My Japanese mom always told me that keeping a can of tuna in the pantry is essential for those days when you need a simple, nourishing meal. My personal favourite kind is tuna packed in olive oil, not only for the flavour but because the oil itself becomes part of the dish and helps bring everything together.
This tuna, garlic chive, and egg stir fry is my go-to whenever I can’t be bothered to cook a full meal but still want something comforting and filling. I love eating it with a side of bread or spooned over hot rice, whether that’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’ll also admit that I’ve added rice directly to the pan at the end and turned it into a quick fried rice, which is equally delicious and very cozy.
I know garlic chives aren’t always easy to find outside of Japan, so I’ve happily swapped them for spinach, green onions, or whatever herbs I have on hand. As long as there’s a little bit of green, you’ll be set.
If I had to give two pieces of advice to elevate this dish, it would be to slow down just a little. Let the eggs set briefly before scrambling so you get large, fluffy pieces, and let the soy sauce sizzle directly against the hot pan to develop that lightly caramelised flavour.
I hope you enjoy this simple dish as much as I do – itadakimas!
10 minutes
Lina ☆ りな
PROFILE
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 2
Original recipe (1X) yields 2 servings
When scaling the recipe, the ratios of some ingredients may require slight adjustments. Adjust as necessary and season to taste.
- 1 can of tuna in olive oil
- 3 1/2 oz of garlic chives
- 3 eggs
- 0.5 tbsp soy source
- N/A salt & pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1
Chop the garlic chives into roughly 5cm long pieces.
- 2
Whisk the eggs in a bowl and set aside.
- 3
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the entire can of tuna with its oil, followed by the garlic chives and saute for about 1 minute, until the chives turn vibrant green.
- 4
Pour in the eggs and let them cook for 10-15 seconds, then gently scramble, keeping the egg in large, soft pieces.
- 5
Before the eggs are fully set, drizzle in soy sauce and let it sizzle against the pan for a few seconds to lightly caramelize, then gently scramble to continue. Season lightly with salt & pepperpepper to taste.
- 6
Serve immediately and enjoy!
RecipeID
672
Tips & Notes
Use tuna packed in olive oil for the best flavor and the oil also acts as the cooking fat.
Add the soy sauce directly to the hot pan and let it sizzle briefly to lightly caramelize before mixing – this adds depth and aroma to the dish.
Season sparingly with salt, as the soy sauce provides most of the seasoning.
This dish is best served immediately, while the eggs are still soft and tender.
You can also add cooked rice and scramble everything together to turn this into a simple fried rice dish!
MY RATING
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Hi friend! こんにちは! I’m Lina Takahashi, a Japanese-American gal born and raised in Colorado and my love language is making people food! To be honest, my last name was actually a part of my identity that I actually really struggled with as a kid. I grew up as one of very few Asian women in my community in Boulder, Colorado and I used to be incredibly self-conscious of my last name because it sounded “too” Japanese and it was often mispronounced. I wanted a simple last name, a name anyone could recognize and know that I am the same as everyone else — oh, how heartbreaking it must have been for my mother the day I came home and asked her why I don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. Even throughout questioning my identity as a Japanese-American woman, one thing that I never questioned was knowing for a fact that Japanese food was my absolute favorite. All I wanted to do as a kid was watch my mom cook in the kitchen and learn how she creates this magical food. Who knew I would come to create a platform to share it with you, too! I am thankful for my mother who taught me how to cook Japanese food in a city where it was hard to find Japanese ingredients nearby. She made us miso soup every night, Japanese food like omurice, Japanese croquettes, curry, karaage, sushi and so much more! I know now that it was not an easy feat. She made her own somen and udon broth, she baked her own Japanese shokupan; she was making mochi before Instagram or Tik Tok existed! Ponzu and salmon on rice?! That was my breakfast I looked forward to it in elementary school the day after we had salmon for dinner. Now, all I want to do is share with YOU what I’ve grown up eating and cooking with my Japanese home in hopes that you can bring a little bit of Japan into your kitchen! Many of my recipes have a Japanese twist on them, but a lot of my recipes are also just because I think it tastes good and I hope you do too 🙂 Come say hi and send me any recipe requests on social platforms under @takahasheats and join me in a life of eating, cooking and being in awe of food. Itadakimas! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takahasheats YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@takahasheats TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takahasheats