How To Make Sushi

Learn how to make sushi at home with this easy step-by-step beginner’s guide. Master perfect sushi rice & craft rolls for a restaurant-quality meal.

Dive into this simple yet flavor-packed recipe and discover how to make sushi right in your kitchen. From choosing the right ingredients to mastering the rolling technique, enjoy a hands-on approach to restaurant-quality sushi without leaving home.

Why You’ll Love This Guide

• Beginner-Friendly – It covers simple steps that make forming sushi rolls feel like second nature.
• Cost-Effective – Learn how to make sushi for a fraction of the price of dining out.
• Versatile Fillings – Mix and match fish, veggies, or even tempura to create endless combinations.
• Time-Saving Tips – Helpful shortcuts ensure that rolling sushi doesn’t take all day.
• Restaurant-Quality Results – Acquire techniques that elevate your rolls from homemade to pro-level.

How To Make Sushi

Sushi comes in many forms, but all have one thing in common: beautifully seasoned rice. Traditionally, sushi refers to vinegared rice paired with fresh fish, crisp vegetables, and other tasty add-ons. Whether it’s sashimi, nigiri, or maki rolls, the essential building block remains perfectly cooked and seasoned rice.

Ingredients and Supplies Needed

• Sushi rice (short-grain, but in a pinch you can use Calrose or another medium grain rice). You can find my recipe and post on How To Make Sushi Rice HERE
• Nori sheets (dried seaweed)
• Protein including Fresh fish, seafood (sushi-grade if using raw), tempera chicken, etc
• Assorted vegetables (cucumber, avocado, carrots, etc.)
• Optional fillings (cream cheese, spicy tuna or spicy crab mix)
• Optional toppings (sesame seeds, crushed corn flakes, crunchy fried onions, etc)
• Optional sauces (spicy mayo, siracha, eel sauce)
• Bamboo sushi mat (for rolling)
• Plastic wrap (to wrap around the bamboo mat)
• Small bowl of water or sesame oil and plastic gloves (to prevent sticking)
• Knife (sharp for slicing rolls cleanly)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Cook the Rice

• Rinse the rice in cool water several times until the water runs almost clear.
• Soak for about 30 minutes if possible, then drain well.
• Cook in a rice cooker or on the stovetop with a 1:1 ratio of rice to water.
• Once cooked, let it sit for a moment, then transfer to a large bowl.
• You can find the full recipe on how to make sushi rice HERE

Season the Rice

• Gently mix your rice with sushi vinegar (a blend of vinegar, sugar, and salt).
• Use a cutting motion with a spatula or rice paddle to avoid mashing the grains.
• Allow the rice to cool to room temperature, which helps it become sticky but not mushy.

Prepare Fillings

• Slice fish or seafood into thin strips if using raw or cooked fish.
• Cut vegetables into slender matchsticks for easy rolling.
• Have any sauce or garnishes ready (spicy mayo, sesame seeds, etc.).
• Prepare spicy tuna and/or spicy crab mix.

Below is a photo of spicy crab mix for a spicy crab roll. The recipe for this spicy crab is below in the notes of the recipe card.

Assemble the Rolls

• Lay a 1/2 sheet (about (3.5×8 inches) or full sheet (7×8 inches) of nori on a plastic-wrapped bamboo mat, shiny side down. I typically use half-sheets of nori.
• Moisten hands or use gloves and lightly coat them with oil to prevent rice from sticking.
• Spread a thin layer of sushi rice over the nori. Leave a small border at the top edge if nori is on the outside.
• For inside-out rolls where the rice will be on the outside, flip the nori over so the rice is on the underside. The rice should go all the way to the edge if its on the outside.
• Place fillings across the top third of the sheet.
• Roll the mat away from you, tucking the fillings in tightly.
• Press the roll gently to shape into a cylinder and seal.
• Place on a cutting board and slice into 6–8 pieces with a moistened knife cleaning the knife after every 1-2 cuts.
• If roll has become disformed after cutting, feel free to place back on bamboo mat to reshape.

Garnish and Serve

• Top rolls with sesame seeds, fried onions, or sauces if desired.
• Serve immediately for maximum freshness and flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What makes sushi-grade fish different from regular fish?
   Sushi-grade fish is processed and handled more carefully, often frozen at very low temperatures to kill parasites. It’s also typically fresher and higher in quality.
2. Can sushi be made without raw fish?
   Absolutely. I have included several ideas on what you can include in your rolls. On of the best thing about making rolls at home is that you get to have fun and make what you want. If you don’t like raw fish, skip it. Try fully cooked options or plant-based options, like tempura shrimp or avocado rolls.
3. How long can homemade sushi be stored?
   It’s best consumed fresh. If raw fish is used, store for only about 24 hours in the fridge. Without raw fish, rolls can last up to three days when refrigerated.
4. What if I don’t have a bamboo mat?
   Making and rolling sushi is MUCH easier with a mat but if you are in a pinch you can try using a clean towel covered in plastic wrap.
5. Is there a big difference between sashimi and sushi?
   Yes. Sashimi is thinly sliced fish or seafood served without rice, while sushi always involves vinegared rice.

Making sushi at home can be a true labor of love, yet it remains an exciting and budget-friendly culinary adventure. By combining different fillings and experimenting with various roll styles, you’ll discover how creative you can get without paying restaurant prices. Be sure to check the notes section of the recipe card for plenty of ideas on different sushi rolls to try.

Now that you’ve learned how to make sushi, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, explore endless flavor combinations, and truly savor the creative process.

How To Make Sushi Recipe Card:

Rachel Koller

How To Make Sushi

5 from 143 votes

Make sushi at home with this easy step-by-step beginner's guide. Master perfect sushi rice & craft rolls for a restaurant-quality meal.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Ingredients

  

• Sushi rice prepared with sushi vinegar
• Nori sheets
• Vegetables like cucumber, avocado, carrots, jalapeno, bell pepper
• Fish or seafood raw sushi-grade or cooked
• Sauces eel sauce also known as sushi sauce, siracha, and spicy mayo
• Toppings crunchy fried onions, crushed corn flakes, sesame seeds, chili flakes
• Tempura batter and oil if frying any ingredients

Method

 

1. Rub a couple of drops of sesame oil on gloved hands to help prevent rice from sticking to them.
2. Place a half or full sheet of nori (seaweed sheet) on a bamboo mat wrapped in plastic wrap.
3. If using half sheet of nori, spread about 1 cup prepared sushi rice evenly on the nori. Leave rice up if you'd like the nori on the outside. Gently flip to have rice face down on the mat if you want the rice on the outside.
4. Place chosen fillings in a horizontal line toward the top third of the nori. Make sure you don't overfill the roll. If it's overfilled it will not be able to seal. If rice is on the inside, less filling will fit. If on the outside more will be able to fit.
5. Tuck filling as you tightly roll using the mat to tuck into. Guide the roll all the way around using the bamboo mat. When you come to the last part of the nori insure a good seal.
6. Move roll to a cutting surface then slice, using a sharp damp knife, in half then each half in half until you have 8 equal pieces.
7. If roll is no longer shaped well, place cut roll back onto the mat and roll carefully to reshape.
8. Top with sesame seeds, avocado, crushed corn flakes and more. Add eel sauce (sushi sauce that is thick and dark brown) and spicy mayo if desired.
9. Recipes and roll ideas are in the notes below.

Notes

Maki (Sushi) Roll Ideas + Other Recipes

All rolls have nori (seaweed) and vinegared sushi rice.

Cucumber Roll:

(nori on outside)

• Cucumber

Tuna Roll:

(nori on outside)

• Tuna steak, strips

Salmon Roll:

(nori on outside)

• Salmon, strips

Vegan Roll:

(nori on outside)

• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Carrot
• Bell pepper

California Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Crab, shredded or strips

Philadelphia Roll:

(rice or nori on outside)

• Smoked Salmon
• Cream cheese
• Cucumber

Tempura Shrimp Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Tempura Shrimp
• Roll in crushed corn flakes

Crunchy Salmon Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Raw Salmon, strips
• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Roll in crushed corn flakes

Spicy Tuna Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Carrot
• Spicy Tuna

Spicy Crab Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Spicy Crab

Tempura Chicken Roll:

(rice on outside)

• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Tempura Chicken

Spicy Tuna Recipe:

(yield about 5-6 servings)

• ½ lb (8oz) sushi grade raw tuna, minced
• 3 Tablespoons mayo
• 1 Tablespoon siracha
• ¼ cup green onions or chives
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Mix until well combined.

Spicy Mayo Recipe:

(yield about 2 cups)

• 1 ½ cups mayo
• 1/3 cup siracha
• 1 ½ Tablespoons lime juice, fresh
• ¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Blend until combined.

Spicy Crab Recipe:

(yield 5-6 servings)

• ½ lb (8oz) cooked crab meat, shredded
• ¼ cup spicy mayo

Mix until combined.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!