Easy, Homemade Sushi Rolls Recipe

Have you ever wondered how to make your own sushi rolls? 

My son is an extremely picky eater. He went through a period of time where he would only eat a certain brand’s flavor of yogurt and spicy California sushi rolls with white rice. After awhile of buying him sushi rolls, so he would eat food, I decided there needed to be a way to make them myself to save our budget a bit. 

I had 5 kids, one of which was a nursing infant at the time, so I didn’t want it to be too complicated. I searched the internet and found that it could be done fairly easily. My recipe is not authentic. It is adapted from a number of recipes I found online. For the purpose of making it fast and easy, I cut some steps.

To Make Homemade Sushi Rolls, You Need to Buy the Supplies

First, get a bamboo sushi rolling mat. I bought mine from Amazon. It looks like you can get just the mat for under $4 now. My kit was more than $20 at the time. I never used all the extra stuff that came with it. If I were to get a kit again, I would likely get one with some sort of guides to help cut it without it falling apart. I currently only use the $4 bamboo mat. That works fine for us.

Also, you want to buy Nori paper that doesn’t smell or taste “fishy”. I searched Amazon for good reviews on some good Nori paper the first time I made them. Since then, I found packages of Nori paper at my local Meijer, and they were wonderful. I did notice if I put the rice on the Nori paper when it was hot, it would bring out the “fishy” smell and flavor. So, make sure you let your rice cool before assembling the rolls.

To Begin Making Your Own Sushi Rolls, Start with Making the Rice

To begin, rinse your rice in a fine strainer. Then place it in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. Many people suggest soaking the rice for much longer prior to cooking it. It is better at getting the starches off, however, as mentioned above, I took some shortcuts. Only rinsing the rice, is one of mine. This water to rice ratio should also be adjusted based on the type of rice you are using. Basically, prepare the rice according to the package directions.

As soon as you start the rice, combine the rice vinegar, white sugar, and salt. Stir it together until it dissolves. Let it sit while the rice is continuing to cook.

After the rice has come to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes (or as the package states). Remove it from the heat and let it “stand”, while covered, for 5 minutes.

After the rice is complete, I “fluff” it with a fork, then mix in the vinegar mixture. I stir until it covers all the rice and there are no “lumps” remaining. The vinegar mixture tends to help separate the rice a bit and make it easier to work with. Once it is mixed in, allow it to cool at room temperature. It would likely cool faster in a separate bowl, but I usually don’t like to dirty extra dishes, so I just let it cool in the pan. I’ve heard if you use a fan, it will give it a shinny appearance. I can’t remember if I’ve taken the time to find the fan, or just been busy with kids while it cools.

After The Rice Is Cooked and Cooled, Spread the Rice on the Nori Paper

Once the rice has cooled, it is time to assemble your rolls. Lay out your bamboo roller. I usually put some sort of plastic wrap over it to assist in clean-up. However, the plastic wrap becomes a big hassle and can make rolling a bit more difficult. The plastic wrap slips around a lot making it more difficult to get a tight roll. I find that without it, the rice gets stuck in my bamboo roller, so it ends up being a preference thing.

My son likes his rice on the outside of his sushi rolls so that’s how I’ve arranged my directions. It seems like it would be easier for beginners to put the Nori paper down first, then spread the rice on top of the paper. You can alter these steps according to your preference. It just depends as to whether you prefer ease, or if you want them to look like my picture. My son’s tastes are very dependent on the looks of the food.

Spread your rice in a thin layer on the bamboo roller, about the size of your Nori paper. I’ve used tools to do it, but it usually easiest with damp hands. Then lay your Nori paper on top. Along the bottom edge of your Nori paper, scoop a thin row of crab meat. Then, lay out a few slices of your vegetables along that same row.

Assemble, Roll, and Cut Your Homemade Sushi Rolls

Once you’ve added all the ingredients you want included in your sushi rolls, it is time to begin rolling. Start with the filling edge, and begin rolling it up around the filling. As you roll, you’ll want to peal back the roller, so it is just your food in the sushi roll. This will take practice to get it nice and tight while managing all the pieces involved. Try to get it as tight as possible, so your rolls don’t fall apart when you cut them.

Once you have a nice long roll, cut them in 1” slices and arrange them on a plate. My son loves Yum-Yum sauce drizzled on top. We like the added flavor. I began by making my own. Recently, I tend to buy the convenient, store-bought bottle.

Easy, Homemade Sushi Rolls Recipe

How to make your own, kid friendly sushi rolls at home

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cuisine Japanese

Ingredients

  

For the Rice

• 2 1/4 cups Japanese sushi-style rice (I used Jasmine Rice)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt

For the Rolls

• Nori Paper
• Imitation crab meat
• Cucumber peeled and cut into long thin strips
• Carrots peeled and cut into long thin strips
• Avocado peeled and sliced into thin slices
• Yum-Yum Sauce

Instructions

 

• Rinse & drain rice in a fine strainer, then place into a saucepan and 3 cups water.
• Cover, and bring rice to a boil over high heat.
• Stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved in a small bowl; set aside.
• Reduce the heat on the rice to “low”, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar mixture until well incorporated and no lumps of rice remain.
• Allow to cool at room temperature. (For a shinier appearance, use an electric fan to cool rice rapidly.)
• Spread rice in an even layer on a bamboo roller.
• Lay a sheet of nori across the layer of rice.
• Spoon a layer of crabmeat in a row along the bottom edge of each nori sheet.
• Add thinly sliced cucumber, carrots, avocado, and other veggies according to your preference.
• Roll nori sheet around the crabmeat & veggie filling, starting on the filling side until completely wrapped.
• Cut each roll into 1” pieces.
• Arrange on the plate and drizzle Yum-Yum sauce over the top

Notes

Edit the ingredients to fit your liking. You don’t need much of the fillings.

Keyword sushi