Avocado Sushi

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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.

A small plate with two slices of freshly made avocado sushi maki roll, served next to a swirl of wasabi paste and a slice of pickled ginger, ready to serve.

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
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
Avocado Sushi

Ingredients

A packet of nori seaweed, a whole avocado and a sharp knife resting on a wooden chopping board, ready for preparation.

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.

A saucepan on the stove containing vinegar, sugar, and salt, being stirred gently over low heat until fully dissolved to make sushi seasoning.

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.

White rice is being gently combined with seasoning using a wooden rice paddle in a large white plastic bowl, taking care not to crush the grains.

2. Fold the seasoning gently through your cooked rice, making sure not to crush the grains. Set aside to cool.

Half an avocado, sliced inside the skin, has just been scooped out with a teaspoon onto a plate, ready to be used as filling for the sushi roll.

3. Halve, peel, and slice the avocado into thin 1 cm strips.

A sheet of nori seaweed placed on cling film over a bamboo sushi mat. The nori covers the bottom half of the mat, leaving small borders on the bottom, right, and left sides, with a larger space at the top where the sushi will be rolled.

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.

Two hands hold a small ball of white sushi rice over a sushi mat covered in clingfilm and a sheet of nori seaweed.

5. Wet your hands slightly with water, take a tennis ball-sized portion of rice (~100g).

Nori seaweed with a layer of rice on top, placed on cling film over a bamboo sushi mat, with fingers pressing down the rice firmly so that it stays in place.

6. Spread it evenly over the nori, leaving an inch of space at the top.

Nori seaweed with a layer of rice and a strip of fresh avocado on top, resting flat on cling film over a bamboo sushi mat, ready to be rolled.

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.

Nori seaweed with a layer of rice and a strip of fresh avocado on top, placed on cling film over a bamboo sushi mat, with hands beginning to lift the mat while holding the avocado in place.

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.

A bamboo sushi mat wrapped in cling film, partially rolled over the sushi to start shaping the roll inside.

9. Firmly squeeze the roll through the mat, then continue rolling it onto the crease.

A bamboo sushi mat wrapped in cling film, fully rolled over the sushi, compressing it into shape inside the mat.

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.

A bamboo sushi mat covered with cling film, with a whole avocado maki roll resting on top.

11. Unwrap the roll and transfer it to a cutting board.

Slicing the freshly made avocado maki roll on a wooden chopping board, with the creamy avocado encased inside the sushi rice and wrapped in a layer of nori.

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

1. Do I need a sushi mat to make these rolls?

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.

2. Can I use brown rice instead of sushi rice?

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.

3. How do I prevent the nori from tearing while rolling?

Make sure you handle the nori gently and don’t overfill your rolls. Keeping your rice layer thin and even will also help.

Looking for more tasty recipes? Try these:

See more Main dishes →

Pairing

These are my favourite dishes to serve with avocado sushi:

Avocado Sushi

Aaron Zahl

A simple avocado sushi maki roll recipe with easy-to-follow instructions for achieving perfect rolls every time.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

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.