Spicy crab roll sushi is creamy, spicy and delicious! Shredded crab sticks are seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then all wrapped in nori and sushi rice. Easy to make in 15 minutes once the sushi rice is ready.
Various types of seafood are very popular in Japan. This should come as no surprise considering that Japan is a series of islands! The seas surrounding Japan are deep and filled with a variety of sea life, but one staple of coastal Japanese cuisine for centuries has been the humble crab. You’ll often find crab-based meals in Japanese cuisine, from high-end restaurants all the way down to street food.
Spicy Crab Roll Sushi
This spicy crab roll definitely is more of an on-the-go snack than it is a sit-down meal, but don’t underestimate it! It’s easy to make, delicious to eat, and with its spicy, creamy flavor, is a truly satisfying treat. You can serve it as a snack, or bring it to a picnic or cookout!
It can be easier said than done to acquire fresh crab for a meal like this, so we’ll be using kani, or imitation crab made from a variety of other sea foods.
It’s very easy, on the other hand, to make sushi at home! Most people only eat sushi when they’re out of the house, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare sushi at home. The only slightly tricky part is getting the rice right, but we’ll walk you through each step to make sure you assemble the perfect spicy crab roll.
All you need is to shred a kani stick, season this with sriracha spicy mayo, and wrap the resulting mix in nori seaweed sheets and sticky sushi rice. This is a simple, tasty sushi roll that won’t take much more than fifteen minutes to make once your rice is ready to go. Let’s take a look at the secret to an awesome spicy crab roll.
Ingredients
- Kani: this imitation crab is common in Japan and can easily be bought at your local Asian grocer. Canned crab meat is a good substitution, or fresh crab meat if you can get it.
- Sriracha sauce: this spicy, tasty creation is an absolute must. It’s made from a mixture of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt, and it will bring the sting to your crab roll. You can use less of this hot sauce if you don’t like spicy food, or more if you do. You can sub in chili sauce if you want.
- Mayonnaise: this is the source of your sushi roll’s creaminess. It will also take the edge off the sriracha. Use real mayo if you can, made with eggs. If you’re feeling healthy, try unflavored Greek yogurt.
- Nori seaweed sheets should be crisp enough to easily break in half by folding.
- Sushi rice: be sure to use high quality short-grain Japanese sushi rice.
- Sushi vinegar is for seasoning the sushi rice, but a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt will do the trick as well.
- Sesame seeds: sesame seeds add a nice peppery look to your sushi roll and brings a sweet, nutty flavor. A great way to maximize the flavor of your sesame seeds is to toast them in a pan for about five minutes.
Make rolling your sushi easier with a bamboo sushi rolling mat.
Tips For The Best Spicy Crab Roll Recipe
- Try dipping your hands in Tezu water before handling the sushi rice. Tezu water, a mixture of a quarter cup of water and two teaspoons of rice vinegar, will help prevent the sushi rice grains from sticking to your hands.
- Squeeze your sushi rolls gently, but firmly, when rolling them. This prevents them from falling apart or becoming too tightly packed. There’s a Goldilocks zone of pressure (not too hard, not too soft) that might take a few tries to get right. Once you finish, place the mat over the roll and squeeze it again, being as gentle as before. You don’t want your sushi roll falling apart in your hands, do you?
- The sriracha sauce is the source of heat for this sushi roll. You can adjust the ratio of sriracha to mayo according to your own personal preference. If you want a non-spicy variation on this crab roll, just use the mayonnaise, but we recommend including at least a little bit of sriracha to help accentuate the roll’s flavor.
- If you’re using canned crab meat as opposed to the kani stick, the meat will be quite waterlogged in the can. Make sure to thoroughly drain your crab meat and squeeze the water out to prevent it from accidentally turning your spicy crab roll into a soggy mess.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a spicy crab roll
It’s also known as the spicy kani roll, which is a little more accurate. This is an “inside out” sushi roll. The crab mixture is wrapped in nori, which is then enveloped in the rice. This is as opposed to the more traditional nori roll, which has the rice on the inside and seaweed on the outside. Your filling will be crab, sriracha, and mayo. The flavor is a little sweet, a little creamy, and a little spicy, and totally delicious!
Is Spicy Crab Roll Cooked Sushi
Yes! There is no raw fish in this recipe. Kani or crab meat as served in this recipe is cooked.
How Many Calories In Spicy Crab Roll
This will vary depending on your sauce, rice, and crab meat. Each roll will likely have just over three hundred calories, with about 38 calories in each individual piece of sushi, depending on their size.
Variations
If you want, you can use tempura crab instead of kani. Tempura crab is sweeter and crunchier than kani, so it will change the flavor and texture of your spicy crab roll. Try it for yourself and see which one you prefer!
You could try using the entire kani stick, and adding avocado to the filling, for a homemade spicy California roll.
You can always increase the vegetable content of your spicy crab roll by adding fresh veggies to the filling! Cucumber, Oshinko, and Yamagobo are all great options.
More Sushi Recipes
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Spicy Crab Roll
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Spicy crab roll sushi is creamy, spicy and delicious! Shredded crab sticks are seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then all wrapped in nori and sushi rice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain sushi rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar*
For the Spicy Crab Roll
- 4 oz imitation crab sticks ( or canned crab meat)
- 2 nori sheets (seaweed)
- 4 teaspoons black sesame seeds
For the Spicy Mayo
- 3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
Instructions
Sushi Rice
- Cook the sushi rice according to the package instructions. Once it is cooked, allow to cool slightly.
- Mix in the sushi vinegar when the rice is still warm.
Spicy Mayo
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. Adjust the amount of Sriracha to your liking. Keep aside.
Spicy Kani Roll
- Using a fork or your hands, shred imitation crab meat. Add the spicy mayo and mix well.
- Halve each nori sheet to get four pieces, using scissors.
- Cover the bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place half of a nori sheet (shiny side facing down) on top of the mat.
- Spread about ¾ sushi rice over the nori in an even layer. When working with rice, keep a bowl of water nearby. Dip your hands to prevent rice from sticking to your hands.
- Sprinkle the rice with black sesame seeds and flip it over, the rice facing down.
- Place the spicy crab mixture in the center of the nori sheet. Roll the mat away from you, pressing the rice. Roll until the ends meet.
- Transfer the roll to a cutting board and cut it into 7-8 pieces using a wet knife.
- Drizzle with spicy mayo sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
* You can make your own sushi vinegar. Simply mix together 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Category: Sushi recipes
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Calories: 38kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 39mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 1mg
Keywords: spicy crab roll, spicy crab roll calories, spicy crab roll sushi
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I didn’t realize how easy sushi would be to prepare at home! This was so delicious. Thanks
★★★★★
Thank you, Suzan!