Crammed with creamy avocado, candy crabmeat, and crunchy cucumber, California Roll is by far the most well-liked type of rolled sushi within the US. It’s fairly simple to make, even for newcomers! I’ll present you the right way to make excellent rolls each time.

What was the primary sushi roll that you simply tried at a Japanese restaurant? It is perhaps California Roll, as it’s by far the most well-liked type of sushi within the US. At the moment, I’ll present you ways simple it’s to make California rolls at residence, even for newcomers!

When you love making sushi at residence, attempt my Inari Sushi, Dragon Roll, and Spicy Tuna Rolls subsequent!

What Is California Roll?

California roll (カリフォルニアロール) is an inside-out sushi roll (uramaki) the place the sushi rice is on the skin and the fillings and nori are rolled inside. Because the title would possibly recommend, the California roll didn’t originate in Japan. Fairly, Japanese-born sushi chef Hidekazu Tojo of Vancouver, Canada claims to have invented it at his restaurant within the Sixties after studying that Westerners have been apprehensive about making an attempt uncooked fish. At the moment, California rolls are synonymous with sushi within the West. 

Why This Recipe Works

• It’s deceptively simple – Even newbies to sushi-making can have no hassle with this recipe. I embody loads of step-by-step footage to point out you ways! 
• Good for sharing – There is no such thing as a uncooked fish, even my associates who worry “fishy” flavors love this sushi roll.
• Nice for on the go – We love packing sushi rolls in bento packing containers, they usually make an exquisite packable lunch!
• Customizable – You may alter the fillings relying on what you’re craving.

Substances for California Roll

• Nori (seaweed) sheets
• Toasted white sesame seeds
• Sushi rice:
  • Japanese short-grain white rice
  • Water
  • Kombu (dried kelp)
  • Seasoned rice vinegar (sushi vinegar) – store-bought or home made (see under)
• Filling:
  • Crabmeat – actual crab meat or imitation crab
  • Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
  • Japanese or Persian cucumbers
  • Avocado – sprinkled with lemon juice to forestall browning

Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.

Bounce to Recipe

Substitutions 

• Kombu (dried kelp): I like so as to add a bit of kombu when cooking the rice to infuse it with a pleasant aroma and trace of umami. You may skip it in the event you don’t have any available.
• Sushi vinegar: We historically make sushi rice utilizing rice vinegar that’s seasoned with salt and sugar, also referred to as sushi vinegar. When you can’t discover it, you can also make your personal by combining ⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar with 3 Tbsp sugar and 1½ tsp kosher salt.
• Crabmeat: I sometimes use imitation crab meat sticks, that are fabricated from processed white fish. You might be welcome to make use of actual crab, in the event you desire. 
• Japanese mayo: Japanese mayonnaise is made with egg yolks for a extra velvety texture. When you can’t discover it, you possibly can mix 1 cup of American mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp rice vinegar and 1 Tbsp sugar. The flavour gained’t be the identical, however it could work in a pinch. 
• Japanese cucumbers: I benefit from the delicate style and crunchy texture of Japanese (or Persian) cucumbers. When you can’t discover them, common cucumbers or English cucumbers will work. 

Key Kitchen Instruments

• bamboo sushi mat – I like to recommend the Sushi Making Equipment from JapanBargain that comes with three bamboo mats, rice paddles, and a Japanese picket tub (hangiri) for seasoning the sushi rice.

Easy methods to Make California Roll

Sushi Rice

Step 1 – Wash and prepare dinner. Wash and rinse the rice thrice, then drain properly. Add the drained rice, kombu, and water to a rice cooker. Soak it, then prepare dinner in keeping with the producer’s directions.

Step 2 – Season. Switch the cooked rice to a big bowl and let cool. Pour the seasoned rice vinegar combination on high and blend gently with a rice paddle. Cowl with a moist material.

Filling

Step 3 – Put together the crabmeat and lower the cucumber. Slice the crabmeat into 1-inch items, separate into smaller items, and blend with the Japanese mayo. Slice the cucumber into lengthy items and discard the seeds. Then lower into skinny strips.

Step 4 – Lower the avocado and nori. Lower the avocado into skinny, even slices. Lastly, lower the nori sheets in half. 

Assemble

Step 5 – Construct the rice layer. Lay a nori half sheet on a rolling mat lined with plastic wrap. Unfold sushi rice evenly to cowl the nori, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Step 6 – Flip over and fill. Flip the nori sheet so the rice is dealing with down. Line up the crabmeat, cucumber, and avocado slices throughout the nori beginning 1 inch from the underside edge.

Rolling

Step 7 – Roll. Rigorously roll the nori and rice over the filling. Squeeze it to kind a good cylinder, then press to form it. 

Step 8 – Slice the sushi. Use a pointy knife to slice the roll into 8 equal-sized items. Reshape the roll utilizing the mat one final time.

Step 9 – Serve with the sushi with soy sauce and optionally available Pickled Sushi Ginger and wasabi.

Nami’s Recipe Suggestions

• Distribute the rice evenly – Make certain so as to add the rice in a skinny, even layer. In any other case, the roll will change into lopsided, and the filling can burst by way of the nori. 
• Keep away from overstuffing the rolls –  It could appear fundamental, however you’d be stunned how simply we overstuff the sushi, making it tough to seal the rolls. Begin with a small quantity of filling and steadily improve to an quantity you possibly can simply roll.
• Roll the sushi compactly – If loosely rolled, the roll could collapse. Pull the bamboo mat in reverse instructions and use rigidity to tighten the roll.

Variations and Customizations

You may simply change up your California rolls with several types of fillings or toppings like my strategies under.

• High with tobiko. Also referred to as fish roe, I discover tobiko makes a stunning, colourful topping. I take advantage of a tablespoon or two of yuzu-flavored tobiko, so it’s yellow-colored as an alternative of the usual orange colour. 
• Make “common” sushi rolls. When you’re having problem rolling the sushi, you possibly can forgo the inside-out methodology and roll the sushi with the nori on the skin. Or, you should use three-quarters or an entire sheet of nori as an alternative of a half sheet. It’s a lot simpler to deal with!
• Spice it up. Drizzle sriracha sizzling sauce within the crabmeat combination or high the roll with Selfmade Spicy Mayo.

What to Serve with California Roll

Sushi rolls are nice as a facet dish or with a wide range of rolls and smaller dishes. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to serve them.

• Alongside different sushi rolls – Temaki Sushi makes use of a wide range of totally different substances and pairs properly with California rolls. 
• With fried appetizers – Shrimp Tempura provides a special texture and wealthy taste that enhances contemporary sushi rolls.  
• With soup – I like to serve Selfmade Miso Soup with this sushi.

Storage Suggestions

To retailer: It‘s finest to get pleasure from sushi rolls the identical day you make them. Rice will get arduous and dry within the fridge. When you actually wish to refrigerate them, I like to recommend masking them with plastic and a thick kitchen towel so the rice will keep cool and protected however not change into chilly.

Steadily Requested Questions

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Rice Cook dinner Time: 1 hour hr

Whole Time: 2 hours hrs

Servings: 8 rolls (lower into 8 items per roll)

For the Selfmade Sushi Vinegar (optionally available)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: In order for you substitutes for Japanese condiments and substances, click on right here.

Cook dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• Earlier than You Begin: You will want ¾ cup (110 g) of ready sushi rice for every California roll or a complete of 6 cups (880 g) of seasoned rice for 8 rolls. Cook dinner 2¼ cups (3 rice cooker cups) of raw short-grain white rice to yield 6⅔ cups (990 g) of cooked rice.

• Now, collect all of the substances.

To Cook dinner the Rice

• Wash and rinse: Put 2¼ cups raw Japanese short-grain white rice in a big bowl. Add sufficient chilly faucet water to moist the rice, then drain. Use your fingers to softly agitate and “wash“ the moist grains in a round movement for 10–15 seconds. Rinse with extra water, then instantly pour off the cloudy water. Repeat washing and rinsing two extra occasions till the water is nearly clear. Drain it properly in a fine-mesh sieve and shake off any extra water.

• Soak and prepare dinner: Switch the well-drained rice to the internal pot of a rice cooker. Add 2¼ cups water to the pot. Stage the rice, then place 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) on high. Soak the rice within the water for 20–half-hour. Then, begin cooking. Tip: When you don‘t have a rice cooker, prepare dinner the rice in a pot on the range, Instantaneous Pot, or donabe with the measured water I specify on this recipe.

To Put together the Fillings

• Crabmeat: Lower 5 oz actual or imitation crabmeat into smaller items, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) broad.

• Separate and shred the crabmeat along with your fingers and place in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and blend all of it collectively.

• Cucumber: Lower 2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers into quarters lengthwise.

• Take away and discard the seeds. Then, lower it lengthwise into skinny, lengthy strips.

• Avocado: Lower 1 avocado (giant) in half lengthwise across the seed: Insert the knife by way of the pores and skin and flesh till it meets the pit. Rotate the avocado so the knife slices all the way in which across the pit. Twist the 2 halves till they separate.

• Set the half with the pit on the slicing board or maintain it with a folded kitchen towel. Gently hit the pit with the heel of the knife to embed the sting. Twist the knife and pit in a counter route to the avocado; the pit ought to come out easily. Subsequent, slice the avocado in half lengthwise to make quarters (depart the pores and skin on).

• Rigorously lower the quarters lengthwise into skinny, ¼-inch (6-mm) slices, once more leaving the pores and skin on. Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon on the slices to forestall browning.

• Nori: Lower 4 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed) in half crosswise to make 8 half sheets.

To Construct the Rice Layer

• Wrap the back and front of the bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap.

• Hold the perimeters uncovered so no air will get trapped.

• Dip a ¾-cup measuring cup right into a bowl of water to moist it, shake off gently, and fill the cup with sushi rice.

• Lay a nori half sheet, shiny facet down, on the bamboo sushi mat. Moist your fingers within the water bowl and evenly unfold ¾ cup (110 g) sushi rice throughout the nori. Apply very mild stress so that you don‘t mash the rice grains. Alternatively, you should use a plastic rice paddle to maintain your fingers clear.

• Sprinkle the rice with about ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds.

To Fill and Roll

• Flip it over so the rice is now dealing with down on the mat. Place the nori about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from the mat’s backside edge. Beginning ½ inch (1.3 cm) up from the underside of the nori, line up one portion of crabmeat, avocado with skins eliminated, and cucumber throughout the nori. Tip: Don‘t add an excessive amount of filling, or it‘ll be extraordinarily tough to seal the roll.

• Seize the underside fringe of the mat along with your index fingers and thumbs and maintain the filling in place along with your different fingers.

• Roll the mat over the filling till the rice on the backside edge meets the nori close to the highest edge. Then, flip again the mat‘s backside edge towards you.

• Firmly squeeze the roll by way of the mat with one hand whilst you use your different hand to tug the highest of the mat away from you. Tip: This rigidity helps kind a good cylinder.

• Subsequent, use one hand to elevate and barely pull the mat’s backside edge as you employ your different hand to roll the sushi and mat ahead. Hold mild stress on the mat as you roll.

• To form, press the highest of the roll along with your index fingers whereas squeezing the perimeters along with your thumbs and different fingers. Your sushi roll is now carried out.Switch it to a tray or plate and canopy with a moist material always to forestall drying. Proceed making the remaining rolls.

To Serve

• With a really sharp knife, lower every roll in half crosswise. Then, lower every half into 4 items. Clear the knife with a moist material after each few cuts.

• Place the bamboo sushi mat over the lower roll and re-shape it one final time. Take away the mat and add the optionally available toppings of your selection, like ikura (salmon roe) or yuzu-flavored tobiko (flying fish roe).

• Serve with a small dish of soy sauce and wasabi for dipping and pickled sushi ginger (optionally available) on the facet. Take pleasure in!

To Retailer

• It‘s finest to get pleasure from sushi rolls the identical day you make them. Rice will get arduous and dry within the fridge. When you actually wish to refrigerate them, my advice is to cowl them with plastic and a thick kitchen towel, so the rice will keep cool and protected however not change into chilly.

Energy: 567 kcal · Carbohydrates: 110 g · Protein: 11 g · Fats: 8 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 4 g · Trans Fats: 0.004 g · Ldl cholesterol: 3 mg · Sodium: 333 mg · Potassium: 313 mg · Fiber: 4 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 121 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 81 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Writer: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Principal Course

Delicacies: Japanese

Key phrase: avocado roll, sushi

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Editor’s Word: This submit was initially revealed on Aug 19, 2011. The content material has been up to date in Might 2017. The submit was up to date with a revised recipe and new pictures on April 1, 2024, and republished with extra useful content material on March 19, 2025.