6 Sushi Roll Recipes With Crab

6 Sushi Roll Recipes With Crab

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Soft, delicate, sweet, and savory, crab meat is the most succulent and delicious of all seafood. Pair it up with sushi rice, nori, veggies, and you got one of the world’s most palatable dish on the table. Everyone in my family loves crab meat and we like indulging in the treat once in a week.

Talking about crab, let me make it clear that real crab meat can be expensive and not-so-easily available. I don’t live close to the ocean so finding fresh crab is out of the question. My go-to place to buy crab meat is Catalina Offshore products as they offer a good selection of real and imitation crab meat.

From soft shell crabs and Baja rock crab claws to wild Alaskan King crab legs and Blue crabs, real crab meat comes in different textures and flavors. Those who like to treat their taste buds with this delicacy more often without blowing the budget can opt for imitation crab meat (surimi).

Although imitation crab is not the real thing, it looks and tastes so much like real crab meat that beginners can hardly tell the difference. However, most of the sushi restaurants in Japan and across the world use surimi in the place of real crab because it’s cheap and easily available.

I have created an article that explains what imitation crab (surimi) is made of and the difference between imitation and real crab. Now, read on to find the best sushi roll recipes with crab.

(Please note that I have not included California roll in the list because it’s the most basic inside-out crab sushi roll – you can find the California roll recipe here).

1. Soft-Shell Crab Tempura Sushi Roll

Soft shell crabs are a seasonal delicacy but you can buy the frozen (see online store) form throughout the year. If you cannot find soft-shell crabs, substitute it with imitation crab sticks cut into half.

To make tempura

  • 100 g instant tempura batter mix
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Cold water
  • Vegetable oil

For sushi roll

Instructions:

In a bowl, mix the instant tempura mix with cold water to make batter-like consistency. Sprinkle the Panko bread crumbs on a plate. Heat vegetable oil in a deep-bottom frying pan.

Dip the soft shell crab in the tempura batter mix and then roll it over breadcrumbs. Deep fry the crab in oil until it turns golden brown. Take it out on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and cool down.

Now, place the bamboo mat on a table and cover it with a plastic cling film. Keep the nori sheet on the covered bamboo mat. Take a half cup of seasoned sushi rice and layer it over the seaweed to cover 80% of the Nori, leaving a gap on all sides. Click here for How To Make Sushi Rice In A Rice Cooker ? (also in a pot)

Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over sushi rice. Press gently with your fingers to ensure that the sushi rice sticks on the Nori sheet.

Flip over the seaweed to turn it upside down. Now add half of the soft shell crab tempura in the middle of the rice layer, next add the red pepper slices and lettuce leaves.

Lift the bamboo mat from your end and start rolling the nori sheet by pressing the fillings with your fingers. Apply gentle pressure as you roll to make a compact cylinder shape.

Now, arrange the finely cut avocado slices over the sushi roll to cover the entire area. Put the plastic sheet over the roll and tightly hug once again to ensure that the avocado slices stick to the rice. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.

2. Spicy Crab Sushi Roll For Beginners

For this recipe, I suggest that you use canned crab meat available on Amazon. It is less expensive than fresh crab meat but at least you get crab meat, so it works for those who are not impressed by the imitation stuff. You will need the following ingredients:

Instructions:

Start by cooking sushi rice in a cooker or pot at least 30 minutes before you plan to make rolls. When rice cools, season it with vinegar, sugar, and salt as per the instructions in this article.

To prepare the crab meat salad, take the meat out of the can and squeeze as much water as possible. This step is important because if the salad retains moisture, it will turn the nori soggy.

In a bowl, put the crab meat and add heavy mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, and shichimi togarashi. Mix all ingredients together to make a homogenous mix.

Put the bamboo mat covered with cellophane on the kitchen table and keep the nori sheet on it. Take a medium ball of seasoned sushi rice and spread it evenly over the nori sheet, leaving a half inch gap on all sides.

Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the rice to add a bit of crunchiness. Turn the nori sheet upside down and now add a generous amount of crab meat salad in the middle of the nori sheet.

Keep your thumb under the bamboo mat and use your fingers to roll the sushi into a perfect cylinder shape. Seal the edges with a few drops of water

Take a sharp Japanese sushi knife like this one and cut the roll into 6-8 equal pieces. Garnish with bright masago. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger.

3. Crab And Avocado Temaki (Hand Roll)

The reason why I like temaki rolls so much is that they don’t need any special equipment or skills to make. They are so simple that even kids can have fun assembling the hand rolls. You will need the following items:

  • Cooked crab meat or imitation crab meat, shredded
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • Lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • Radish sprouts
  • Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 8 sheets of toasted nori, cut into half
  • 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into thin slices
  • 2 small Japanese cucumbers, cut into thin strips

Instructions:

Take a medium sized bowl and add shredded crab meat, mayonnaise, finely sliced green onions, salt, pepper, and lemon. Mix all ingredients properly.

Lay the half nori sheet on the table, shiny side facing downwards. Take 2 tablespoons of crab meat mixture and spread it over the left side of the nori sheet.

Arrange avocado slices, radish sprouts, and cucumber strips over the crab meat salad and fold the nori sheet to form a cone shape and seal the edges with a few drops of water. Make sure the fillings slightly emerge out of the cone.

Serve immediately and eat it fresh to enjoy the crispy texture. Leaving it out will make the nori soggy and flavorless.

4. Cream Cheese And Crab Legs Sushi Roll

Talk about maki rolls and this is one of my favorite among the sushi roll recipes with crab. The perfect combination of soft cheese and savory crab legs makes it a winner. For this recipe, you will need:

Instructions:

Start by cooking short-grain rice in a cooker or pot (see how to cook). When the rice cools, season it with vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Lay the bamboo mat on the table and cover it with a cling film. Put the nori sheet over the bamboo mat, rough side facing up.

Moisten your hands and take a medium ball of vinegared sushi rice. Spread it evenly on the nori sheet, leaving about ½ inch of gap on all the sides. Press gently with your fingers to ensure that the rice sticks to the seaweed.

Now, arrange the imitation crabmeat legs in the middle of the nori sheet and add strips of cucumber and cream cheese next to it.

Lift the bamboo mat from your end and start rolling and apply gentle pressure as you roll to make the fillings stay intact within. Take a sharp sushi knife and slice the roll into 5-6 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.

5. Blue Crab Sushi Rolls With Spicy Sauce

Here’s one of the best ways of bringing together blue crabs, fruits and veggies to create a simple yet mouth-watering delicacy. If you cannot find blue crab meat, you may use any available crab for this recipe. You will need the following:

Instructions:

To make the spicy sauce, take a small bowl and add half cup mayo, 1 tsp Sriracha sauce, 1 tbsp Old Bay, ½ tsp sesame seed oil, juice of a half lemon, and 1 tsp honey. Keep aside.

Cook sushi rice in a cooker or pot following the step-by-step instructions given in this article. When the rice cools, season the rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Now lay a bamboo mat on the table and cover it with a plastic wrap. Put the nori sheet over the bamboo mat, rough side facing upwards.

Take half cup of seasoned sushi rice and spread it evenly over the Nori sheet, leaving gaps on the sides. Now arrange cucumber, carrot, mango, avocado, and crab one after another towards the middle. Drizzle some spicy sauce over the fillings.

Hold the bamboo mat from your side and start rolling until you reach the other end and seal the edges. Cut the sushi roll into 6-8 pieces using a sharp Japanese knife.

Dress up the roll with more spicy sauce and eat the roll immediately before the nori turns soggy. Serve the roll with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.

6. Bahamas Sushi Roll

What does Bahamas remind you of? Powdery beaches, corals, and seafood! I don’t know the exact reason why this sushi roll is named the Bahamas roll but I can guess that this has something to do with abundant availability of fresh seafood. I have used imitation crabstick for this recipe but you may use real crab meat. You will need:

Instructions:

Cook sushi rice until its gets the perfect sticky texture and then season it with vinegar, salt, and sugar. I have created an article that explains the process in detail.

Lay a bamboo mat on a plain working surface and cover it with a plastic sheet. Now, put the soy paper over the covered bamboo mat.

Moisten your fingers and take a medium ball of sushi rice. Spread it evenly on the soy paper, and leave a gap on the other end of the soy paper, the side away from you.

Press your fingers gently to ensure that the sushi rice sticks to the paper. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the sushi rice layer.

Now, arrange the fillings one after another. Start with imitation crabsticks, then spicy crab salad, avocado, jalapeno, and mango.

Lift the bamboo mat from your end and start making a compact roll, squeeze gently as you roll so that the inner fillings stay intact. Use a sharp sushi knife to cut the roll into 6-8 pieces.

Drizzle some spicy mayo and eel sauce over the bite-sized rolls and serve with pickled ginger and soy sauce.

7. Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll

If you are pregnant and craving for sushi, here’s a scrumptious and satisfying inside-out sushi roll recipe for you. As the crab meat used in this recipe (even the surimi) is cooked, you can go ahead and gorge as much as you like. You will need the following ingredients:

Instructions:

Place the bamboo mat on the table and cover it with a plastic sheet. Now, keep the nori sheet on the mat and layer it with half cup of seasoned sushi rice （see how to make seasoned sushi rice). Leave at least one-inch gap on the side of nori sheet away from you.

Turn the seaweed upside down, and add four table spoons of crab meat mixture, two slices of avocado and shrimp tempura cut into half.

Now lift the bamboo mat from your side and start rolling. Apply some pressure as you roll to ensure that the ingredients stay together. When you reach the other end, dampen the edge and seal.

Now take 3-4 imitation crabsticks and microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it up. Now, lay on the cutting board and cut it into half. Flatten the half crab sticks and place them over the roll to cover the entire area.

Use the plastic wrap to cover the roll and give one gentle squeeze with the help of bamboo mat. This will make the crab sticks stay in shape over the rice.

Take a sharp Japanese knife like this and cut the roll into 6-8 pieces with the plastic sheet on. Now, remove the plastic sheet and garnish the roll with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, spicy mayo and sriracha sauce.

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