Crispy Spicy Salmon Rice Paper Tostadas
Puffed fried rice paper tostadas with a jammy egg yolk cooked into the center, topped with spicy marinated salmon, diced avocado, cucumber, and a drizzle of chili crisp. Gluten free, ready in under 30 minutes, and genuinely unlike anything else.
Servings 2 tostadas
Ingredients
Spicy Salmon
- 12 oz sushi-grade salmon finely diced
- 2 tablespoon Japanese mayo Kewpie
- 2 teaspoon chili sauce adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
Tostadas
- 2 rice paper sheets
- 2 egg yolks
- Neutral oil enough to coat the bottom of the pan
Assembly
- ½ avocado diced
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds
- Chili crisp for drizzling
Instructions
- Make the Spicy Salmon: Combine diced salmon, Japanese mayo, chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Mix gently until fully coated. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to marinate. Set aside.
- Heat the Oil: Add enough neutral oil to a skillet to fully coat the bottom. Heat over medium-high until just lightly smoking. The oil temperature is critical here — if it's not hot enough, the rice paper will absorb oil instead of puffing.
- Add the Yolk : Carefully place one egg yolk directly in the center of a dry rice paper sheet.
- Fry the Rice Paper: Lower the sheet into the hot oil, yolk side up. The rice paper will puff rapidly around the yolk within 20 to 30 seconds. Cook until fully puffed and crisp with the yolk just set but still jammy. Transfer immediately to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the second sheet and yolk.
- Build the Tostadas: Spoon spicy salmon over one half of each puffed rice paper. Pile diced avocado and cucumber into the remaining space. Top the salmon with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Finish the whole tostada with a drizzle of chili crisp, including over the yolk in the center.
- Serve: Eat immediately while the rice paper is still aggressively crisp.
Video
Notes
- Oil temperature is the one thing you can't rush here. The science behind it: when a dry rice paper sheet hits oil that's hot enough, the residual moisture inside the sheet instantly turns to steam and creates pressure that pushes outward, puffing the paper in seconds. If the oil is too cool, that process slows down and the paper starts absorbing oil instead — you end up with a greasy, flat sheet instead of a light, crispy one. A light wisp of smoke rising from the surface is your signal that it's ready.
- Keep the yolk centered before it goes in the oil. Once it's in the pan, don't touch it. The puffing happens fast and moving the sheet will break the yolk before it has a chance to set. Twenty to thirty seconds is all it takes. Pull it the moment the edges look fully puffed.
- Don't overload the tostadas. The puffed rice paper is crispy but not structural — too much weight and it collapses under the toppings. A generous spoonful of salmon, a pile of avocado and cucumber, and the drizzle on top is exactly the right amount. The chili crisp over the warm yolk in the center is the move that ties everything together. If you're into this kind of spicy salmon build, my [Crispy Rice Waffle with Spicy Salmon and Avocado] uses the same marinade over a completely different base and is worth having in your rotation too.
- Use sushi-grade salmon. This is raw fish that's being eaten raw, so the grade matters. Look for it at a Japanese grocery store or a fishmonger who explicitly labels it sushi-grade.