Spicy Tuna Jumeokbap are Korean hand-rolled rice balls filled with a bold mix of tuna, gochujang, mayo, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. Topped with shredded nori and furikake, they’re creamy, spicy, and packed with umami — like a Korean twist on your favorite spicy tuna roll. Perfect for lunch, picnics, or meal prep!
We had these yummy rice balls for dinner along with some homemade miso soup. I loved them for dinner, but think I liked them even more for lunch as leftovers. They keep super well in the fridge and you can rewarm them very slightly in the microwave. You don’t want the hot, but just to take the chill off the rice.
This recipe is topped with sliced crispy nori, which you can buy at most grocery stores now, but you can also get the packets here. You also really want some furikake to top these. Furikake are tasty sprinkles that come in all kinds of savory flavors and they add so much to this. Here is a link to my favorite one, which went really well here. You will also need some gochujang for the tuna salad.
If you’d like a tutorial on cooking Asian rice on your stove top, see my post about that.
Spicy Tuna Jumeokbap
Ingredients
To make the rolls:
- 3-4 cups cooked Asian rice Sprinkled with a tsp of rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and cooled to room temp or slightly warm
- shredded nori
- furikake
For the tuna:
- 2 cans high quality tuna drained well
- 1/2-1 tbsp gochujang depending on how spicy you want it
- 2 tbsp mayo to taste
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 scallions finely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook your rice a few hours ahead of time, so it has time to cool down a bit. While it is still warm, sprinkle it with rice vinegar and salt and toss.
- Combine the tuna ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
- For form the balls, get hands slightly damp in clean water and spread a circle of rice in your palm, fully covering the area. Place a few tsp of the tuna mix in the center and then cup your hand to start forming a ball. Place a bit more rice on top and use your hands to shape into a ball.
- If you find the rice sticking too your hands too much, you can give them a light spray of oil. You can make these rice balls bigger or smaller depending on your preference. After you have shaped a ball, place it on a plate or tray and form the rest. Sprinkle with furikake and top with shredded nori and serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or ideally individually wrapped in plastic wrap.