Imitation Crab Sushi Roll is a popular Japanese sushi roll – creamy, satisfying, and fiery spicy. The kani crab stick is shredded and then seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then wrapped in nori seaweed sheets and seasoned rice. These imitation crab sushi rolls take about 15 minutes to make once the sushi rice is ready. I’ll share with you the secrets on how to roll perfect sushi with step-by-step photos.
Skip the Japanese restaurant and make your own crab sushi rolls! You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make them at home.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Kani crab meat: Also called kanikama or imitation crab, this ingredient is also often used in California rolls. You can sub canned crab meat.
- Sriracha Sauce: Made with chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt, Sriracha adds heat to the sushi. Reduce the amount of this hot sauce if you prefer a mild taste and add more for extra spicy flavors. Huy Fong is my favorite brand. You can use chili sauce as a replacement.
- Mayonnaise: Adds the creaminess to the sushi. Try to get real mayo instead of mayo alternatives. You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for a healthier option.
- Nori (Seaweed Sheets): The fresh nori sheet is crispy enough to easily break into half by folding it.
- Sushi Rice: Use high-quality Japanese short-grain sushi rice.
- Sushi vinegar: For seasoning the rice. If you don’t have sushi vinegar, you can mix together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Sesame Seeds: I used a combination of white and black sesame seeds. Simply toast them in a frying pan for 5 minutes for the best nutty flavors.
You’ll also need a sushi rolling bamboo mat for easy rolling.
(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)
How to Make Imitation Crab Sushi Roll
Step 1: Make Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice and add to the rice cooker. Then add water and cook according to the instructions.
- Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool. When it’s still very warm, mix in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt).
Step 2: Make Spicy Sriracha Mayo
- In a clear bowl, mix together Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise. Taste and add more Sriracha if you prefer a spicier flavor.
Step 3: Make Crab Salad
- Shred the imitation crab meat using your hands or two forks.
- Add Sriracha mayo and mix well.
Step 4: Make the Sushi Roll
- Cut the nori sheet into two halves with kitchen scissors.
- Place half of a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat shiny side facing down.
- Spread seasoned sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori evenly. Press the rice gently with your hands.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Flip the sheet and let the rice side facing down.
- Add the spicy Kani crab salad to the middle of the nori sheet.
- Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
- Roll the bamboo mat away from you and press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
- Move the roll to a cutting board and cut it into 8 pieces.
- Drizzle more spicy mayo sauce on top of the roll for some extra heat.
Tips For The Best Imitation Crab Sushi Roll Recipe
- Before handling the sushi rice, you can dip your hands into Tezu water, which will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands. It’s a hand dipping liquid made with 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.
- When rolling the sushi, you’ll need to squeeze the roll gently but firmly. Once you finish, you can place the mat over the roll and gently squeeze it again. This will prevent the sushi roll from falling apart.
- If you use canned crab meat, make sure to squeeze out the water thoroughly so your crab salad filling is not too wet.
Is Imitation Crab Sushi Roll Cooked Sushi?
Yes, there’s no raw seafood in this recipe. Kani crab meat or canned real crab meat is used in this recipe and they are completely cooked.
Imitation Crab Sushi Roll Recipe
Imitation Crab Sushi Roll is a popular Japanese sushi roll – creamy, satisfying, and fiery spicy. The kani crab stick is shredded and then seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then wrapped in nori seaweed sheets and seasoned rice. These imitation crab sushi rolls take about 15 minutes to make once the sushi rice is ready. I’ll share with you the secrets on how to roll perfect sushi with step-by-step photos.
Servings 24 pieces (3 rolls)
Ingredients
For Sushi Rice
- 1 cup sushi rice short-grain sushi rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoons sushi vinegar or mix 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt
Spicy Mayo
- 3 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoons sriracha sauce
For the Sushi Roll
- 4 oz imitation crab
- 2 sheets nori seaweed
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Make Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice and add to the rice cooker. Then add water and cook according to the instructions.
- Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool. When it’s still very warm, mix in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt).
Make Spicy Sriracha Mayo
- In a clear bowl, mix together Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise. Taste and add more Sriracha if you prefer a spicier flavor.
Make Crab Salad
- Shred the imitation crab meat using your hands or two forks.
- Add Sriracha mayo and mix well.
Make the Sushi Roll
- Cut the nori sheet into two halves with kitchen scissors.
- Place half of a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat shiny side facing down.
- Spread seasoned sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori evenly. Press the rice gently with your hands.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Flip the sheet and let the rice side facing down.
- Add the spicy Kani crab salad to the middle of the nori sheet.
- Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
- Roll the bamboo mat away from you and press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
- Move the roll to a cutting board and cut it into 8 pieces.
- Drizzle more spicy mayo sauce on top of the roll for some extra heat.
Notes
- To make Tezu water: Simply mix together 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
- Why does my sushi roll fall apart? This could be caused by the wrong types of rice or you didn’t squeeze the rolls tightly. You need to tuck in and pull the bamboo mat tightly while rolling.
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