Albacore Tuna – Weeknight Dinners

If you love sashimi, you’re going to adore this easy yet elegant Albacore Tuna Recipe. Known in Japanese as (Binchō-Maguro Zuke Don), this recipe features tender slices of sashimi-grade albacore marinated in a savory soy-sesame sauce, then served over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice. It’s a wholesome and satisfying dish that’s perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Many people associate albacore tuna with canned versions, but fresh sashimi-grade albacore has a mild, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture that deserves the spotlight. It’s also rich in omega-3s, especially Pacific albacore caught sustainably using troll or pole-and-line methods.

This dish is both simple and nourishing—just marinate the tuna briefly, prep your toppings, and assemble. It’s the perfect weeknight meal when you want something fresh and flavorful with minimal effort.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sashimi-grade albacore tuna – Defrost in the fridge for 5–6 hours if frozen
• Soy sauce, sake, mirin, sesame oil – For the marinade
• Cooked Japanese short-grain rice – Pre-cooked and warm
• Kizami nori (shredded seaweed) – For garnish
• Toasted sesame seeds – Adds nutty crunch
• Green onion (scallion) – Finely chopped
• Shiso leaves (ooba/perilla) – Optional, but refreshing
• Fresh ginger – Grated
• Wasabi – Optional, for a spicy kick

How to Make Albacore Tuna Bowls

1. Cook the Rice
   Make your rice using a rice cooker, stovetop, Instant Pot, or donabe. Keep it warm until ready to serve.
2. Prepare the Marinade
   In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sesame oil. Bring to a gentle boil, then let it cool to room temperature.
3. Prep the Garnishes
   Thinly slice the green onions and shiso leaves. Grate the ginger and set aside.
4. Slice the Tuna & Marinate
   Use a very sharp knife to slice the tuna into thin sashimi-style pieces. Place the slices into the cooled marinade and let them soak for 10 minutes.
5. Assemble the Bowls
   Divide the steamed rice into donburi bowls. Top with shredded nori and sesame seeds. Arrange the marinated tuna slices over the rice. Garnish with scallions, shiso, grated ginger, and a touch of wasabi, if using.

Substitutions & Variations

• Add-ins: Sliced avocado or cucumber for extra freshness
• Rice base: Use seasoned sushi rice instead of plain steamed rice
• Toppings: Swap in furikake instead of nori, or use cilantro in place of shiso
• Marinade twist: Add red pepper flakes or substitute tamari for soy sauce
• Other fish: Try this method with salmon, yellowtail, or ahi tuna
• Sauce variation: Use lemon or lime juice with honey for a citrusy version of the marinade

Pro Tips

• Use a sashimi-grade fish for best quality and safety when eating raw.
• Always allow the marinade to cool fully before adding the raw fish.
• Assemble bowls just before serving for the freshest texture.

Yield: 2

Albacore Tuna

Print

If you love sashimi, you’ll definitely enjoy this quick and flavorful Albacore Tuna Bowl. Tender slices of sashimi-grade albacore are briefly marinated in a savory soy-sesame sauce, then served over a warm bed of steamed rice. It’s a light, wholesome meal that’s as simple to prepare as it is satisfying.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Main Bowl

• 9 oz sashimi-grade albacore tuna
• 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (approx. 1⅔ cups or 250g per serving)
• 4 tbsp shredded nori (kizami nori)
• 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
• 1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
• 3 shiso leaves (ooba/perilla), finely sliced
• ½ inch fresh ginger, grated
• ½ tsp wasabi (optional)

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Cook Japanese short-grain rice using your preferred method (rice cooker, stovetop, Instant Pot, or donabe). Let it rest and slightly cool before assembly.
2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sesame oil. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove from heat. Pour the hot sauce into a bowl placed over ice to cool it quickly.
3. Cut the albacore tuna into ½-inch (1.3 cm) slices. Place the slices in the cooled marinade and let sit for 10 minutes to absorb flavor.
4. Thinly slice the green onion.
5. Stack the shiso leaves, roll tightly, and cut into fine strips.
6. Grate the ginger and set aside.
7. Divide the slightly cooled steamed rice into two bowls.
8. Sprinkle with shredded nori and sesame seeds.
9. Arrange the marinated albacore slices neatly over the rice. Top with sliced scallions, shredded shiso, a small dollop of wasabi (optional), and freshly grated ginger.

Nutrition Information

Yield

2

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 504Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 149mgSodium 1460mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 1gSugar 7gProtein 49g

Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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