Homemade Sushi Rolls Recipe

 

Homemade Sushi Rolls Recipe

(A.K.A. Let’s Make a Mess in Your Kitchen)

Alright, so you wanna make sushi at home? Love that for you. It’s actually not rocket science, though if you’re expecting those perfect restaurant rolls on your first try…well, good luck. But hey, it’s fun, it’s tasty, and you get to brag about it later. Let’s roll (literally).

Prep Time: 40 min (because rice is needy and wants to cool down)

Cook Time: 20 min (just for the rice, not for you to scroll TikTok) Whole ordeal: About an hour Skill Level: Eh, medium? You’ll be fine.

Feeds: 2 hungry people, or one person who’s had a day.

WHAT YOU NEED

Sushi Rice:

• 1 cup short-grain sushi rice (about 200g—don’t try to use Uncle Ben’s, please)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp of water (270ml)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Stuff to Roll:

• 2-3 sheets of nori (the green seaweed paper, don’t eat it straight from the pack, trust me)
• Fillings: Mix and match, don’t overthink it. Pick like 2–3 per roll.
• Fish (sushi-grade only!): Ahi tuna or salmon, 2-3 oz each, sliced into long skinny strips (about 1/4" thick, if you care)
• Veggies:
• Cucumber (slice it up—nobody likes huge chunks)
• Avocado (half of one, sliced—don’t let it turn brown!)
• Carrot (half a small carrot, julienned, fancy word for matchsticks)
• Other fun stuff:
• Imitation crab sticks (aka “Kani”), 2-3, split in half.
• Cooked shrimp (2-3, also halved the long way)
• Cream cheese (1-2 tbsp, if you are in a Philly roll mood)

To Serve (optional, but highly encouraged):

• Soy sauce (low sodium if you are pretending to be healthy)
• Wasabi paste (tiny dab unless you like pain)
• Pickled ginger (for those “cleanse the palate” moments)
• Toasted sesame seeds (for pizzazz)

Tools & Gadgets

• Medium saucepan with a lid (rice wants privacy)
• Wide, shallow dish or bowl (for cooling rice—baking dish works)
• Wooden spoon or rice paddle (no metal, please)
• Two small bowls (one for mixing vinegar, one for wetting your hands)
• Sharp knife (the sharper, the better—don’t use your butter knife)
• Sushi rolling mat (makisu—if you don’t have one, improvise with a towel, but don’t sue me)
• Plastic wrap (trust me, or you’ll be scraping rice off everything)

WHAT TO DO

Step 1.

Rice Drama

• Rinse: Dump your rice in a fine sieve. Rinse under cold water, swirl it with your hand, until water’s clear-ish (2-3 min, don’t skip, or your rice will be glue).
• Cook: Toss rinsed rice in a saucepan. Add water. Bring to a boil, medium-high heat. When it’s bubbling, slap the lid on, drop the heat to LOW, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Don’t peek. Don’t even think about it.
• Steam: After 15, yank it off the heat, still covered, and let it chill for another 10. Again, hands off the lid.
• Season: While that’s happening, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt in a little bowl (just swirl it till dissolved).
• Finish: Dump rice into your shallow dish. Pour vinegar all over. Take the wooden spoon and gently “cut and fold” the rice—don’t mash it up, you want those grains intact. Fan it with something (I’ve used a magazine, whatever’s handy) as you stir, which helps it cool and get shiny. When it is room temp (15-20 min), cover with a damp cloth so it doesn’t turn into cardboard.

Step 2.

Fillings Prep

• Slice everything into long, thin strips. No chunky pieces—remember, you’ve gotta fit it all in the roll. Fish, veggies, whatever you’re using. Lay it all out so you can grab what you need.

Step 3.

Set Up Shop

• Wrap your rolling mat in plastic wrap (seriously, do it—saves your sanity).
• Set out your fillings, bowl of water (for dipping your fingers, rice is sticky as hell), knife, rice, and nori sheets.
• Take a deep breath. You’re about to get your hands dirty.

Step 4.

Rolling Time, Baby

• Nori Down: Grab a sheet of nori—shiny side hits the mat, longer edge facing you like a sushi runway.
• Rice Business: Wet your hands (sticky rice is the enemy). Scoop out about half to three-quarters of a cup of rice and pat it out over the nori. Keep a half-inch border at the top—don’t skip that or your roll will open up like a sad burrito. Don’t smash the rice, either. Be gentle.
• Fill ‘Er Up: Line up your fillings right through the center. Not too much—seriously, don’t get greedy or this thing will burst.
• The Roll: Grab the edge of the mat closest to you. Thumbs under the mat, fingers holding fillings hostage, and start rolling it forward, tucking the nori and rice over the goodies. Keep it firm but chill—don’t Hulk-smash it.
• Keep rolling, giving a little pressure so it stays tight. Lift the mat as you go, or it’ll get trapped inside like a sushi mummy.
• When you hit that naked strip of nori at the end, dip a finger in water and run it along the edge to seal it up. Press gently to shut it tight.
• Pop the roll out of the mat, place it seam-side down, and let it chill while you roll the rest.

Step 5.

Slicing & Dicing

• Get a killer, sharp knife. Moisten it with a damp cloth between cuts so it doesn’t glue up with rice. Slice each roll into 6-8 bite-sized pieces. Do not press straight down or you’ll squish it—use a smooth sawing motion.

Step 6.

Chow Down

• Stack the pieces on a plate, make ‘em look pretty if you care. Serve right away with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Go wild with toasted sesame seeds if that’s your jam.

Macros (per serving, serves 2)
Look, this totally depends on what you put in—do not @ me if your calories are off. This is for your average roll: fish or imitation crab plus veggies, using the rice amounts above.

• Calories: 450-600 (ish)
• Protein: 20-30g (depends on the fish/chicken)
• Carbs: 70-90g
• Fat: 10-25g (avocado, cream cheese, fatty fish = more fat)

Tips & Tweaks

• Rice matters: Use proper sushi rice—short-grain, sticky, not Uncle Ben’s.
• Don’t murder the rice: Overcooked = mushy = gross. Keep an eye on it.
• Don’t overstuff: Seriously, less is more here. Otherwise, your roll will look like a crime scene.
• Wet hands & knife: Always. A bowl of water nearby is a lifesaver.
• Practice: First one’s gonna look like roadkill—whatever, you’ll get better.
• Inside-out rolls (Uramaki): Cover the whole nori with rice, sprinkle on sesame seeds, then flip it so rice is down. Fill and roll as usual.
• Classic Combos:
• California: Imitation crab, avo, cucumber.
• Spicy Tuna: Tuna + sriracha + mayo.
• Philly: Smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber or avo.
• Veggie: Whatever veggies you want—cuke, avo, carrot, bell pepper, sprouts.
• Cooked stuff: Chicken or shrimp works, just cook it first.

FAQs

Q1: Do I really need sushi-grade fish?
A1: 100% yes—do not mess around with raw fish unless it says “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” from a place you trust. That’s not just food snobbery, that’s food safety. If you can’t find it, stick to cooked stuff or veggies.

Q2: My rice is a sticky disaster/dry as the Sahara. Why?
A2: Too sticky? Probably too much water, not enough rinsing, or you didn’t let it cool enough. Dry? Not enough water, or maybe you let it dry out uncovered. Fanning during the seasoning step helps hit that sweet spot.

Q3: Can I roll sushi without a mat?
A3: It’s a pain, but you can hack it: a clean, flexible placemat, or even a slab of aluminum foil wrapped in plastic wrap. But honestly, a bamboo mat is cheap and makes it easier.

Q4: How long does homemade sushi last?
A4: Eat it ASAP for the best taste, especially if you used raw fish. If you must fridge it, wrap it tightly in plastic and eat it within 24 hours. After that, the rice gets sad, and the nori gets chewy. Never freeze sushi. That’s simply wrong.

Q5: Clean sushi cuts—how?
A5: Sharp knife. Wipe it with a damp cloth every couple of pieces. Do not just push down—gently saw through so the roll doesn’t get smushed. Pro tip: wet blade = less rice sticking.