Homemade sushi, while time-consuming, is so much fun to make! You can customize exactly what you want, and it makes a great date-night idea!
Jump to RecipeHave you ever noticed just how expensive sushi is? Or wished there was a different combination of ingredients to have just what you want? Why not try making homemade sushi yourself?
Homemade sushi is a lot of prep work, but that’s part of the fun of making your own sushi. When we made it last weekend, we had 3 people working on it, and it took about 1.5 hours. But we also weren’t using our time very wisely either. Making sushi could be a great date night with your partner, or a fun night with the girls. Or, in my case, it’s usually my brother-in-law and me who make the sushi when we have it as a big family Sunday afternoon meal.
Making sushi rice correctly is the most important part of the sushi recipe. If you don’t have this correct, then it won’t stick together to make the rolls. I have used both a rice cooker and an instant pot on high pressure. The rice steamer gives a slightly better texture. But the instant pot doesn’t leave bits stuck to the edge that isn’t usable in sushi.
The best type of rice to get is called sushi rice at the store. You may also find it labeled as Japanese rice. I can find sushi rice at our local grocery store in the aisle with other ethnic foods and rice. Usually, sushi is made with short-grain rice. There are a lot of brands, but Nishiki makes delicious sushi rice that works well for us.
Some of our family’s favorite sushi rolls are:
- California Rolls: Cucumber, Avocado, Crab
- Spicy California: Cucumber, Avocado, Crab, Spicy Mayo
- Philadelphia Roll: Cream Cheese, Salmon or Crab, Cucumber
- Shaggy Dog: Shrimp Tempura, Mayo, Crab strips on top (my personal favorite sushi roll)
- Shrimp Nigiri: Rice patties with Shrimp
- Salmon Nigiri: Rice patties with Salmon
Or create your own. We usually slice up the ingredients we want and just start building as we go. One time we even made a buffalo chicken roll with some cooked chicken and buffalo sauce in it! You can really put almost anything you want in a sushi roll. Another common ingredient is egg, but we haven’t tried that yet. You can use the most elaborate ingredients or stick to simple ingredients, especially when you make homemade sushi rolls for the first time.
You can serve your sushi roll with soy sauce, eel sauce, spicy sauce, unagi sauce, spicy mayonnaise, teriyaki sauce, or lemon juice. All are great options depending on if you want to keep the sushi recipe mild or spicy, bold or sweet, etc. We have some small sushi bowls that are perfect to put these sauces on the side.

Homemade Sushi Rice Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or sushi vinegar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt

Preparation
The rice needs to be thoroughly rinsed. Do this by placing it in a bowl and filling it with enough water to cover the rice. Use your hands to stir the rice around in the water and let the rice soak for a few minutes. Carefully drain the water. Continue adding water, stirring, and draining until the water is almost clear. Prepare the rice according to the package. For best results, let the rice cool slightly, almost to room temperature, to avoid burning your hands.
Slice all the ingredients you want for your sushi rolls. When you slice all the ingredients, you want to slice them into thin, long strips so they will cover the length of the sushi rolls.
In a small microwaveable bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Microwave the mixture on high for 30 seconds. Stir to combine.

Remove the cooked rice from the rice steamer or pressure cooker and place in a large bowl. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the rice. Use a wooden spoon or rubber or silicone spatula to gently fold the vinegar mixture into the rice.

To start making the rolls, lay your bamboo mat on a flat workspace. Fill a small bowl with cold water and a splash of rice vinegar and have a dry or damp towel nearby. Place a single sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat with the shiny side down. It helps to have all of your ingredients close at hand before you start to make your sushi.
When you are working with the sticky rice, keep your hands very wet so it doesn’t stick.
When you are working with the seaweed, keep your hands very dry.

Get your hands wet then grab a handful of the rice. Keeping your hands damp (not too much water), spread until you have enough rice to make a thin layer covering all except the last 1/4″ of the seaweed. If you have too much rice, it won’t roll properly and you’ll end up with a sticky texture. Lay your ingredients all the way across the seaweed at the end closest to you.

Very carefully use the bamboo mat to start rolling the sushi. You want to keep it rolled tight and roll almost to the end. To seal the roll, dip your finger in the water and run it along the edge of the seaweed and roll it up to seal. Use the mat to form the roll slightly. Watch the video below to see my brother-in-law (the one who taught me how to make sushi) demonstrating this on one of the rolls we made.
Continue doing the same with the remaining rice to make your variety of sushi rolls. Once you have finished, use a very sharp, non-serrated knife to slowly slice the sushi rolls. I usually touch the edge of the knife to the sushi, and slowly slide it back and forth until it just starts to slice the seaweed. Once it slices through the top, you can usually keep the sawing motion going to cut all the way through.
Experiment. Have fun. Create your own sushi rolls. If you do, tag me in your photos so I can see what you made! (Instagram: @sonshinekitchen or Facebook: @mysonshinekitchen)

Homemade Sushi Leftovers
Storage: Place any leftover sushi rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days.

Recipe
Originally Published On: April 6, 2017
Last Updated On: March 2, 2023

Sushi Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the rice by putting it in a bowl (or the bowl of the rice steamer) and filling with water enough to completely cover the rice
- Use your hands to stir the rice around until the water is murky
- Use a strainer (or the lid of your steamer) to drain the water
- Continue doing this until the water comes out clear (usually 3-4 times)
- Steam 2 cups of rice according to steamer instructions
- While rice is cooking, in a small microwaveable bowl combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt
- Microwave mixture on high for 30 seconds then stir to combine
- Once the rice is finished cooking and slightly cooled, use the rice paddle to remove rice from the steamer to a large mixing bowl. DON’T scrape rice from bottom and sides as this rice is usually hard and/or burned and doesn’t work well for sushi.
- Carefully fold vinegar mixture into rice
- Lay a bamboo mat on a flat working surface
- Use one piece of seaweed and cover with a few scoops of rice
- Make sure your hands are wet when touching the rice and spread to the edges of 3 sides of the seaweed, leaving about 1/4" on one side to seal
- Place your fillings at the edge opposite of the side you left to seal
- Carefully roll the seaweed, using the bamboo mat, until you reach the end of the roll
- Dip your fingers in water and use that to seal the edge of the roll
- Use a non-serrated knife to gently cut the sushi roll into pieces
Notes
- California Roll: Cucumber, Avocado, Crab
- Spicy California: Cucumber, Avocado, Crab, Spicy Mayo
- Philadelphia Roll: Cream Cheese, Salmon or Crab, Cucumber
- Shaggy Dog: Shrimp Tempura, Mayo, Crab strips on top
- Shrimp Nigiri: Rice patties with Shrimp
- Salmon Nigiri: Rice patties with Salmon
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Other Asian-Fusion Recipes to try
- How to Make Homemade Sushi
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll Recipe
- California Roll Sushi Recipe
- Crunchy Roll Sushi
- How to Make the Best Philadelphia Sushi Roll
- Stir-Fry Chicken with Bok Choy
- Hot Crab Dip
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Honey Garlic Chicken Over Rice Recipe
- Asian Pork Salad
- Chicken and Whole Grain Stir-Fry
- Green Vegan Sushi Rolls
- Pork and Noodles with Bok Choy
- Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry
- Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowl
- Chicken Fried Rice with Clear Onion Soup
- Quick and Easy General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
- Sesame Noodles
- Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry
- Shrimp Fried Rice
More Rice Recipes
- How a Rice Steamer Has Saved My Sanity
- Chicken Fried Rice with Clear Onion Soup
- Simple Herbed Rice Side
- Instant Zatarain’s in the Rice Steamer
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Honey Garlic Chicken Over Rice Recipe
- Coconut-Turmeric Tilapia and Rice
- Salmon with a Bold Soy-Molasses Glaze over Rice and Vegetables
- Cheesy Rice Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli
- Shrimp and Okra Bowl
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll Recipe
- How to Make the Best Philadelphia Sushi Roll at Home
- California Roll Sushi Recipe
- How To Make Homemade Sushi
- Crunchy Roll Sushi Recipe
- Easy Green Vegan Sushi Roll
- Chicken and Whole Grain Stir-Fry
This looks so delicious. Thank you for showing how to make homemade sushi. We love sushi (especially my daughter) and I have wanted to try making it from home!
You’re welcome! I love it too, just not the price! It’s so fun to make at home 🙂
I love homemade sushi! When my daughter Brooke was in high school she had a group of friends whose parents made so many spectacular sushi dishes. The kids’s favorite at that time was Spam Sushi. But I love your rice, shrimp, avocado sushi. Those are some of my favorite ingredients. It looks so yummy!
Oh how fun! I never really ate it until college because my mom is severely allergic to shellfish so we never had anything like this!! It’s so much fun to make and customize how you want.
I’ve never made sushi before and don’t think I could pull it off as well as yours look but maybe with your recipe I can. Will have to give it a try someday! Worth a shot 🙂
Trust me, ours took some practice! They didn’t look that good the first few times we made it.
oh wow! These look great! Making sushi rolls are hard!!! Now im craving some avocado!
They aren’t too hard once you get the hang of what you are doing. We had quite a few mistake rolls here and there, but even when they didn’t look great they still tasted good!
This looks so good! But I must confess that I have never made it. I did try with a Chinese student once (I am a teacher) but it was a real disaster. I was so sorry for him as he ws really looking forward to it. I should have seen this before!
Aww that’s no fun that it was a disaster. It took us a few tries to get it right, but it’s still fun to give it a try.
my grandson loves sushi i will be fun making this with him
What an awesome bonding idea with your grandson, I hope you guys have fun!
My Daughters enjoy sushi so much .
I love it too, we are going to be making it so soon again.
My husband would love this idea! Adding it to our list of “new recipes”!
It’s a great “date night” idea as well, you guys could make it together 😊
Will you believe me and my hubby have never had sushi in our lives. But I want to try this recipe.
I hadn’t had it until a few years ago. My mom is seriously allergic to seafood, so we didn’t eat it much growing up.
This looks like a must try recipe. Will bookmark for when I try this at home.
It’s so fun and delicious! I hope you have a great time with it.
Sushi is fun, though we love the vegetarian variants. Will try these at home based on your recipe.
That’s the best part of making it at home, you can make them exactly as you like them!
Though I could eat sushi every day of the week, the thought of making my own has never crossed my mind! So impressed by how beautiful yours turned out- sure they were just as delicious!
Trust me, they did not look quite as beautiful the first time or two. It took some practice to get them looking this nice, but they always taste good even if the presentation isn’t perfect!
I love sushi and have never made my own! I love your step by step instructions! Looks doable.
It’s definitely doable! And it’s great for making them just how you want them.
I’ve always heard that Sushi is difficult to make, but I also heard that about Macarons and I gave them a try. Maybe DIY sushi should be next on my list!!!
I’ve never made macarons before, maybe I should try them and you can try sushi! 😊
This looks so yummy! I love sushi! I think Ill give it a try
It’s fun to make, even though it takes some time, and customize it just how you want it!
I know that it is better when you can make your own sushi instead. And it can be delicious. A former roommate made it once. And it was to die for. There are just so many different things to remember. And getting the sticky rice right plus having really sharp knives is essential.
Yes! Those are probably the two most important parts of making your own sushi!
Although I love sushi, I never tried making it at home. It always sounded too complicated for me. But you make it sound so easy to make, so I will definitely give it a try!
It’s not super complicated, just takes some time. But it’s a fun activity if you have a good afternoon to try it.
Wow! Boy, you make me hungryy! I will make these with cucumber and avocado and I’m sure I will lose all sense of self control! Love it!
There are quite a few veggie options for sushi rolls if you look them up. I’ve made a couple without any meat before and they are so yummy.
Ooh…yummy. I love sushi, but I’ve never attempted to make it at home. This completely inspires me to give it a try!
It takes a bit of time, but it’s a lot of fun to put together!
Sushi is one of my favorite food. I know that this Japanese dish is difficult to make. Your recipe looks simple, easy and delish.
I find that it isn’t really difficult, it just takes a while to do because there’s a lot of time in getting everything prepped.
I love sushi! Japanese food is my favorite! I have not tried making my own sushi though. thank you for sharing this recipe
It takes some time to get everything prepped, but making your own sushi is so much fun!
These look delicious. I love that you add crab in this ingredient. I’m going to give it a try for Friday. Thanks for sharing
Excellent sushi recipe! I didn’t think making sushi could be this simple as it looks so complicated. Everyone at the dinner table enjoyed these and I will certainly make again!
Ooooo I love sushi and never thought to make it at home! And this looks easy enough- especially since I do mostly vegetarian. Making this asap!
This would have come in handy a few months ago when my son and his friends attempted to make sushi…it was a disaster. I’ll have to save this for them next time.
My oldest son and his wife make sushi at home. Every bit as pretty and delicious as at the restaurant. Highly recommend!
This looks like a great recipe. I love California rolls, but not much else on the Sushi side of things! So I will continue to purchase and give huge kudos to those that make it! It really does look delish!
We have tools to do sushi at home. But idk why I still like to eat sushi and Japanese food at the restaurant. Probably the environment affects the taste also.
This is timely! My husband has been bugging me to go out since he’s been craving for Japanese food but I am really lazy to go out. Will try to make homemade sushi instead. I agree with you that it would be a nice bonding activity too. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Will prepare the ingredients and try this on Saturday.
Sushi is fun, though we love the vegetarian variants. Will try these at home based on your recipe.