Kabuki Firecracker Copycat

I worked at Kabuki for many years as a young adult, and I love their food! I’m going to be sharing 5 recipes inspired by my favorite Kabuki signature dishes, starting with the Firecracker. This appetizer is a spicy tuna dip with crispy wonton chips. I order it every time I dine at Kabuki!

The Firecracker is almost like tuna poke, but ground up as a dip and served with wonton chips on the side. It’s made with sriracha, japanese mayo, sesame oil, soy sauce, a tiny bit of sugar, and my secret ingredient which I will talk about later!

My best friends and I used to go to Kabuki all the time (even when I worked there), and we’d start off with the Firecracker as an appetizer. One time we were really craving it, but there wasn’t a Kabuki nearby so we tried to see if we could make it at home with some salmon that we had. This recipe is based off that very successful attempt, since I don’t know Kabuki’s actual recipe for the Firecracker.  

Ingredients:

  • Tuna– you can also use salmon if you prefer, just make sure it is “sushi grade” or safe for raw consumption.

    *The term “sushi grade” in itself is not a real thing- more of a marketing term but, it is important to find fish that has been “previously frozen below a specific temperature and for a specific amount of time.” You can find more info about raw food safety here. 

  • Veggies- finely diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro go into the spicy tuna dip, then topped with sliced green onion.

  • Sauce- Sriracha, Japanese mayo, sesame oil, soy sauce, a little sugar for balance, and my secret ingredient: pickled ginger brine. Does Kabuki add it to their mix? Probably not. I don’t know for sure. But this specific sauce, which I also use for poke bowls, tastes so much better with some pickled ginger brine. If you’ve ever tried to make a similar sauce at home and felt like it was missing something- it’s probably that.   

  • Wonton chips- these are super easy to make, all you need are eggroll skins cut into small pieces and lightly fried for 10-15 seconds. That’s it! They add a very nice crunch and flavor to the dish. Perfect for dipping. 

Storage & tips:

  • I recommend letting the spicy tuna dip marinate (in the refrigerator) for an hour before eating it. You don’t have to, but I do think that hour gives the marinade enough time to really enhance the flavors. 

  • Do not keep in the refrigerator for more than 1 day. If you have leftovers just make sure to eat them within 24 hours. It may turn to a brownish color but it’s ok to eat during that time. 

  • If you’re making this for a party or large gathering, you can make the chips ahead of time and store in air-tight containers. They will stay crispy. 

  • I highly recommend serving with some sliced or cubed avocados! 

Kabuki Firecracker Copycat

5 from 2 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz tuna or salmon sushi grade
  • 2 tbsp red onion
  • 2 tbsp tomato
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • 3 8x8 eggroll wrappers makes 27 chips
  • canola or vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp Japanese mayo American mayo is ok too- just add a pinch of msg.
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp pickled ginger brine
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp sugar

Optional add-ons:

  • avocado
  • green onion

Instructions
 

  • Mix together all the sauce ingredients and set it aside.
  • Mince the tuna into a paste-like consistency. If your tuna has a lot of sinew, you may need to use a spoon and scrape the tuna off the sinew to separate it.
    Note: You can also use salmon which is what I actually prefer. Always use sushi grade fish when preparing for raw consumption.
  • Add the tuna to the sauce, along with finely chopped tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Mix well and set in the freezer (so it firms up a little bit and stays cold) while we make the wonton chips.
  • Stack the eggroll skins on top of each other and cut them into 9 squares by making 2 vertical and horizontal cuts (like a tic-tac-toe board).
  • In batches, fry in oil for 10-15 seconds, flipping over once. They will look like they are slightly under cooked but just trust me- any longer and they will brown too much. Rest on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
  • Plate then top the spicy tuna mix with some chopped green onions, and that's it! You can also add some avocado slices to the side.

Notes

  • I recommend letting the spicy tuna dip marinate (in the refrigerator) for an hour before eating it. You don't have to, but I do think that hour gives the marinade enough time to really enhance the flavors. 
  • Do not keep in the refrigerator for more than 1 day. 
  • If you're making this for a party or large gathering, you can make the chips ahead of time and store in air-tight containers. They will stay crispy. 

*This post contains affiliate links to products that I actually use & recommend. I am not sponsored by these brands, but I do make a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Londyn Hendrix

    5 stars
    This was great! I used seaweed chips instead and I ran out of red onion so I used white.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  2. Sean

    5 stars
    Any recommendations other than the fried eggroll wrappers? Wife can’t eat due to allergies

    1. stellanspice

      I think fried seaweed chips would be a great alternative!

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Hi, I'm Stella!

I come from a multicultural background, and cooking has been one of the best ways for me to stay connected to my heritage. My recipes are tried and tested, many of them passed down through family. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

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