer

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.