This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you loved the viral sushi taco trend, these Tempura Sushi Taquitos are a perfect next step. Instead of a folded shell, we take seasoned sushi rice, roll it tightly in nori, and fry the entire cylinder in a light tempura batter until crisp. The recipe includes two different topping options: a creamy, finely chopped sushi-grade spicy tuna or a quick-cured spicy salmon. The rolled shape makes them much easier to eat than a taco while keeping every topping in place. And these little handheld bites are perfect for dipping into that savory sweet ponzu sauce.
Table of Contents
Prep the Ingredients
Eel Sauce: Can be made up to one week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Sushi Rice: Cook up to 4 hours ahead. Mix with vinegar and seasoning, then spread on a baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration hardens the rice grains.
The Nori Cylinders: Do not roll ahead of time. Moisture from the rice will immediately begin to soften the nori, making it impossible to fry into a crisp cylinder.
Tempura Batter: Zero prep allowed. Mix the cold vodka, sparkling water, flour, and starch exactly 60 seconds before dipping. If the batter sits, the carbonation dies and the liquid warms, resulting in a dense, soggy shell.
The Salmon Cure: Strictly limit the salt and sugar cure to 15 to 30 minutes. If left longer, the salt will extract too much moisture, leaving the fish tough and overly salty.
The Spicy Dressings (Tuna & Salmon): You can chop the fish in advance and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator. However, do not mix the fish with the acidic components (lemon zest, yuzu) or salty components (tamari, sriracha) until right before serving. The ingredients will ruin the velvety texture.
Storage & Food Safety
Best Served Fresh: These are best when they’re fresh. The crispy tempura shell picks up moisture from the air and the rice quickly. If you have leftovers, you can crisp up the plain shells in an air fryer at 375°F for 3 minutes as long as they aren’t topped with the raw fish.
Room Temperature Limit: Do not leave the rice or raw fish out for more than 2 hours. If it is hotter than 90°F in your kitchen, that time drops to 1 hour.
Refrigeration: Store the fish and the fried shells in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Do not store them already put together or the shell will get soggy.
Tempura Batter Tips
Getting the signature light but crispy tempura shell isn’t hard if you know what to do. It’s all about keeping the gluten from over-developing. Here is exactly how to nail the batter every time.
Temperature: Keep the vodka in the freezer and sparkling water ing the fridge so that they’re ice-cold until you need them. Cold liquids shock the hot oil and halt gluten development, creating a rigid, airy crust instead of a heavy one.
Mix at the Last Second: Never let tempura batter sit. Whisk it together immediately before dipping so the carbonation remains highly active.
The Chopstick Method: Use chopsticks to mix the batter. Stirring rapidly with a whisk builds gluten. You want to lightly mash the wet and dry ingredients together for about 30 seconds. A few dry flour lumps are mandatory for the best texture.
The Fry: Keep your neutral frying oil locked at 175°C (350°F). Do not overcrowd the pot. Adding too many cold taquitos at once drops the oil temperature, resulting in greasy, soggy tempura. Let your oil come back up to the correct temp between batches.
Visual Doneness: Because this specific batter relies heavily on potato starch and lacks eggs, it will not turn a deep, dark brown. Pull the sushi taquitos when they are a light golden and feel stiff when tapped with tongs.
Drain on Wire: Never drain hot tempura on paper towels. The trapped steam will ruin the crisp texture you just built. So have a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet ready to go.
How to Serve
Here are a few great options to serve with this dish. Start the meal with a chilled Cucumbertini for a refreshing drink. For the table, offer a classic miso soup or the Sesame Handheld Salads alongside the sushi taquitos. If you want to add a larger main course, the Miso Salmon is a great protein choice. Finish the menu with a Passion Fruit Panna Cotta for dessert.
Want to save this recipe to your collection?
Chef Nadia’s Sushi-Grade Tips
Buying sushi-grade raw fish can feel intimidating if you haven’t done it before, but you just need to know what to look for and where to go.
• What to Ask Your Fishmonger: Look for a reputable seafood counter and ask specifically if their salmon and tuna have been flash-frozen for raw consumption.
• Best Varieties: Farm-raised Atlantic or King salmon are usually the safest bets, as their controlled diet minimizes parasite risk while giving you that velvety bite. For the tuna, look for high-quality Yellowfin or Ahi.
• Trusted Online Suppliers: If your local grocery store does not carry high-quality, safe options, sourcing online is incredibly reliable. My go-to suppliers for buttery, perfect sushi-grade fish are Catalina Offshore Products, Yama Seafood, and Riviera Seafood Club.
Equipment
- rice cooker, or medium saucepan
- small bowl
- small saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Deep frying pot or Dutch oven
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Eel Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
Steamed Rice
- 1 cup calrose rice
- 1 1/2 water
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar, + 1/2 tsp
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Ponzu Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, or tamari
- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp yuzu
- 1 pinch bonito flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp cane sugar
Spicy Tuna Topping
- 6 oz sushi-grade tuna, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, for cure
- 1 tbsp cane sugar, for cure
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce, or tamari
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Spicy Salmon Topping
- 6 oz sushi-grade salmon, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp kosher salt, for cure
- 1 tbsp cane sugar, for cure
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 tsp yuzu kosho
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce, or tamari
- 1/2 tsp cane sugar
The Rolls
- 4 nori sheets, cut into 4 equal parts
- neutral oil, for frying
Tempura Batter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup potato starch, for batter
- 3 tbsp vodka, cold
- 3/4 cup sparkling water, cold
Garnish
- eel sauce
- chives
- toasted black sesame seeds
- ponzu sauce
Instructions
- Eel Sauce: Combine soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath or refrigerator to cool completely.1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- Rice: Rinse your rice until the water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Mix that into the hot rice and let cool.1 cup calrose rice, 1 1/2 water, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, 1 pinch salt
- Ponzu Sauce: Mix the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, yuzu, bonito flakes, and cane sugar. Let sit.3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tbsp yuzu, 1 pinch bonito flakes, 1 1/2 tsp cane sugar
Sushi Topping 2-Way
- Spicy Tuna Topping:Mix your salt and sugar. Place the tuna on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath and sprinkle the salt/sugar mixture all over both sides of your salmon. Place the salmon on the cooling rack and put in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to cure. When done, rinse and dry well.Mix the finely chopped sushi-grade tuna with Japanese mayonnaise, sriracha, lemon zest, chives, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar in a mixing bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate.6 oz sushi-grade tuna, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp cane sugar, 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sriracha, 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp chives, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar
- Spicy Salmon Topping: Mix your salt and sugar. Place the salmon on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath and sprinkle the salt/sugar mixture all over both sides of your salmon. Place the salmon on the cooling rack and put in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to cure. When done, rinse and dry well.Chop the salmon really small and add to a bowl. Mix in the Japanese mayo, lemon zest, jalapeno, yuzu kasha sesame oil, soy sauce, and cane sugar until well combined. Cover and refrigerate.6 oz sushi-grade salmon, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp cane sugar, 2 tbsp Japanese mayo, 1/2 lemon, 1 jalapeno, 1 tsp yuzu kosho, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp cane sugar
The Tempura Taquitos
- Roll the Nori: Place a nori rectangle flat on a work surface. With wet fingers, press 2 tablespoons of cooked rice on the edge of the strip. Roll the nori tightly from the bottom up into a neat cylinder. Seal the bare edge with a dab of water. Repeat with remaining nori and rice.4 nori sheets
- Preheat the Oil: Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of neutral oil. Heat to 350°F (175°C). Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet.neutral oil
- Mix the Batter: Combine the all-purpose flour and potato starch in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the cold vodka and cold sparkling water in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk lightly just until combined.1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup potato starch, 3 tbsp vodka, 3/4 cup sparkling water
- Fry the Rolls: Dip into the cold tempura batter, shake off the excess and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches until crispy and light golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the wire rack to drain.
- Assemble: Pipe your topping choice on top of the tempura rollups. Top the tuna with eel sauce and toasted black sesame seeds. The salmon is topped with eel sauce and chives. Serve with a side of the ponzu sauce and that is it!eel sauce, chives, toasted black sesame seeds, ponzu sauce
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
