15 Easy Sushi Recipes For Beginners

15 Easy Sushi Recipes For Beginners

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Love eating sushi for dinner but find it too expensive for a weekly indulgence? Why not make them at home? It can be a fun activity for the entire family to come together and create beautiful memories. Your sushi may not be Instagram-worthy in the first try but they will be so delicious that you won’t care!

Today, I will share with you 15 easy sushi recipes for beginners. They are made with simple ingredients you can find at any Asian grocery store. The steps are easy to follow and promise loads of fun.So, let’s get started!

Contents

#1. Traditional Sushi Rolls (Hosomaki)

Ingredients:

For fillings:

Step 1: Prepare sushi rice by mixing cooked short-grain rice with seasoned vinegar. Check out this article to find step-by-step instructions on how to make sushi rice.

Step 2: Cut both ends of the cucumber and peel it. Now cut it in half lengthwise and repeat to get 4 strips. Remove the seeds and cut again to get 8 pieces in total.

Step 3: Cut out thin slices of raw tuna, about ¼- ½ inches thick. Make long stripes.

Step 4: Place the bamboo mat (click to see my favorite sushi making kits) on a flat surface and cover it with a plastic sheet. Now put the Nori sheet on the bamboo mat. Remember that the rough side4of the Nori should face towards you.

Step 5: Moisten your hands. Take a medium ball of sushi rice in your hands and spread an even layer on the Nori. Use your fingers to apply gentle pressure and keep a half-inch space on all sides

Step 6: Now add cucumber and tuna strips in the middle section of the rice. If the tuna or cucumber pieces are short, you may add extra pieces lined up to cover the Nori sheet’s length.

Step 7: Roll the bamboo mat away from you to create a tight and compact log. Keep pressing slightly as you roll to ensure that the ingredients stick together properly. Apply a few drops of water on the edges and seal it.

Step 8: Moisten the knife and cut the roll into 6-8 pieces. Serve with soya sauce and wasabi. Repeat the steps for the remaining ingredients.

#2. Spicy Tuna Rolls

Ingredients:

For fillings:

Step 1: Season the cooked sushi rice with the rice vinegar and keep aside. 

Step 2: Put the bamboo mat on an even working surface and keep one sheet of Nori over it, rough side up

Step 3: Take a small bowl and combine all the tuna filling ingredients. Set aside.

Step 4: Moisten your hands and take a handful of rice. Make an even layer of rice on the Nori sheet

Step 5: Now put the tuna fillings towards the bottom of the Nori sheet

Step 6: Now grab the bamboo mat and roll it over the filling to make a compact log. Press gently to ensure that the roll is tightly made. Wet your hands and apply them on the edges to seal the ends.

Step 7: Wet your knife and cut the roll into 6-8 equal sizes. Serve with wasabi and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#3. Futomaki Sushi Rolls

Preparing cooked dried daikon radish(Kanpyo)

  • 1 ounce dried daikon radish (kanpyo)
  • Water (for soaking)
  • 2/3 cup dashi soup stock
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp mirin (like this)
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

Preparing egg omelet (Tamagoyaki)

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Canola oil

To make the Futomaki rolls

Step 1: Make seasoned sushi rice by mixing cooked short-grained rice with seasoned vinegar. Read this article to find complete details on how to make sushi rice.

Step 2: To make Kanpyo, take all ingredients in a bowl. Rinse dried daikon radish and soak in fresh water until soft. Squeeze excess water and cut 8-inch long strips. Mix with dashi soup stock, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin in a bowl, bring to boil and simmer until liquid vanishes. Let it cool

Step 3: To make Tamagoyaki, beat eggs and sugar in a bowl. Heat canola oil in a pan and add the egg mixture to create a layer. Fold or roll the egg omelet to create a thick roll. Let it cool, and then cut into long sticks.

Step 4: Place the sushi mat on the working surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Place a whole sheet of dried and roasted Nori sheet on the mat.

Step 5: Take a medium ball of rice and evenly spread it out over the dried Nori sheet. Place the omelet, kanpyo, and cucumber sticks horizontally in the middle section

Step 6: Grab the bamboo mat from your end and start rolling it, apply gentle pressure as you roll to get a compact cylindrical shape.

Step 7: Moisten the knife and cut the rolled futomaki sushi into 3-4 pieces. Serve with yummy soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#4. Cucumber Roll (Kappa Maki)

Ingredients :

Step 1: Prepare sushi rice by mixing seasoned vinegar with cooked sushi rice. Read this article to see step-by-step instructions on how to make sushi rice.

Step 2: Cut off both ends of the cucumber and peel it. Now cut the cucumber into half lengthwise. Cut them again into half to get 4 pieces. Remove the seeds and julienne cut the cucumber pieces for sushi.

Step 3: Place the bamboo mat on an even surface. Cover it with a thin film of plastic wrap to prevent the mat from getting dirty. Put the half Nori sheet on the bamboo mat

Step 4: Take about 3/4 cup of seasoned sushi rice and spread it over the Nori sheet to create an even layer

Step 5: Now arrange the cucumber sticks horizontally on the sushi rice

Step 6: Start rolling with the bamboo mat, applying gentle pressure to get a firm and compact roll. Cut out the roll into 6-8 pieces and serve with wasabi and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

Read my article on ‘how to make cucumber sushi rolls at home’ to find more information and other interesting styles to make cucumber sushi rolls at home.

#5: Yellowtail Sushi Roll

Ingredients:

Step 1: Mix seasoned vinegar with cooked sushi rice in a bowl and keep aside. To find step-by-step instructions on how to make sushi rice, click here.

Step 2: Make thin sashimi slices of the hamachi yellowtail to arrange over the sushi roll and keep aside.

Step 3: Finely chop the tender and green part of the green onion. Also, cut the cucumber into thin strips matchbox-size

Step 4: Now finely mince the remaining part of hamachi but make sure you do not ground it to retain the texture

Step 5: Take a small bowl and mix minced hamachi, chopped scallion, Sriracha sauce, and spicy mayo to make fillings for sushi.

Step 6: Place the bamboo mat on a plain working surface and cover it with a plastic wrap. Put the Nori sheet on top of it

Step 7: Moisten your hands and take a handful of sushi rice. Spread it over the Nori sheet to make an even layer.

Step 8: Flip over the Nori so that the rice layer faces down on the plastic wrap. Now add a spoonful of the fillings on the Nori. Also, arrange a few cucumber pieces on the Nori

Step 9: Now with the help of the bamboo mat, start rolling to make a compact cylinder. Press gently to make sure all the fillings stay intact.

Step 10: Keep rolling until you reach the end and seal the edges by smearing a little water on it. Remove the mat and plastic.

Step 11: Drip the spicy mayo on the roll in a straight line to add that extra flavor and work as a gluing agent for the fish. Drip some wasabi next to the line created with spicy mayo.

Step 12: Now arrange the finely sliced hamachi over the roll. Put the plastic wrap on top of it and press gently for a few seconds to give your roll a good shape.

Step 13: Moisten the knife and cut the sushi roll into 6-8 pieces with the plastic wrap still on.  Unwrap each piece separately and serve with soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#6. Tiger Roll Sushi

Ingredients:

Step 1. First, you need to prepare seasoned sushi rice. Click here to find step-by-step instructions on how to make sushi rice.

Step 2: Thread a skewer through the tiger prawns to ensure that they are straight instead of being curled up. Now heat a griddle pan, and cook the prawns for 3-4 minutes turning them once in between. Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 3: Mix mayonnaise and roe. Keep aside

Step 4: Place the bamboo mat on the working surface and cover it with a thin plastic sheet. Put Nori over the plastic wrap with the rough side upwards.

Step 5: Take a medium ball of sushi rice and spread it over the Nori sheet to create an even layer. Press gently without squashing.

Step 6: Place two prawns horizontally on the bottom edge of the Nori sheet. Let the tail part poke outwards. Put two baby gem leaves over the prawns. Add a few strips of cucumber and avocado. Add a spoon of tobiko mayonnaise mixture over the fillings.

Step 7: Now roll the bamboo mat to create a compact log and seal the edges with your wet hands.

Step 8: Moisten the knife and trim the ends. Now, cut each roll into three equal pieces. Serve the pieces with yummy sauces. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#7. Dragon Roll

Ingredients:

Step 1: You will first need to prepare sushi rice with seasoning rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt. See #6 to know how to make sushi rice

Step 2: Peel cucumber, cut into four pieces lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut again to get 8 long strips.

Step 3: Remove the skin of the avocado, cut it into two halves and discard the pit. Now, make thin slices of both halves and keep aside. Sprinkle some lemon juice on avocado slices to prevent them from turning brown.

Step 4: Put the bamboo mat on a plain surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Put the half Nori sheet, shiny side facing down.

Step 5: Take a medium ball of seasoned sushi rice and create an even layer on the Nori sheet. Press gently.

Step 6: Flip over the Nori sheet and now add cucumber strips, tempura, and tobiko at the bottom half of the Nori sheet.

Step 7: Start rolling from the bottom end by pressing gently to make a tight roll. Keep rolling until you reach the end of the Nori sheet. Seal the edges by smearing some water on it.

Step 8: Place the avocado slices on top of the roll covering the entire surface. Use a bamboo mat to gently squeeze the roll so that the avocado slices stick around sushi rice.

Step 9: Wet the knife and cut out 8 pieces. If the roll gets messy after the cut, use the bamboo mat to tightly squeeze the roll again. Now remove the plastic wrap and serve with sauce.

Step 10: Adorn your dragon sushi roll with tobiko, spicy mayo, and black sesame seeds.  Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

How to Make Shrimp Tempura

#8. Temaki Sushi (Hand roll)

Step 1: Mix the cooked rice with seasoned rice vinegar to get well-seasoned sushi rice.

Step 2: Take blocks of raw fish slices and cut them into long sticks shape instead of sashimi style. If you are interested in how to choose salmon, you can read my previous article to find perfect quality raw fish.

Step 3: For this recipe, you don’t need any bamboo mat. So, put the Nori sheet directly on the working surface, rough side up.

Step 4: Take a spoonful of sushi rice and spread it only on the left half section of the Nori.

Step 5: Now add the fillings (fish sticks, lettuce, shiso leaves, kaiware sprouts, roe, and mayo) vertically across the middle of sushi rice. Place more fillings towards the top.

Step 6: Start rolling from the bottom left end and go up to the top to create a cone shape. Take a few grains of sushi rice to seal the edges and retain the cone shape. Serve with wasabi and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#9. Inari Sushi

Step 1: First, you need to cook short-grained rice in rice cooker or in a pot. When the rice is cooked well, not mushy, fluff it with a spoon and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: In a bowl mix rice vinegar and sugar. Keep whisking until the sugar solids dissolve completely. Transfer the hot rice to a large wooden bowl to let it cool. When cooled, add the vinegar-sugar seasoning to the rice. Now take the crumbled Korean seaweed laver and mix it with the seasoned sushi rice.

Step 3: Cut the tofu pockets into half and keep aside. Moisten your hands and make 20 equal portions out of the sushi rice.

Step 4: Give each rice portion an oval shape and press it firmly inside the inari pockets. Serve with wasabi and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#10 California Rolls

Ingredients:

Step 1: Squeeze lemon juice on the avocado slices if you don’t plan on consuming immediately. This is to prevent them from changing color

Step 2: Mix sushi rice with seasoned rice vinegar and keep aside. Click here for step-by-step instruction on how to prepare sushi rice.

Step 3: Place the bamboo mat on an even working surface and cover it with plastic wrap

Step 4: Put the Nori sheet on the bamboo mat, shiny side down

Step 5: Take a handful of sushi rice and spread it over Nori, making an even layer.

Step 6: Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the rice to cover the area completely

Step 7: Flip the Nori upside down to have the rice side down and Nori on the top

Step 8: Arrange the slices of avocado, cucumber, and crab sticks in the middle section of the Nori sheet

Step 9: Hold the edge of the mat close to you and start rolling to make a tight roll, keeping the fillings in place

Step 10: Moisten the knife and cut the roll into 6-8 pieces. Serve with wasabi and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

Read this article to find interesting tips and suggestions on how to make the California rolls at home.

#11. Philadelphia Roll

Step 1: Take cooked short-grained rice in a bowl and mix it with four tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar to make sushi rice. Click to read my article that contains full details on how to make sushi rice from scratch.

Step 2: Peel the cucumber, remove the seed and cut into thin sticks to use as fillings

Step 3: Place the sushi mat on a flat surface and cover it with a thin film of plastic. Put the Nori sheet over it with the rough side up.

Step 4: Take a medium ball of sushi rice and spread it over the seaweed sheet. Moisten hands and press gently to ensure that the rice spread out and stuck to the Nori sheet. Remember to keep 1-inch space at the bottom.

Step 5: Flip over the Nori sheet to have the sushi rice down and the Nori sheet facing upwards. Smear some cream cheese on the Nori sheet 1/3 up from the bottom side.

Step 6: Take thin slices of smoked salmon, roll them, and place on cream cheese. Lay the cucumber strips beside it.

Step 7: Hold the bottom side of the sushi mat and start rolling apply gentle pressure to get a tight log.

Step 8: Wet your knife and cut out equal pieces of the sushi roll. Serve the Philadelphia sushi roll with wasabi(how to make your own wasabi) and soya sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#12. Spider Roll

Step 1: To prepare sushi rice you need to mix cooked short-grain rice with a proportionate amount of seasoned rice vinegar in a bowl and keep aside.

Step 2: Sprinkle the soft-shelled crabs with black pepper and salt. Cover them in all-purpose flour and shake off extra. 

Step 3: Add butter to a non-stick frying pan and put on medium heat. Now slightly fry the crabs, top side down for at least 3 minutes. Turn them to other side and cook again for 3 minutes. Let cool and then cut each crab into four pieces with the legs attached.

Step 4: Place the bamboo mat on the working surface and cover it with a plastic sheet. Now, put the Nori sheet rough side up on the sushi mat. Take 3/4 cup of seasoned sushi rice and layer it over Nori with moist hands. Spread rice evenly leaving an only 1-inch border at the bottom end.

Step 5: Arrange 4 avocado slices and 4 pieces of soft crab horizontally over sushi rice. Let the crab legs protrude from the edges of Nori. Sprinkle some green onions and sesame seeds over the fillings.

Step 6: Grab the bottom edge of the Nori sheet closer to you and fold over the filling to create a roll. Keep pressing the mat gently as you continue to roll.

Step 7: Moisten the knife and cut 6-8 equal pieces of the sushi roll. Serve with the sauce of your choice. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#13. Rainbow Sushi Roll

Step 1. First, you need to prepare seasoned sushi rice by mixing cooked rice, rice vinegar, and sugar. Find the complete guide on how to make sushi rice here.

Step 2: Cut off both ends of the Japanese cucumber, peel and remove the seed. Cut it out into thin strips in julienne style.

Step 3: Cut the avocado into half and remove the pit. Take a spoon and scoop it out carefully. Now make thin slices of the avocado. Sprinkle some lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Step 4: Take the crabstick and peel out fine strips resembling thin shreds of cheese and put them aside.

Step 5: Now, take a sharp knife (click to see my favorite knife) to cut out thin slices of salmon, tuna, and sea bass to get that beautiful contrast of colors. You may substitute sea bass with shrimp or any other type of fish.

Step 6: Cut the Nori sheet into half. Place the bamboo mat on a plain surface, cover it with plastic, and put the half Nori sheet on it.

Step 7: Take a medium ball of rice and spread it over the Nori sheet to get an even layer. Press slightly to ensure the sushi rice stick to the sheet.

Step 8: Flip over Nori and on the seaweed side, add the cucumber strips, crab shreds, and 2-3 avocado slices. Grab the bottom part of the Nori sheet and start rolling to make a tight cylindrical log. Press gently and then remove the mat and plastic wrap.

Step 9: Now arrange the fish slices diagonally on the sushi rice – first tuna, then salmon, then sea bass, and repeat until you reach the end.  Take thin slices of avocado and put in between the fish slices.

Step 10: Now take the plastic wrap and put it over the roll and press gently to make sure the toppings stick to the rice. Cut out 6-8 slices with the plastic wrap still on. Now remove plastic and serve the pieces with wasabi and soya sauce.  Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#14. Caterpillar Roll

Ingredients:

Step 1: To make perfectly seasoned sushi rice, please read #13 Step 1.

Step 2: Slice two pieces of tempura shrimp diagonally into half to ensure that they cover the length of the Nori sheet and keep aside

Step 3: Place a bamboo mat on a working surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Now put half Nori sheet, rough side up

Step 3: Take 2/3 cups of sushi rice and spread it over the sheet. Now flip over the mat to have Nori facing upwards

Step 4: Add the shrimp pieces and thinly cut strips of cucumber to the center

Step 5: Hold the bamboo mat from the bottom and use your fingers to make a compact roll and seal the edges by smearing some water on it

Step 6: Arrange all the finely sliced pieces of half avocado on top of the roll slantingly to make it appear like a caterpillar and use a plastic wrap to press gently.

Step 7: Moisten the knife and cut out 6 pieces of the roll with the plastic still on. Now remove the plastic and put some eel sauce on it. Serve with sauce. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

#15. Boston Roll

Ingredients:

Step 1: Place bamboo mat on the working surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Put half Nori sheet over the mat, rough side facing upwards.

Step 2: Moist your hands and take a handful of sushi rice. Spread it over the Nori sheet to make a fluffy layer. Sprinkle some masago evenly on rice to cover the entire area.

Step 3: Turn over the mat to have the sushi rice facing downwards. Line up the shrimps on the Nori, from one end to another (towards your side). Place the thinly cut cucumbers beside the shrimps.

Step 4: Now place two pieces of avocado over the shrimps. Sprinkle some lemon juice on avocado slices to prevent them from turning brown.

Step 5: Fold the bamboo mat starting from your side to create a compact roll. Cut it into 6-8 equal pieces and serve with sauce of your choice. Repeat the steps for remaining ingredients.

You may also make Maki Boston rolls by rolling in the traditional way (Nori sheet outside).  Just skip the step where you flip the Nori sheet and add fillings over the layer of sushi rice.

If you don’t like the taste of Nori and wish to replace it with something interesting, read my article 7 Ways To Make Sushi Without Seaweed.

See Also:
How Long Does Sushi Last? (Detailed Explanation)
How Long Is Grocery Store Sushi Good For?

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