Home » Korean Side Dishes (Banchan) » Korean Spicy Tuna

Korean Spicy Tuna

Discover the wonders of Korean style spicy tuna. It is very versatile, full of flavor and easy to make! A perfect solution for a busy weeknight meal.

Spicy tuna pasta made with multipurpose Korean spicy tuna | MyKoreanKitchen.com

I’m super excited about sharing today’s recipe. Because I know how beneficial it’s going to be! 🙂 So hear me out.

Korean Canned Tuna

In Korea, there is a canned tuna called gochu chamchi (고추 참치). Its direct translation is ‘chili tuna’ and it essentially is a spicy canned tuna. Though it’s not just spicy. It has a slight sweet and tangy flavor and is often mixed with small portions of vegetables as well.

This tuna is a popular side dish in Korea. For one thing, you can easily buy a can from a Korean grocery store. And it looks like this (below picture) – red and spicy. Although, the below item is an extra spicy one. I used to take this canned tuna to school in my school lunch bag back in the day.

Korean spicy canned tuna | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Anyway, recently, spicy tuna became my new favorite go to dish because it’s so easy and quick to make. With this, I can quickly prepare a main meal either with rice or pasta, all in under 10 mins. You will be amazed!

Also, not only is it easy and quick to make, it is loaded with well balanced sweetness, tanginess and spiciness. And, did I mention that it is very versatile?

I can already see more applications of it such as making spicy tuna rolls with seaweed and spicy tuna sandwiches etc. ❤

When I try those, I will link up in this post, so you can find them easily.

Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Anyway, I hope you give this a try soon and let us know how you prefer serving it!

Ingredients for Korean Spicy Tuna, serves 2 to 4

Main

  • 185 g / 6.5 ounces canned tuna, oil or water drained
  • 50 g / 1.7 ounces mixed vegetables – sweet corn, baby peas, capsicum / bell peppers or carrots, cut into small pieces as necessary (you can use frozen or tinned ones too.)
  • 20 g / 0.7 ounces onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil – I used rice bran oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Spicy Tuna Sauce

Option 1) Use this sauce if you’re making Korean spicy tuna as a side dish.

  • 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato sauce / ketchup
  • 1/2 Tbsp honey

Option 2) Use this sauce if you want the extra spiciness or if you’re going to serve it over pasta or rice.

  • 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce / ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp honey

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml

** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean ingredients list.

How to Make Spicy Tuna

1. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add the cooking oil and the tuna. Stir quickly. 

2. Add the vegetables and the spicy tuna sauce and mix them well so that everything is coated with the sauce. (If you make the spicy tuna sauce from option 2 to serve over rice or pasta, only add half of the sauce and use the remainder later – over rice / pasta.) Add the sesame seeds. Remove from the heat. Serve.

How to Make Korean Spicy Tuna | MyKoreanKitchen.com

 

Serving Suggestions

1) Serve the spicy tuna with steamed rice and with other Korean side dishes.

 

Korean sweet and spicy tuna | MyKoreanKitchen.com

2) Serve the spicy tuna over steamed rice and add the remaining sauce. With this extra sauce, you can make a simple tuna bibimbap. Just mix it all well!

Korean Spicy Tuna Bowl with Rice | MyKoreanKitchen.com

3) Serve the spicy tuna with some cooked spaghetti. (Thin spaghetti such as angel hair pasta works well.) Add the remaining sauce, a dash of sesame oil (optional) and chopped green onion (optional) then mix well.

Korean spicy tuna served with angel hair pasta | MyKoreanKitchen.com


Spicy Tuna Pasta made with multipurpose Korean spicy tuna | MyKoreanKitchen.com

Korean Spicy Tuna

Korean style spicy tuna recipe
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Korean
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 149kcal
Author: Sue | My Korean Kitchen

Ingredients

MAIN

  • 185 g canned tuna (6.5 ounces), oil or water drained
  • 50 g mixed vegetables (1.7 ounces), sweet corn, baby peas, capsicum / bell peppers or carrots, cut into small pieces as necessary (you can use frozen or tinned ones too.)
  • 20 g onion (0.7 ounces), diced
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil , I used rice bran oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Spicy Tuna Sauce: Option 1) Use this sauce if you’re making Korean spicy tuna as a side dish.

  • 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato sauce / ketchup
  • 1/2 Tbsp honey

Spicy Tuna Sauce: Option 2) Use this sauce if you want the extra spiciness or if you’re going to serve it over pasta or rice.

  • 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce / ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp honey

Instructions

  • Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add the cooking oil and the tuna. Stir quickly.
  • Add the vegetables and the spicy tuna sauce and mix them well so that everything is coated with the sauce. (If you make the spicy tuna sauce from option 2 to serve over rice or pasta, only add half of the sauce and use the remainder later - over rice / pasta.) Add the sesame seeds. Remove from the heat. Serve with rice or spaghetti.

Notes

Refer to the above post for serving suggestions.

Nutrition Info (per serving)

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 162mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.9mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Tried this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Rate this recipe with a comment below and tag me on Instagram @MyKoreanKitchen.

Written by: Sue

Last Updated:

Photo of author
Welcome to my Korean kitchen! I’m so happy that you're here. I am Sue, the creator behind My Korean Kitchen (since 2006). I love good food and simplifying recipes. Here you will find my best and family approved recipes. Thanks for stopping by!

NEVER MISS A NEW RECIPE

Join 20,000+ other Korean food lovers! Get the latest recipes from My Korean Kitchen delivered to your email inbox. It's free!

I will only send you emails related to My Korean Kitchen. Unsubscribe at any time.

Copyright: Unless otherwise noted, all photography and content on this site is the intellectual property of Sue Pressey of My Korean Kitchen. Please do not copy and/or paste full recipes and images to any social media channels or websites without my prior written consent. This is strictly prohibited. You may however, use a single image and a summary of my article in your own words, provided that proper attribution is given to myself and an appropriate link back to my original recipe. Thank you.

Disclosure: My Korean Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Rate This Recipe With Your Comment




18 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NEVER MISS A NEW RECIPE

Join 20,000+ other Korean food lovers!

Get the latest recipes from My Korean Kitchen delivered to your email inbox. It's free!

Connect

NEVER MISS A NEW RECIPE

Join 20,000+ other Korean food lovers! Get the latest recipes from

My Korean Kitchen delivered to your email inbox. It's free!