easier than it looks.
if you don’t love sushi… first of all don’t talk to me. but hey, you may actually like these because they’re technically not sushi (not raw)! these little sushi-flavored taco bites are both cute and flavorful and will have anyone impressed. best of all, it’s a quick dish that will have you clearing out your leftovers in no time with its versatility!
the taco holder
i found these metal taco shell holders on amazon for about $15. comes in a 4 pack, which is quite useful for cooking the sushi tacos all at once. if you’re working with a single holder, you’ll need several rounds of cooking.
don’t worry if you are without this nifty gadget! you can just as easily arrange your sushi taco shells against one another (see picture) and rest them up against the wall of your tray or air fryer.
filling & topping options
the beauty of this recipe is that you can get as creative as you’d like. not feeling salmon? substitute it with tuna. or make it vegan and use tofu with a spicy sauce. for the toppings, i love the combination of salmon and avocado. cucumber gives a refreshing crunch to the creamier textures. while these are my go-to filling and topping choices for this dish, here’s a list of other options to try!
filling options:
- salmon + mayo
- canned tuna + mayo
- marinated tofu
- rolled egg (tamagoyaki style)
- sashimi — you can airfry the taco shells first, then add the filling!
- cucumber, avocado, carrot — for a veggie version
topping options:
- avocado
- cucumber
- scrambled egg
- fish roe
- spicy mayo
- unagi sauce
- furikake
- sriracha
- wasabi
what to do with leftovers
if you find yourself with leftovers, you can refrigerate the tacos for 1-2 days. simply reheat them in an oven at 400°F for 5 minutes and they should be good to go! but if you’re nearing the end of your taco assembly and notice you’re running out of rice, or you’ve been under-stuffing the salmon, what i like to do is toss the leftover ingredients into a bowl and eat it deconstructed style. basically a poke bowl lol. as long as all the flavors are reaching my tastebuds at the same time, my stomach is not too concerned with the vessel.
how-to:
prep work — cook 2 cups of short-grain white rice in the rice cooker. you can use leftover rice as well, but you will need to reheat it so it’s warm and fluffy. while that’s cooking, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and mix until everything is dissolved. set aside and prepare the salmon. preheat the airfryer and cut the salmon in small, bite-sized cubes. in a small bowl, combine the salmon, kewpie mayo and salt & pepper. cut your seaweed sheets into 4×4 inch squares by folding in half twice, then rounding the corners so they resemble taco shells. prepare the toppings by slicing thin strips of avocado and julienning cucumber. once the rice is cooked, gently mix in the sushi seasoning. use a rice paddle to make cutting motions and gently fold to avoid mashing the rice.
cooking — spread rice in a thin layer on each seaweed sheet. slot them in the taco holder to prevent them from flopping shut. fill the shells to half capacity with the salmon mayo mix. stick the holders into the airfryer for 7-9 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked and the shells begin to crisp.
serve — top each taco off with the avocado and cucumber slices. drizzle on unagi sauce and spicy mayo, and finish with a sprinkle of furikake!
air-fryer salmon sushi tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g raw salmon skinless
- 1 tbsp kewpie mayo
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked short grain rice
- 3.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 sheets of seaweed cut into 4×4 inch squares (optional: round corners so they resemble a taco shell!)
toppings:
- ½ medium avocado
- julienned cucumber
- unagi sauce
- spicy mayo
- furikake
Instructions
- Preheat the airfryer to 400°F. Pat the salmon dry and cut into tiny cubes. Put in a bowl and mix with kewpie mayo and a couple cracks of salt & pepper.
- Combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and mix until everything is dissolved. Pour over cooked rice and gently mix it together. Use a rice paddle to make cutting motions and gently fold to avoid mashing the rice.
- Cut seaweed sheets into 4×4 inch squares by folding in half twice. Optional: fold each sheet in half and round the edges for a tortilla-like appearance.
- Spread rice in a thin layer on each seaweed sheet. Slot them in the taco holder to prevent them from flopping shut.
- Fill the shells to half capacity with the salmon mayo mix. Airfry for 7-9 minutes, until the salmon is cooked and the shells begin to crisp.
- Top with avocado and cucumber slices. Drizzle on unagi sauce and spicy mayo, and finish with a sprinkle of furikake.
