California Roll Recipe Sushi

Learn how to make California Roll! Sweet-umami mayo crab with creamy avocado, and refreshingly crunchy cucumber wrapped with nori seaweed and perfectly seasoned, sticky sushi rice, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. You’ll love this Easy California roll sushi recipe – so fun to make and super tasty to eat! Let’s get the sushi party started!!

California roll is a type of makizushi (Japanese: 巻き寿司 or rolled sushi) where the fillings are rolled inside the sushi rice and dried roasted seaweed.

To be more precise, the California roll is a type of uramaki roll (Japanese:うらまき or inside out roll). This is where the sushi rice is on the outside wrapping the nori seaweed and other ingredients on the inside.

Crunchy Roll Sushi Recipe

A fun fact is California Roll didn’t originate from Japan, yet it’s one of the most popular sushi rolls in North America.

Japanese Rice – To make the best sushi rice, use super-premium short grain rice like Tamanishiki Rice 玉錦 or Koshihikari Rice 越光米. But if you want to use a more budget-friendly or easier-to-buy option, use medium-grain rice like Sekka Calrose rice.

The sushi rice is key to a tasty California roll. It must be whole, plump, and separated with a satisfying firm bite; sticky but not mushy, wet, or gooey; with a beautiful shiny gloss; and balanced sweet-umami-savory-vinegary flavors. Check out this Best Sushi Rice Recipe.

California Crunch Sushi Roll Recipe

Japanese Mayonnaise – We usually use Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise to make California Roll. Japanese mayo’s flavor, texture, and color are slightly different compared to American mayonnaise.

Imitation Crab Meat or Real Crab Meat – Many restaurants use fully cooked ready-to-eat imitation crab meat sticks to make California Roll Sushi. Over the years, we’ve tried many different brands of imitation crab meat and they can vary a lot in quality, flavors, and texture. Test & find one that you liked best (or use fresh real crab meat if you can)!

Avocado – It’s important to use a ripe, ready-to-eat avocado, so it’s slightly soft, smooth, & creamy when wrapped inside the California Roll. You wouldn’t want firm & unripe or mushy & overripe avocados.

How To Make California Rolls

Roasted Nori Sushi Sheets (海苔; edible dried toasted seaweed sheet) – Try your best to use fresh, dry, crisp, plain toasted seaweed sheets. These seaweed sheets are not the same as the flavored seaweed snacks. Try to avoid using old, stale, chewy, flavorless nori sheets.

Toasted sesame seeds – It’s an optional ingredient that adds a hint of sesame aroma & bits of sesame crunch texture to the sushi roll.

*Freshness Tip: To keep the sushi rice fresh & prevent them from drying out while you prepare other ingredients, cover the rice container with a wet towel.

California Sushi Rolls Recipe

*Important Pro Tip: Try to be as quick as you can going through Steps 3 to 7 below – adding rice, adding fillings, rolling sushi, cutting sushi, & eating the sushi! This will prevent the nori seaweed from absorbing too much moisture & turning soggy, gummy, & chewy.

Then, layer a piece of plastic food wrap on top of the sushi mat to prevent the sushi rice from sticking to the sushi mat.

Place the rice ball on top of the nori, then lightly push out the rice & evenly distribute it across the whole halved nori sheet.

California & Dragon Sushi Rolls

*Pro Tip: Try your best to be gentle & not squish or mush the rice as you evenly spread the rice across the nori.

As you roll up the mat, use your fingers to tuck in & enclose all the filling ingredients to prevent them from falling out.

Then, lift the edge of the mat, and continue to roll it up until it turns into a firm cylinder sushi roll.

California Roll Recipe, How To Make California Roll

*Pro Tip: This sushi rolling step is easy, but it’ll take some practice & time to perfect. Don’t worry about messing it up or your sushi not looking pretty, especially on your first few tries! 🙂

Start your own sushi party with this fun, tasty, & easy California Roll Recipe! Sweet-umami mayo crab with creamy avocado, and crunchy cucumber wrapped in nori seaweed and perfectly seasoned, sticky sushi rice, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

1) Be Quick in Step 3 to 6: Try to be as quick as you can going through Steps 3 to 6. This helps prevent the nori seaweed from absorbing too much moisture & turning soggy, gummy, & chewy.

California Maki Recipe: How To Make California Maki Sushi With Mangoes!

2) Jumbo Size Sushi Rolls: For jumbo rolls, you can use the whole nori (seaweed) sheet instead of cutting it in half.

3) Be Gentle When Spreading Rice on Nori: Try your best to be gentle & not squish or mush the rice as you evenly spread the rice across the nori.

4) Rolling Sushi: This rolling step will take some practice & time to perfect. Try not to take too much time rolling because the nori sheet will continue to absorb the moisture from the rice & fillings.

California Crunchy Sushi Roll Recipe

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Calories: 330 kcal | Carbohydrates: 42 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 10 mg | Sodium: 359 mg | Potassium: 298 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 175 IU | Vitamin C: 6 mg | Calcium: 15 mg | Iron: 1 mg

*Disclosure: We are an Amazon Influencer/Amazon Associate. This means that if you decide to purchase items or services on Amazon through our links on Pressure Cook Recipes to Amazon, Amazon will send a small commission to us at no additional costs to you. Thank you!This California Roll sushi recipe is fresh, affordable, and absolutely delicious! California Rolls are incredibly easy to make with our step-by-step instructions, easy sushi rice recipe and a few fresh ingredients.

California Rolls Recipe

I have always been a HUGE sushi fan, so I was so excited when my friend Maria agreed to teach us how to make sushi. We learned so much from her, including how to make perfect Sushi Rice, Spicy Tuna rolls, and all about the different types of sushi, and I am so excited to share her California Roll recipe with you.

Wrap Bamboo Mat in Plastic Wrap: Cut a piece of plastic wrap, about 2 feet long (enough to stretch around both sides of the mat, and wrap the mat flat, tightly, in plastic wrap. Repeat with another long piece of plastic wrap, starting at the other end of the mat, to cover it from the other direction. This will keep the sushi rice and nori from sticking to the bamboo mat.

Prep Nori: You can use whole sheets of Nori for large sushi rolls, or break nori sheets in half to make smaller California rolls. To do so, stack two or three sheets together and fold the nori in half, the two short ends coming together. Press to crease it, and then gently pull the sheets apart.

Homemade California Roll (the Easiest Recipe!)

Assemble California Roll: Place bamboo mat horizontally on counter in front of you. Place a piece of nori on top, dull side facing up. (For large sushi rolls use a whole sheet of nori, with the short side parallel to you. For smaller shushi rolls–as shown in our photos–use half a sheet of nori with the the long side parallel to you).

Add Sesame Seeds: Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds lightly over the top of the rice. Now carefully flip the whole thing over, so that nori seaweed is facing up.

Add Toppings: Line two pieces of crab, end to end, slightly off center, closest to you. Line two cucumbers and two avocados next to it, in a line.

Crunchy Roll Sushi Recipe (california Roll)

Roll: Before rolling, position nori about an inch from the end of the bamboo mat, on the end closest to you. Then lift the end of the bamboo mat closest to you up and over the ingredients, tucking them inside. Touch the edge all the way down to seal it, with the ingredients rolled inside. Place your hands in a claw on top of the mat, over this first rolled section or sushi to hold and seal it tightly. Then continue pulling the bamboo mat away from you with one hand, while gently rolling the sushi, with the other, until it’s rolled all the way up.

Press both hands on top of the bamboo mat and squeeze the sushi roll gently beneath it, to make sure it holds firmly together.

Cut California Roll: Remove the sushi mat. Use a very sharp knife to cut the ends off, if you want. Slice the roll in a back and forth motion, being careful not to smash it, into 4 or 6 pieces. Wipe knife clean with a wet paper towel after each cut.

California Rolls Recipe + Sushi Rice Recipe

To Store: Sushi is best eaten right after making, but you can wrap them in plastic wrap to store them in the fridge for a little while. They don’t last very long in the fridge, as the rice will get hard.

This California Roll sushi recipe is fresh, affordable, and absolutely delicious! From the seasoned sushi rice to the fresh ingredients, you won't believe how tasty it is! Follow my step-by-step instructions for