California Roll Recipe

California roll closeup on a white plate.

Delicious California Roll Sushi Recipe with Step-by-Step Instructions

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: California Roll, California Roll Sushi

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Servings: Rolls

Calories: 248kcal

Equipment

1 Bamboo Sushi Mat
1 Pot for cooking sushi rice
1 Sharp knife and cutting board

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

2/3 cups Sushi Rice dried, will cook to 2 cups
2 Tbsp. Sushi Vinegar

Sushi Roll

2 Nori Sheets
1 Ripe Avocado
1 English Cucumber Sliced into sticks
8 oz Imitation crab or real crab
1 tbsp Japanese Mayonaise
1 Pinch Salt
Lemon Juice
Sesame Seeds

Instructions

Cook Sushi Rice

Rinse 2/3 cups of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 cup of water.
Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
Remove the rice and place into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
Mix 2 tablespoons of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!

Prepare the Crab Salad Filling

Note: If you are using real crab you can skip this step and add the crab directly to the sushi roll without mixing with Japanese mayo.
To make the crab salad, start by shredding the imitation crab into a bowl with two forks
Add the Japanese mayonnaise with a pinch of salt and gently mix together.

Assemble the California Rolls

Tear or cut the nori sheet in half: Fold the nori sheet in half and gently tear along the seam. If it does not tear easily, use kitchen shears to cut the nori sheet in half
Cut the avocado and cucumber: Slice the avocado in half the long way. Remove the seed and cut each half into 8 slices. Each whole avocado should yield around 16 slices. You can also drizzle a little lemon juice over your cut avocado to prevent it from browning in your roll.
Finally, cut the cucumbers into strips that are as long as your nori sheet and about 1/8 inch thick.
Prepare your bamboo sushi mat: Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
Press rice onto nori sheets: Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around 1/2 cup of rice onto the nori sheet in an even layer. Tip: Combine a bowl of water and a splash of rice vinegar and use to wet your hands prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
Add sesame seeds to the rice: Evenly sprinkle sesame seeds on your sushi rice.
Flip nori sheet over: Gently flip the nori sheet over so the rice is facing down. You will add the filling directly to the nori sheet with the rice on the outside.
Add the avocado and cucumber: Add the avocado slices and cucumber sticks horizontally along the nori sheet. In general, I add 2-3 avocado slices and 1-2 cucumber sticks depending on the size of each ingredient and how everything fits.
Add the crab: Spoon about 1/4 of the crab salad mixture onto the nori sheet and spread evenly across the middle of the sheet.
Roll the sushi: Use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it's completely enclosed. Once the rice is making contact with the nori roll, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn't get caught in the sushi. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently press, tightening the roll together.
Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it. If you struggle, you can try using less crab filling or using 3/4 or a full nori sheet.
Cut the roll: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then cutting each half in half. Then cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
Serve and enjoy: I usually serve with soy sauce and wasabi. Sushi rolls are traditionally served with pickled ginger as well.

Video

Notes

You can control how thick your sushi rolls are by how much of the nori sheet you use. This recipe uses the half the nori sheet which makes thinner rolls. I like this for California rolls because it makes them bite size and easier to eat with chopsticks. However, it does make them more difficult to roll.

If you like thicker rolls, you can use the entire nori sheet. You can also cut off the top 1/4 of the nori sheet depending on your preference.

Nutrition