Homemade sushi might seem fancy, but it’s actually pretty simple. Avocado sushi rolls are a great place to start—with only 6 ingredients, they’re easy, tasty, and always a crowd-pleaser in our house. This recipe will walk you through the steps to get a well-rolled, great-looking sushi roll every time. With a little practice, you’ll be making avocado sushi that looks just as good as it tastes.
We usually make avocado sushi as part of a special lunch or dinner, serving it alongside other sushi, a plate of gyoza, and crispy Japanese croquettes (korokke). A good spread of Japanese pickles is also a must. Let's make some sushi!
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Ingredients
For the Sushi Rice
- 550g cooked rice (1 cup or 200g dry)
- 3 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Sushi Roll (Maki)
- 4 x half sheets of nori (or 2 sheets cut in half horizontally)
- ½ avocado
Instructions
If you haven’t already, cook one cup of rice. Follow these instructions for perfect sushi rice.
1. Make the sushi seasoning by combining the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Stir for 5 minutes until fully dissolved.
2. Fold the seasoning gently through your cooked rice, making sure not to crush the grains. Set aside to cool.
3. Halve, peel, and slice the avocado into thin 1 cm strips.
4. Lay out your rolling mat, green side up if applicable, and place a half sheet of nori on the lower half of the mat.
5. Wet your hands slightly with water, take a tennis ball-sized portion of rice (~100g).
6. Spread it evenly over the nori, leaving an inch of space at the top.
7. Place the avocado slices carefully on the rice, leaving an inch of space at the bottom. Break the slices if needed to align them neatly.
8. Grab the bottom edge of the mat and fill it over the avocado, making sure the rice at the bottom edge meets the nori at the top.
9. Firmly squeeze the roll through the mat, then continue rolling it onto the crease.
10. Shape the roll into a square using your index fingers on top and your other fingers to press the sides, ensuring it’s even.
11. Unwrap the roll and transfer it to a cutting board.
12. Slice it evenly with a clean, sharp knife, then serve with wasabi and sushi ginger.
Hint: Clean the knife after every slice for clean, precise cuts.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free rice vinegar.
- Avocado-free: Not a fan of avocado? Swap it for cucumber, daikon radish, seaweed or aubergine. There are many wonderful single-ingredient sushi fillings you can choose from!
- High-fibre option: For extra nutrition, swap white sushi rice for brown sushi rice—it adds more fibre while still being delicious!
Variations
- Spicy - For an extra kick of heat, add a drizzle of Sriracha or spicy mayo to the bed of rice before adding the avocado and rolling. Sprinkle some shichimi togarashi over the top of your avocado sushi before serving.
- Extra crunchy - Include thinly sliced cucumber or julienned carrots in the filling for added veggie crunch
- Gourmet sesame - Sprinkle sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions over the rolls for a delicious and nutty gourmet touch.
Equipment
There are a few things you need for making sushi:
A sushi rolling mat is important. Make sure that you cover it with cling film for easy cleaning as it's very difficult to clean sticky rice out of a sushi mat once it's stuck in there.
When slicing the sushi, use a sharp knife to avoid squashing the roll—no one wants a sad, squished sushi!
Storage
Store any uneaten avocado sushi rolls in an airtight container in the fridge. Note that avocado may brown after a day due to oxidation, so it’s best enjoyed fresh.
Top tip
Keep damp tea towels nearby to quickly clean your knife or hands while rolling your avocado sushi. It’ll save you time and make the process much smoother!
FAQ
While a sushi mat makes things easier, you can also use a clean kitchen towel wrapped in cling film as an alternative. Kikkoman have some useful information about this here.
Yes, though the texture will differ slightly as brown rice is less sticky. Follow the same steps but use slightly less liquid in your seasoning.
Make sure you handle the nori gently and don’t overfill your rolls. Keeping your rice layer thin and even will also help.
Related
Looking for more tasty recipes? Try these:
- Tantanmen | Spicy Ramen Noodles
- Gyoza with Shitake Mushrooms and Vegetables
- 6 Minute Ramen Noodles
- Japanese Croquettes (Korokke)
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with avocado sushi:
Avocado Sushi
Equipment
- Sushi mat for rolling the sushi
- Roll of cling film to protect the sushi mat
Ingredients
For the Sushi Rice
- 550 g cooked rice 1 cup or 200g dry
- 3 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Sushi Roll (Maki)
- 4 x half sheets of nori or 2 sheets cut in half horizontally
- ½ avocado
Instructions
- Cook one cup of rice. Follow these instructions for perfect sushi rice: https://veganjapanese.com/perfect-japanese-rice-without-a-rice-cooker/
- Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Stir for 5 minutes until fully dissolved to make the sushi seasoning.
- Fold the seasoning into your cooked rice gently, making sure not to crush the grains. Set aside to cool.
- Halve, peel, and slice your avocado into thin 1 cm strips.
- Lay out your rolling mat, green side up if applicable. For easy cleanup, cover your sushi rolling mat in cling film. Place a half sheet of nori on the lower half of the mat.
- Wet your hands slightly with water, take a tennis ball-sized portion of rice (~100g).
- Spread it evenly over the nori, leaving an inch of space at the top.
- Place the avocado slices carefully on the rice, leaving an inch of space at the bottom. Break the slices if needed to align them neatly.
- Grab the bottom edge of the mat and fill it over the avocado, making sure the rice at the bottom edge meets the nori at the top.
- Firmly squeeze the roll through the mat, then continue rolling it onto the crease.
- Shape the roll into a square using your index fingers on top and your other fingers to press the sides, ensuring it’s even.
- Transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice evenly with a clean, sharp knife.
- Serve with wasabi, sushi ginger and soy.
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