Making Your First Sushi Roll

If you haven’t read how to make sushi rice yet, go back to that page.

Spicy Salmon Roll

There are different types of sushi rolls. If you’re in America, the kind you’ve probably seen 99% of the time you eat sushi is an inside-out roll where the rice is on the outside, and then there’s fish wrapped up in seaweed. Those types of rolls are trickier to do, so I’ll explain how to make a roll where the seaweed is on the outside (which, for me, tastes better).

Fish Prep

  1. Take the salmon block and chop it/mince it as finely as you can or want. It’s a matter of personal preference how “mushed up” you want it.

  2. Add some spicy mayo to your minced up salmon.

  3. Add Tobiko if you want (it tastes delicious)

Assembling The Roll

  1. Place a sheet of nori on either a sushi rolling mat or a flat surface. The perforations should be going horizontally, and the rough side should be facing up.

  2. Cover the nori in a thin layer of rice. If there’s small gaps in it, that’s okay. The thinner you make the rice layer, the more space there is for filling. Leave space at the top of the sheet and at the bottom of the sheet (but leave more space at the top)

  3. Add your spicy salmon filling

  4. Fold the bottom over the top so that the nori sheet touches. (See step 5 image)

  5. Roll the roll shut and…

  6. Squeeze it together to ensure that it’s tight and sealed

  7. Slice it up into 6 pieces. Some tips for slicing:

    1. Wet your knife before slicing

    2. Use a forward and backward “slice” rather than a downward “chop”. It takes practice, but eventually you’ll be able to get it in a single stroke

The roll will be a big thick roll. If you want a skinnier roll, put less rice down and then roll tighter. The instructions won’t change.