Temaki Sushi Roll

Learn how to make sushi right at home with this simple temaki sushi roll, or hand roll. No complex rolling, it's not too much more than making a taco or a burrito!

Plus, we're using amazing fillings like rich avocado, sashimi, salmon roe and pickled daikon (among others) all together with a creamy wasabi sauce.

If you're intimidated by making sushi, don't be! This temaki sushi recipe is a great way to get started as you don't have to make a neat and tidy roll.

Not to mention the absolutely amazing wasabi mayonnaise we slather on the inside of the roll to take it over the top.

And if you want to make it even more decadent, top it with some homemade cured salmon roe (also called ikura). Although it is still delicious with just pain salmon roe (I LOVE the Ikura though).

What is temaki sushi?

Temaki sushi a Japanese sushi style that is otherwise known as a hand roll and it is held in your hand and eaten (kind of like a taco or burrito). Nori is filled with fresh fish/meats and vegetables and the sushi is rolled into a cone shape to be eaten.

Why this hand roll recipe works

• This sushi hand roll is versatile - you can put whatever you want in it - make it yours! It's a fun and easy way to serve sushi.
• The ingredients are so fresh and rich it makes for an amazing appetizer or meal.
• It is relatively easy to roll the temaki if you have never made sushi before.
• It's great for a sushi party as you can have a "make your own temaki" station!
• This can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the fish with vegetable or tofu.
• It's a healthy snack or meal with all the vegetables and fresh seafood!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts to make temaki hand rolls at home is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Nori sheets (or seaweed, but it will be called nori in the store) are a must to make this temaki. I recommend buying the best you can afford - most Asian markets will have it.

To make this recipe easy, I highly recommend using my perfect Instant Pot sushi rice recipe to make sushi rice so you don't really have to worry about the rice at all. Made with rice vinegar and short-grain rice, it comes out perfect every time.

I am personally a sucker for salmon, but you can use any raw fish of your choosing - just make sure it is sashimi-grade fish to ensure it is safe to eat raw. You can also use this sushi crab mix or spicy tuna!

This recipe uses cucumber, avocado, shiso leaves, radish sprouts and pickled daikon radish, but you an use whatever you like for the accompaniments.

Mayonnaise and wasabi paste are used to make the wasabi mayonnaise. You can adjust it to your preference (I like a good amount of wasabi in mine).

Options and variations

You can use a variety of ingredients and toppings to make a handroll. Try some of these fun ideas:

• Instead of (or in addition to), use pickled ginger in your handroll.
• Use tamago (egg) - this is one of my favorites if you can find time to make the tamago (it's easy).
• Spicy tuna, sushi crab mix, yellowtail, hamachi, shrimp tempura or maguro (marinated tuna)- all of these work amazing in a hand roll!
• Marinated seaweed.
• Surimi (imitation crab), uni (sea urchin roe), shrimp, fatty tuna or salmon, scallop, marinated tofu, smoked salmon, any other kind of fish roe for topping. You can even use a good quality canned tuna or canned salmon to make this in a pinch.
• This crispy air fryer chicken karaage or pieces of this delicious sous vide teriyaki chicken work perfectly in this if you prefer to stay away from seafood. Also consider this chicken katsu curry with the gravy if you don't eat raw fish.
• Try this sous vide bulgogi and kimchi as a filling (so good!!).
• Any kind of dipping sauce - soy sauce, eel sauce, sweet soy sauce, this premade Japanese creamy togarashi sauce, and tamari.
• Carrot, green onions, mango, corn, sprouts, sesame seeds, kimchi (yes, this can be fun).
• Use a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds on top of the hand rolls.

Step by step instructions to make sushi at home

1. Cut a sheet of nori in half and place it in the palm of your hand, diagonal (shiny side down).

2. Place about ¼ cup of sushi rice toward the left side and spread it out.

3. Add the shiso leaves, a smear of the wasabi mayonnaise, cucumber, radish, avocado and sashimi (being careful not to overfill).

4. Roll the bottom left corner up toward the middle to form a cone. Secure the nori with a little sushi rice or water.

5. Sprinkle salmon roe and radish sprouts in the top of the hand roll and serve.

Wasabi mayonnaise instructions

To make the wasabi mayonnaise, mix the wasabi and mayonnaise together well. Add more or less wasabi as desired.

Expert tips

1. Always start with the rough side of the seaweed up (shiny side down) as it will grip the rice better and make it easier to roll.
2. Wet your fingers before pressing the rice onto the nori to prevent it from sticking to your hands.
3. Be sure to buy fresh sashimi/sushi quality fish (or fish meant to be eaten raw). Ask the fishmonger if is is meant to be eaten raw to make sure.
4. Adjust the amount of wasabi in your mayonnaise depending on preference.
5. Use small amounts of fillings to ensure you don't overfill your hand roll (this makes it hard and messy to eat).
6. Make sure the sushi rice is made in advance so it's ready when you are.
7. Make it vegan by using vegetables only and replacing the mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise.

And if you're feeling a little lazy, you should definitely try this ultra comforting sushi bake.

Frequently Asked Questions

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