Umami Tuna Stir-Fry
The versatile, oil-packed canned tuna makes the weeknight stir-fry extra delicious.
Serves4
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Canned tuna is one of the most versatile ingredients you can have in your pantry. You can toss it over a salad, turn it into a delicious tuna melt, or add it to a quick and flavorful stir-fry, which is my new favorite way to enjoy this canned staple.
What makes this stir-fry so good is the umami-rich sauce that seasons everything. And, a little bit of serrano pepper adds a nice punch of spice. Serve it over a bowl of white rice with fried eggs for a delicious, easy weeknight dinner.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s a quick weeknight dinner that can be prepared in under 30 minutes.
- A can of tuna and a handful of vegetables result in a hearty, flavorful stir-fry.
Key Ingredients in Umami Tuna Stir-Fry
- Cabbage: Cabbage is a fantastic budget-friendly vegetable, and it’s particularly fantastic in this stir-fry dish. A small amount makes the dish hearty and filling.
- Soy sauce: It’s the main seasoning ingredient that flavors the vegetables and tuna.
- Oyster sauce: It’s slightly saltier than soy sauce, but has more depth of flavor with a hint of sweetness.
- Honey: Its sweetness balances the other salty flavors present in the sauce.
- Rice vinegar: The slight tang from the vinegar makes the sauce more rounded and balanced.
- Canned tuna: A pantry staple that’s so versatile in so many ways, but in this recipe, it becomes a main protein source for a flavorful stir-fry. Get the oil-packed solid tuna so that you can use the oil for cooking.
How to Make Umami Tuna Stir-Fry
- Prepare the veggies. Cut and prepare your vegetables, like cabbage, onion, and scallions.
- Make the sauce. Make the sauce by mixing soy sauce, honey, mirin, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and oyster sauce.
- Stir-fry the veggies. In a large skillet, cook the prepared veggies with a little bit of sauce.
- Add the tuna to the veggies. Add the tuna with the remaining sauce and stir-fry everything over medium-high heat until the sauce is well-absorbed.
Helpful Swaps
- Instead of cabbage, you can use any type of vegetable, such as green beans, bok choy, Napa cabbage, and more.
- You can substitute honey with granulated sugar or maple syrup.
- Feel free to swap canned salmon for tuna.
Umami Tuna Stir-Fry Recipe
The versatile, oil-packed canned tuna makes the weeknight stir-fry extra delicious.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/4
medium green cabbage (about 7 ounces)
- 1
medium serrano pepper (optional)
- 2
medium scallions
- 1/2
medium red onion
- 3 cloves
garlic
- 3 tablespoons
soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon
honey
- 1 tablespoon
mirin
- 2 teaspoons
toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon
rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon
oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon
coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 (5-ounce) cans
albacore solid tuna in extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon
toasted white sesame seeds
Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
Core and cut 1/4 medium green cabbage into 1/2-inch wide shreds (about 2 cups). Thinly slice 1 serrano pepper crosswise if desired (about 1 tablespoon). Thinly slice 2 medium scallions (about 1/4 cup); reserve about 1 tablespoon of the dark green parts for garnish. Thinly slice 1/2 medium red onion (about 1/4 cup). Mince 3 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon).
Place 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon mirin, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Open 2 (5-ounce) cans albacore solid tuna in extra-virgin olive oil. Drain the oil from the canned tuna into a large nonstick or a cast iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and remaining scallions, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, onion, and 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Cook until the cabbage and onions are slightly translucent and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tuna, remaining sauce, and serrano if using. Stir-fry until combined and the tuna is all mixed through the cabbage, 4 to 5 minutes.
Garnish with the reserved scallions and 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds. Serve over white rice.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.