These California Roll Sushi Bowls are packed with savory, spicy, and umami flavors. A healthy Asian-inspired dish, it’s made with imitation crab, veggies, Sriracha mayo, and topped with sesame seeds.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I absolutely love these California Roll Sushi Bowls. They’re light, delicious, and a great mix of flavors and textures. They are basically deconstructed sushi rolls and you can make them at home. You’ll be serving these bowls every chance you get once you’ve tasted one!
- TASTE: This bowl is full of sweet and tangy sushi rice, delicious imitation crab meat, and fresh vegetables.
- TEXTURE: The crunch of the cucumber with the tender crab and creamy avocado, drizzled with rich spicy mayo, make this sushi bowl absolutely amazing.
- TIME: It will take just over 20 minutes to make this dish.
- EASE: This recipe explains how to make your own sushi rice, and with easy to follow directions, it’ll be a breeze.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Calrose sushi rice– This short-grain rice is very starchy and will be sticky when cooked.
- Seasoned rice vinegar (Marukan)– This makes the rice both sweet and tangy.
- Japanese mayonnaise– This type of mayo is rich, tangy, and sweeter than regular mayo.
- Sriracha– This ingredient is used to add spice to the mayo.
- Imitation crab– This crab is actually cooked fish that has been molded to appear like crab, but it has a denser texture.
- Nori sheets– These sheets of seaweed usually used for making sushi rolls add a distinct flavor to the bowl.
- Black and toasted sesame seeds– These seeds have a mild nutty flavor.
- Low-sodium soy sauce– I like this lower-sodium version, but you can use whatever soy sauce you like. It adds a slightly salty, umami flavor to the dish.
- Nori furikake– This topping tastes salty, savory, and nutty with hints of the sea and a little sweetness. It’s also nicely crunchy.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the sushi rice- Sushi rice is short grained so it gets sticky, but you can use medium or long grain if it’s all you have. The rice just won’t be as sticky.
- Use another protein- Besides crab, this can be made with salmon, ahi tuna, shrimp, or yellowtail. You can also substitute spicy crab or spicy tuna.
- Substitute the cucumber- Try this recipe with other crunchy vegetables, like carrots or radish. You can also use other types of cucumber, like English or Persian.
- Use regular mayonnaise- If you don’t have any kewpie mayo, then you can make your own Japanese mayonnaise with mayo + sugar + rice vinegar.
How to Make California Roll Sushi Bowls
- Cook the rice. Rinse the sushi rice in a mesh sifter. Then put the rice in the rice cooker with 2 cups of water and turn it on. Once it’s done, transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet.
- Season the sushi rice. Pour the seasoned rice vinegar over the rice and fold it in with a rice paddle. Be careful not to mash it up. Then let the rice cool completely.
- Make the spicy mayo. Combine the Japanese mayonnaise with the Sriracha and stir. Set aside.
- Chop the vegetables and crab. Chop up the imitation crab meat and English cucumber. Then crumble the nori sheets, and peel and slice the avocado.
Pro Tip: Chop the crab and vegetables to a similar size so that you get a little of everything in each bite.
- Build your California sushi bowl. Finally, add the cooled sushi rice to a bowl, then top it with chopped crab, cucumber, sliced avocado, and drizzle with spicy mayo. Sprinkle crumbled nori, sesame seeds, and furikake over it all and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Wash the rice thoroughly- Make sure the rice gets washed before cooking to remove starch that clings to the outside and makes it sticky once cooked.
- Add the rice vinegar to hot rice- When rice is hot, it is better able to absorb the vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar then breaks down the starch inside the rice, making it even more absorbent and fluffy when cooked.
- Gently fold in the rice vinegar. Use a rice paddle to keep from being too rough with the hot rice. It is easy smashed, so you have to fold it gently or it will become a blob of rice.
- Let it cool completely. Don’t rush the cooling of the rice. In order for it to hold its shape and not melt the toppings (like the spicy mayo), it needs to be completely cool.
FAQs
The sauce in this California Roll Sushi Bowl is spicy mayo. It’s a combination of sweet and tangy Japanese mayo mixed with Sriracha for added heat. It’s a rich and creamy addition that complements the crab, sticky rice, and crunchy fresh vegetables.
Sushi bowls are very versatile and you can put lots of different ingredients in them. The base is usually sushi rice that is sticky and tangy. Proteins like crab, shrimp, or tuna are popular, as are vegetables like cucumber, avocado, scallions, or radish, and even fruit like mango. Spicy mayo, soy sauce, or yuzu sauce can add extra flavor, and topping it with nori or furikake for crunch and nuttiness is also delicious.
Serving Suggestions
These homemade California Roll Sushi Bowls are deliciously rich with spicy, tangy, and umami flavors. They’re great with sushi rolls, vegetables, appetizers, or grains and noodles.
- Sushi: Serve these sushi bowls with a Shrimp Tempura Roll, Easy Sushi Bake, Volcano Roll, or Dynamite Roll.
- Vegetables: Pair this dish with Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Green Bean Salad with Bacon.
- Appetizers: Enjoy them with Fried Spring Rolls (VIDEO), Kani Salad, Crispy Shrimp Tempura, or Teriyaki Chicken Wings.
- Grains/Noodles: Serve them with Hibachi Fried Rice, Quinoa Fried Rice, Chow Mein (VIDEO), or 30-Minute Shrimp Chow Mein.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Yes, you can make some components of your sushi bowl beforehand to save time. The sushi rice can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months in ziplock freezer bags. Just defrost overnight in the fridge before using. The spicy mayo can be prepped 2 days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Storing: Once you’ve put the California Sushi Bowl together, it can only last for about a day, stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The ingredients, besides the mayo and rice, have to be eaten soon after they are chopped and assembled because they will brown and become soggy otherwise.
Freeze: I don’t suggest freezing this because the cucumber and avocado will not thaw well and the rice will be dry.
More Yummy Sushi Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
California Sushi Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry Calrose Sushi Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar Marukan
- 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 8 oz imitation crab chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup diced English cucumber
- 1-2 nori sheets chopped or crumbled into small pieces (add more if you’d like)
- 1 large avocado peeled and sliced
- Black and toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce for serving
- Nori Furikake
Instructions
- Start off by rinsing 1 1/2 cups of sushi rice in a mesh sifter. Once the rice is well rinsed, add it to your rice cooker along with 2 cups of water. Then turn on the rice cooker.
- Once the rice is cooked transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet.
- Then pour 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar over the rice and fold it in. You want to use a rice paddle to do this. Make sure be gentle with the rice and not mash it up. Then let the rice cool completely.
- Then make your spicy Mayo by combining 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons sriracha.
- Now chop cup 8 ounces of leg style imitation crab meat and 1/2 cup of English cucumber. You can also break up a few pieces of Nori (dried seaweed).
- Now add the cooled sushi rice to a bowl, along with the chopped crab, cucumber, and sliced avocado. Then drizzle on the spicy mayonnaise, and top with chopped nori, sesame seeds, and furikake.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tracie says
So so good
Dina says
Glad to hear you enjoyed this sushi bowl recipe! Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Ashley says
Amazing! Can it be frozen and eaten later?
Dina says
Thank you Ashley! Hmm, I am not too sure if it will freeze well. Typically this is something that is best enjoyed fresh.
Sonia Jorge says
I recently made this and it’s delicious.
However, the instructions don’t specify when we are supposedly to add/use the soy sauce.
I added it at the end but can you clarify when and how it should be included?
Dina says
Thank you Sonia! In the list of ingredients it says the soy sauce is for serving. You can just drizzle it on your bowl once its assembled. Use as much or as little as you want. I hope that helps clear the confusion 🙂
Mandy says
So so good! The whole family loved this! So fresh and yummy! Thank you for the recipe!!
Dina says
You are very welcome Mandy! Awesome to hear your whole family loved this recipe! This has become a favorite with my family. I appreciate you leaving your feedback! 🙂
Melissa says
Amazing. Loved it. Next time I’m adding cooked shrimp as well. I also added a little monk fruit sweetener to the vinegar rice mixture.
Dina says
I am very happy to hear you loved this sushi bowl recipe, Melissa! The shrimp definitely adds a nice touch. I appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
Shannon says
How many servings does this make? Only 2 of us would eat it, I don’t want it to go to waste.
Dina says
Hi Shannon this sushi bowl recipe makes 4 servings.
Jami R. says
Delicious! Our whole family couldn’t believe how delicious it was! Big $$ saver too!
Dina says
So glad you all loved these sushi bowls, Jami! If you all love crispy shrimp in your sushi, I would recommend getting some tempura shrimp from Costco, baking them up, and adding chopped pieces into the sushi bowl! It takes it to the next level. My family loves the crispy shrimp addition!
Gabrielle says
Haven’t made this yet but I can’t do spicy is there a different combination or sauce you would recommend?
Dina says
If you are not a fan of spicy sushi sauces, I would recommend unagi sauce. I have an easy recipe for it right here. Enjoy! 🙂
Sarah Plessel says
If we use regular jasmine rice instead of sushi rice do we still fold in the rice vinegar?!
Dina says
Hi Sarah, I would still follow the same folding technique with jasmine rice. I hope you enjoy it!
Rachel says
Did you end up making it with jasmine Rice? Debating on buying the $10 sushi rice, or not 😉
Jen says
So yummy. We added a few more veggies; raw corn, edamame, and green onion. Was delicious
Dina says
Those sound like wonderful additions! Thank you for the kind feedback Jen!
Jennifer says
Can I use srichaca mayo instead of making it with the Japanese mayo and srichaca
Dina says
Hi Jennifer 🙂 Yes, you can use the Sriracha mayo instead. I hope you love this recipe! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Tina says
I use lite Yum Yum sauce
addison says
amazing!!!!
Dina says
Happy to hear you enjoyed this sushi bowl recipe! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Alice says
It looks Yummy! I’m so glad I found this recipe to make it for my kids!
Dina says
Hi Alice, I hope you and your kids love this sushi bowl recipe! 🙂
Lydia Allred says
This was absolutely delicious. Store brand mayo worked fine for us. Great recipe. Can’t wait to try some of the other ones on here!
Dina says
Hi Lydia 🙂 So happy to hear that you loved this sushi bowl recipe! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
Bethany says
This California Sushi Bowl was so delish!! We’ve gotten hooked on a local spot that has something similar but it’s not cheap. I’m so glad I found this recipe to make at home!
simplyhomecooked says
So happy to hear you loved this sushi bowl recipe! Always glad to help people save money while enjoying the food 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog!