I gave a little TLC to one of my older recipes this week, Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls! With many people avoiding meat for lent, I figured this was a good time to revisit this classic. I love “bowl meals” because there is so much flavor, texture, and color in every bite, and they’re highly customizable. This particular bowl combines the super fresh flavors of cucumber and cilantro with rich guacamole, spicy hot sauce and crunchy shredded carrots, plus edamame and tuna for a healthy dose of protein.
Do You Eat the Bowls Hot or Cold?
The bowls are super delicious and filling, and because they’re eaten cold they are also quite refreshing in this sweltering hot weather. That being said, I actually ate the first bowl while the rice was still warm and it was awesome that way, too. But I wouldn’t reheat them in the microwave before serving. Just eat the leftovers cold.
How Long Do Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls Stay Fresh?
The bowls stay fresh in the refrigerator for the next three days, with the last bowl being just as good as the first! I know, you’re thinking, “BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GUACAMOLE?! Didn’t it turn black?” Nope. It does turn slightly greyish on the surface after a couple days in the fridge, but it’s still 100% okay to eat. It’s just oxidization, folks. Still tastes good.
Homemade or Store-Bought Guac?
Pre-made guacamole is usually very expensive and if there had been ripe avocados at a the store for a reasonable price, I probably would have made my own homemade guacamole or used slice avocado in place of the guac for these bowls. BUT now that I live near an Aldi, they have decent guacamole for a pretty good price, so I can make that little splurge. But hey, do what works for you and your budget!
Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame ($1.04)
- 1 medium cucumber ($1.29)
- 1 medium carrot ($0.11)
- 2 5oz. cans chunk light tuna in water ($1.98)
- 8 oz. guacamole ($2.39)
- 3 cups cooked rice* ($0.72)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro ($0.20)
- 4 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce ($0.44)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.08)
Instructions
- Cook the edamame according to the package directions (mine instructed to microwave for 5 minutes). Allow the edamame to cool.
- Dice the cucumber and shred the carrot using a large box or cheese grater. Drain the tuna and roughly chop the cilantro.
- To build the bowls, place 3/4 cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with 1/4 cup edamame, 1/2 a can of tuna, 1/4 cup guacamole, a handful of diced cucumber, a pinch of shredded carrots, and a few pieces of fresh cilantro. Drizzle sriracha over top, add a pinch or two of sesame seeds, then serve or refrigerate up to four days.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
It’s almost like a Sushi Bowl for non-sushi lovers. 😅
How to Make Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls – Step by Step Photos
You’ll need about 3 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. I used brown rice to get in a little extra fiber, but you can certainly use white rice if you prefer. I am also using brown Basmati rice, but plain brown rice will also do.
First, cook the edamame according to the package directions. Mine says to microwave for 5 minutes. Let the edamame cool.
Slice or dice one cucumber, peel and shred one carrot (I used a large-holed cheese grater), and chop (or leave whole) about 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro.
Drain two cans of tuna. You’ll also need about 8 oz. of guacamole, or you can use fresh avocado slices.
Then just build the bowl! Start with 3/4 cup rice, then add 1/4 of the cucumber, 1/4 of the shredded carrot, 1/4 of the edamame…
Then add 1/2 can of tuna to each and a couple tablespoons of guacamole. Add a pinch or two of sesame seeds, then drizzle sriracha over top and DONE!
Meal prep made easy!!
I just made these for lunch the other day (without the edamame since we don’t have any right now). I really enjoyed it and the flavor reminded me of sushi so, I tore up a nori sheet and sprinkled it on top.
Good recipe, but I’ll substitute tuna in extra virgin olive oil for the in water tuna. Better flavor and the oil makes a nice topping for the bowl ingredients.
I mixed a little soy sauce with sesame oil and the sriracha, then drizzled the while bowl with it. Tossed some daikon radish sprouts on top. This was awesome!
Ok so I have an unrelated question for Beth and anyone that wants to answer :) does anyone actually toss their expired seasonings? I have a few that are a little (or a lot) past their expiration date and they looks and smell fine.. but I’m not sure if i should still toss them just cuz they are old. Anyone else?
If they are several years old I would toss them, but personally I find that they simply lose more of their flavour and are not actually harmful to eat.
As long as they smell fine, I would keep them. They are probably just not as strong anymore. :)
Usually spices have a “best if used by” date rather than an actual “expiration date” because there are so many factors that can affect the quality of spices as they are stored that it’s hard to predict when they’ll expire. What happens is that they slowly loose their potency over time. So, as someone else suggested, give them a sniff. If you don’t smell much it’s probably time to replace them. :) One year is a good safe benchmark, but I will openly admit that I often keep spices longer than that. …because like, who has time to actually track when they bought their spices? 😅 The “best if used by” date does help when you can’t remember when they were purchased, though.
A ripe avocado when you need one is nearly always impossible to find. I did pick up this trick somewhere online as a way to help. Buy them green and keep them refrigerated for up to a couple of weeks, taking them out of the fridge a day or two before you plan to use them. I buy 3-4 little ones when they are on sale for about $.50 each, either at Aldi, or in net bags of 2 at Harris Teeter (often on special at $.99 a bag). I get the small avocados because we actually eat one all up instead of wasting half of a big one. They do continue to ripen in the fridge but very slowly, and even a ripe one will last a few extra days when refrigerated. I used to keep them on the counter always, and ended up throwing one out if I didn’t get to it in time, a truly painful thing.
This looks perfect for today’s lunch–a healthy mayo-less tuna salad. I’ll sub baby limas for the edamame since I have a bag in the freezer.
These look really great but I don’t eat meat or fish! Anyone have any yummy vegetarian substitutions for the tuna?
A really easy one is tofu! I get firm to extra-firm tofu, cut into thick slices, and pan fry them with oil and a bit of soy sauce for flavour!
Could you freeze these? The only possible issue I see is that the edamame would be frozen twice…
The cucumber will definitely get very soft and soggy if frozen, so I would say this one is not very freezer friendly.
I made this with your savory coconut rice and it was delicious!
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RECIPE! I don’t know why I never thought to include canned tuna in a ‘bowl’ like this. Sometimes I’ll throw in a little seaweed salad and pickled ginger for extra flavor.
This is truly spectacular. It doesn’t look or seem like much, but it is just perfect. I altered it a little with quinoa instead of rice, and frozen peas instead of edamame (it’s hard to find in my country). Everything goes together so well, it’s easy to make and easy to eat, it was all gone in a flash and I don’t usually have a big appetite. I will definitely be making this again, I’ll swear by it in the summer months when it’s too hot to make anything else!
I’m wondering if in place of the tuna, alaskan pink salmon would work instead? I’ve got a can sitting here that needs to be used up, but I haven’t been able to think of anything to use it for.
I think that would work very well. :)
Made this last night and it was pretty good. Put together a bowl for lunch today, and it was even better! I will be making this again!
I was wondering what would be a good replacement ingredient for the edamame?
Black beans would be pretty good.
This is good. And fresh. And uplifting.
It makes me happy. Nothing less.
Thank you for this amazing and simple recipe!
And the step by step photos, please, continue to do that.
I love to cook now and it’s because of you!
Wow! I have a huge rotation of recipes. Some of my families favorite meals, I only make once or twice a year. With that said, I’m making these amazing tuna bowls for the third time in a month! Somehow the flavors combine and taste like sushi in a bowl. Amazing! Thank you, Beth!