Looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite sushi flavors? This Sushi Bowl is a great way to experiment with your favorite ingredients at home!
If you’re a sushi fanatic like I am, this recipe is going to be one that you make again and again. I am always craving sushi, but ordering takeout from my local Japanese restaurant can get expensive. That’s why these sushi bowls have become my new best friend.
In an attempt to stop spending so much money eating out, as well as be more conscientious about what goes into my body, I’ve been on the hunt for creative recipes to try at home. Chicken and rice gets boring after a while, am I right? I would love to make my favorite sushi rolls myself, but making restaurant-style sushi at home can be hard. So, when I discovered this sushi bowl recipe, I knew I had to try it. It’s simple, clean, quick, and most importantly, it fulfills my sushi cravings!
My favorite thing about this sushi bowl is that it’s totally customizable with different toppings, sauces, and proteins. You can even ditch the rice for your favorite greens and turn this bowl into a sushi salad. But for starters, try this recipe, since it has all of the classic sushi flavors, like cucumber, avocado, imitation crab meat, and nori. It’s like a California Roll in a bowl!
Are Sushi Bowls Healthy?
Since sushi bowls can include a wide range of ingredients, they can be a very healthy meal option. Making a dish like this at home gives you quality control, so you know that everything you’re eating is fresh and suitable for your personal diet. I recommend loading up on veggies to help balance out the carb-rich rice. Imitation crab meat contains some protein, but you may also want to add sushi-grade salmon, which is rich in fatty acids. Be careful with eel sauce and spicy mayo, as these can pack on extra calories.
How Do I Make Sushi Rice?
The key to this sushi bowl, however you customize it, is the sushi rice. Once prepared, sushi rice is a sticky, sweet, slightly tangy rice that’s perfect for sushi rolls (and sushi-adjacent foods, like this bowl!) Sushi rice is easy to make with Japanese short-grain white rice, rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt. Be sure to rinse your rice first to remove extra starch. As it’s cooking, combine your other ingredients in a saucepan and let them dissolve. After the mixture cools, drizzle it over your cooked rice and mix well. If you want a recipe to refer back to, bookmark this Sushi Rice recipe.
Can I prep this ahead?
You can store your sushi bowl ingredients separately, or in premade bowls for meal prep. Make sure your rice is cooled before you assemble your bowls so that the heat doesn’t ruin the freshness of the other ingredients. Store sauces separately until you’re ready to enjoy. These bowls, fully assembled, will last up to 5 days refrigerated in airtight containers.
Serving Suggestions
Have fun experimenting with different toppings, sauces, and proteins in your sushi bowls! I’ve enjoyed varying these bowls with Spicy Tuna, Healthy Baked Salmon, and Seared Ahi Tuna Steak. Want to skip the fish and go vegan in the sushi bowl? Try this recipe for Crispy and Healthy Baked Tofu to pack on the protein.
I love to make my own Sriracha Mayo to drizzle on top of the bowls, in addition to soy sauce and eel sauce. That combination of sauces creates a flavor explosion! Also, don’t forget about dry toppings! I love adding nuts, sesame seeds, and furikake to my bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 avocados diced
- 12 ounces imitation crab meat shredded
- 2 sheets nori cut into strips
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Combine the rinsed rice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan.
- Boil, then cover and simmer until tender, for 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Once the rice is cooked and slightly cooled, fold in the vinegar mixture gently.
- In serving bowls, layer the seasoned sushi rice. Top with sliced cucumber, diced avocado, shredded imitation crab meat, and nori strips.
- Drizzle with a mix of mayonnaise and sriracha. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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