These Ahi Tuna Sushi Stacks are a Cactus Club copycat made with a tamari vinaigrette, avocado, panko & micro greens.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Avocados – you could also use guacamole here. Cucumbers would work if you're not a fan of avocado, but will have a different taste and texture.
- Tuna steaks – use another variety of seafood like shrimp or salmon instead of ahi tuna steak.
- Orange – you can add a bit of orange juice to the mixture instead, but it won't have the same flavor.
- Panko breadcrumbs – swap out for crushed crackers, cornflakes or tempura flakes.
- Microgreens – Cactus Club uses micro cilantro and micro radish, but you can use any microgreens of your choice or leave these off entirely.
- Hoisin sauce – soy sauce would also work but will have a slightly different flavour.
Tamari vinaigrette
- Tamari – soy sauce or coconut aminos can be used instead but will have a different flavour.
- Sesame oil – substitute for olive oil or avocado oil.
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice is best but bottled lime or even lemon juice can be used in a pinch.
- Chili garlic sauce – use sriracha, Sambal Oelek, chili paste or harissa paste instead.
- Green onions – diced chives, red onion or white onion would also be good here.
- Nori sheet – seaweed sheets or soy bean sheets would also be good.
- Sesame seeds – garnish with white and/or black sesame seeds.
Wonton chips
- Wonton wrappers – use egg roll wrappers instead or leave the wonton chips out altogether.
- Sea salt – to taste.
How to make an ahi tuna stack
Step 1: Make the wonton chips.
Add the wonton wrappers to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, season with salt, and bake in the oven.
Step 2: Season the tuna.
Dice the tuna using a sharp knife, then add it to a large bowl with the orange. You can freeze the tuna beforehand, which makes it easier to slice up into pieces. Toss with tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, green onions, sheet of nori strips and sesame seeds.
Step 3: Add the tuna to a measuring cup.
Step 4: Top with the avocado.
Press everything down hard into the measuring cup to get the perfect stack.
Step 5: Assemble your stacks and serve.
Drizzle a bit of hoisin sauce onto the plate, then flip the measuring cup upside down so it comes out in a stack. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs and top with microgreens, then serve with wonton chips.
Assembling your tuna stack
The best way to get the perfect sushi stack is to assemble it into a measuring cup. This ensures that you get the perfect cylindrical shape that looks professionally made! Here's how to assemble your stack:
- Add a bit of the ahi tuna mixture to the bottom of the measuring cup.
- Add the diced avocado on top of the tuna mixture, filling it to the top of the measuring cup.
- Press everything down firmly so the stack forms it's shape.
- Flip the measuring cup upside down onto the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there's no need to marinate the ahi tuna for this recipe. Just toss it with the orange pieces, tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, green onions, nori strips and sesame seeds.
Yes, it is safe to eat raw tuna, just like you would at your favourite sushi restaurant. I'd recommend selecting sushi-grade tuna steaks (otherwise known as sashimi grade tuna), which is the safest raw fish to consume.
Tuna is the traditional option for this Cactus Club recipe, but if you're not a fan of tuna, you could also try making this recipe with shrimp or sushi-grade salmon.
I like to serve these tuna stacks with homemade wonton chips for dipping, just like they do at Cactus Club. You could also enjoy your stack on its own, with tortilla chips or with another sushi-inspired side like edamame or sushi rice (long-grain white rice tossed with rice vinegar, sugar and salt).
Storing and serving
You can store any leftovers of this dish in the fridge up to 2 or 3 days. After that point, the ahi tuna probably won't be as fresh. Since the tuna is raw, you won't want it to sit too long in the fridge anyway. If you want to make sure the stack maintains it's shape, you can cover it in plastic wrap in the glass container.
I serve these sushi stacks cold when I make them fresh the first time and I serve them cold again when eating as leftovers, so there's no need to worry about reheating the next day!
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up your weekly lunches.
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
Ahi Tuna Sushi Stack {Cactus Club Copycat}
Ingredients
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 medium-sized tuna steaks
- 1 orange, peeled and cut up
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup microgreens micro cilantro and micro radish is what Cactus Club uses
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce for drizzling
Tamari vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 nori sheet, cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp Sesame seeds for garnish
Wonton chips
- 1/2 (400g) package wonton wrappers
- Cooking spray
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Add wonton wrappers to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, season with salt and bake for 2 minutes. Flip then bake another 2 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn.
- Meanwhile, dice tuna steaks into 1/4-inch pieces. I find it easiest to freeze tuna for about 1 hour to get it to harden up so it's easier to cut. Add tuna and chopped up orange segments to a large bowl, tossing with tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, green onions, nori strips and sesame seeds.
- Try your best to divide all ingredients in four. Add a bit of the tuna mixture to a 1 cup measuring cup, then top with avocado. Press everything down hard in the measuring cup (this is key to getting that stack shape).
- Drizzle a bit of hoisin sauce on a plate, then flip measuring cup upside down so it comes out in a stack-like form. Top with panko breadcrumbs and microgreens, then serve alongside wonton chips and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Michael Harding says
My only suggestion is that you exchange orange, as it’s too juicy, for something like Nectarine, Mango or Papaya. I make this at least once a week. Love it!!!!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy it’s a favourite!
Ro says
You changed this recipe! I had made this several times previously & loved it! Where is the old recipe?!ro
Taylor Stinson says
Occasionally I tweak recipes to make them better/more authentic. Unfortunately the old recipe is gone, this is way closer to the way they make it at Cactus Club. Sorry about that, I hope you will try the new version. In my opinion, it’s WAY better!
Angie says
This sounds delicious and simple, but I’ve never seen a tuna stack without rice. Was there a reason in not using it in your recipe?
Taylor Stinson says
The one at Cactus Club (the restaurant the recipe is inspired by) doesn’t use it!
Denise says
Thank you so much! I conquered my fear of making sushi it turned out great, my daughter was a sushi chef now in the medical field. So I made a treat for her
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you both enjoyed! 🙂
Christina says
What type of measuring cup did you use? I couldn’t get mine to stack.
Taylor Stinson says
A 1 cup measure works best here! It may help to spray some cooking spray inside and then tightly pack everything in before flipping over and tapping hard overtop to get it to all come out.
Ray says
Hello, your video says to use lime juice for the tuna marinade but the written recipe doesn’t state it, can you please clarify the quantity you used, thanks.
Also, how long do you let the tuna sit in the marinade before eating?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Ray – so sorry, it’s 1 tbsp. The recipe has been updated to reflect that. There is no marinating time for the tuna so you can just mix it up and then assemble the stacks as described.
Jessica says
Where do you buy the tuna steak? It looks so tasty. I want to make this!
Thank you for sharing this!
Jessica
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Jessica – you can often find it in the freezer section of your local grocery store with all the other fish, but sometimes you can find it at the fish counter. I typically buy tuna steak at Loblaws but local seafood shops should also have it.
Anna says
Quick question about tuna. Do you sear tuna after defrosting or just marinate and cube raw.
Is Costco frozen tuna safe to eat raw?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Anna – in this recipe you marinate the raw tuna! I would say that Costco tuna is safe to eat, but it’s always best to read the packaging and do your own due diligence on food safety. Without me seeing the exact product in question it’s hard for me to say for sure.
White Rock Dan says
Wow this turned out great! I used minute rice instead of sushi rice and it was still really yummy. I also went a little heavy on the soya so the tuna was kind of dark but tasted amazing! FYI Costco sells frozen tuna steaks.
I tried stacking everything in the measuring cup but I failed to get it to come out in a cylinder shape. After two attempts I improvised and took a piece of aluminum foil, folded it in half to thicken it up the wrapped it a few times around a wine bottle. Holding the foil tight against the bottle I taped around the foil a couple of times to keep the round shape then slid it off the bottle. I then stacked my ingredients inside one by one and tamped down each level with the flat side of a meat thermometer! It’s all I had handy to push things down. Then I gently pulled up my foil mold. It was amazing! It came out in a perfect stack. I couldn’t find won ton wrappers so I used frozen spring roll wrappers sprayed with Pam, salted and baked until crisp. I sprinkled these on top with pea shoots and garnished with black sesame seeds. OMG did this ever look and taste like a high quality restaurant meal! Thanks for the recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe Dan and thank you for sharing your tips to getting the stack just right, that’s quite creative!!! Also love the idea of baking the spring roll wrappers. Thank you for sharing your review 🙂
Brittany says
Made this tonight…SO GOOD! Added sriracha to the tuna marinade and put the stack over a bed of mixed baby lettuce! Thank so for the recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy to hear that Brittany!!! Thanks so much for sharing with me! 🙂