Have a fun sushi night at home and make this Shrimp Tempura Roll using my easy steps to guide you. It's the perfect combination of crispy shrimp tempura, creamy avocado and cucumber with a drizzle of spicy mayo for a little kick!
Have you ever tried making your own sushi? It's actually so much fun and you can make a super fun family night or even a cute date night with it. My husband and I love having date nights at home with a glass of wine and cooking new foods. Sushi has become a regular that we love experimenting with, and this shrimp tempura roll was the biggest hit, I couldn't wait to share it with you! It's much easier to make than it seems.
The shrimp tempura is crispy and light, and tastes so good with the creamy avo and crisp cucumbers. If you love a spicy kick, don't miss the sriracha mayo on top 😋. Now I must admit, I'm not a professional sushi maker, but I love the process and practicing. I've tried many different methods, so I can share my easy step by step guide that's not intimidating for beginners. Practice makes perfect so just have fun with it!
Some other sushi recipes I've shared are my spicy tuna crispy rice and kani sushi rolls.
What's great about this shrimp tempura sushi is that it doesn't contain raw fish or seafood. I know that's a big concern for many people which stirs them away from sushi, especially women through their pregnancy months. Here you can make your own sushi at home, without any fear of raw fish so everyone can enjoy it! To save time, you can also buy pre-packaged shrimp tempura that's already been prepared. Or you can make it from scratch, its up to you, I'll show you both methods.
Japanese cuisine is definitely my weakness, I absolutely love it and its always been one of my favorite cultures to learn about. Sushi is a form of art and I love the attention to detail when it comes to the presentation and flavor combinations. I stopped eating meat back in 2017 where I transitioned to a mostly vegetarian and plant based diet. However, I occasionally still eat seafood and sushi. Shrimp tempura rolls have always been a personal favorite that I order every time we go to a sushi restaurant, so I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do 😊
Some other Japanese inspired dishes to try are my miso eggplant, viral kani salad and cosy udon noodle miso soup.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this Shrimp Tempura Roll
- So much fun! Having a sushi night at home is so much fun and great for family night or date night
- Delicious: The combination of crispy shrimp tastes so good with the creamy avo, crisp cucumbers and spicy mayo
- Easy steps: I share my step by step guide to make sushi making easy for beginners
- Impress your guests: This dish looks impressive but is surprisingly straightforward to make
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sushi rice is the foundation of any sushi roll and essential when making sushi for the best sticky texture. It's a Japanese rice you can find at Asian markets and most grocery stores
- Shrimp tempura is of course the star of the show! For a quick and easy option, you can buy pre-packaged shrimp tempura which is usually frozen and can be easily fried or baked. You can also make it from scratch and it’s fairly easy to make. All you need are the shrimp, tempura flour and ice-cold water
- Rice seasoning includes rice vinegar, sugar and salt gives the sushi rice its distinct flavor
- Nori seaweed sheets are essential for wrapping the sushi rolls
- Avocado and cucumber are the fillings with a creamy and refreshing balance to the shrimp tempura. You can also add carrots, lettuce or other veggies
- Sriracha mayo sauce is a spicy mayonnaise adding a little kick. If you don't want it spicy, feel free to leave it out or substitute with kewpie mayonnaise
- Sesame seeds adds a decorative touch to the uramaki roll and a slightly nutty flavor and crunch
- Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi for an authentic sushi night
How to make Shrimp Tempura Roll
This is the fun part, putting it all together to make a delicious homemade shrimp tempura roll. Follow my step by step instructions below, from cooking the rice, making the shrimp tempura and then rolling it all up.
Cook Sushi Rice
Wash sushi rice in a small pot until water is almost clear. Add 1 ¼ cups of water and cook over a medium-high heat. When water starts to boil, place the lid on for 15 - 20 minutes on low heat
Remove from heat, keep the lid on so it can steam for 5 - 10 minutes
Make rice seasoning by adding rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a small pot. Heat on a stove top for a couple of minutes until sugar has dissolved
Add rice to large bowl and pour over the rice seasoning. Gently fold with a wooden paddle to combine (don't over mix, it will make it mushy)
Make Shrimp Tempura
Wash and pat dry the shrimp - ensure they are shelled and deveined, leaving the tails on
Straighten the shrimp by cutting 6 small slits lengthways on the inside (make sure not to cut all the way through)
Turn the shrimp over and using your finger, gently but firmly press down all the way to the tail. The shrimps should be flat and longer in length
Using scissors to trim the tips of the tails to clean them up
Dip shrimps in a bowl of all purpose flour to make a light coating
In a bowl, sift in the tempura flour and add ice cold water - refer to package instructions for the correct water to flour ratio. Lightly stir the batter with chopsticks (small lumps are ok)
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat (check oil is ready by adding a touch of the tempura batter to the oil. It should rise to the top)
Dip each shrimp into the batter and allow the excess to drip off then drop into the oil
Cook a few shrimps at a time and work in batches for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot and place on a plate with paper towels
Make Shrimp Tempura Rolls
Prepare workstation - wrap the bamboo mat with plastic wrap, small bowl of water, sharp knife and clean towel. Cut a sheet of nori seaweed in half and place it shiny side down on the bamboo mat. Prepare fillings, slice cucumber and avocado into thin strips
Wet hands and spread a thin layer of the sushi rice evenly across the nori sheet
To make an uramaki roll (inside out roll), sprinkle sesame seeds on the rice and gently press them in. Flip the nori sheet so the rice is now face down. Place avocado and cucumber in a horizontal line in the middle of the nori sheet, then 2 pieces of shrimp tempura on top with the tails on the outside
Lift the edge of the bamboo mat that is closest to you and fold it over the filling. Use fingertips to tuck in the filling and roll it forward with a gentle but firm pressure to roll into a cylinder shape.
Use the mat to shape the roll and clean the edges as needed, then carefully place the roll on a cutting board
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the roll. Cut the roll by dipping a knife in a bowl of water. I find the best way is to slice the roll in half, then cut each half into halves again to make 6-8 pieces. Make sure to wipe the knife with a clean towel each time, and wet again before slicing. Remove the plastic wrap then repeat the above steps to make the remaining rolls
Tips and Tricks
- When making the tempura batter, ensure to use ice cold water and don't over-mix, some lumps are ok. Otherwise it will create too much gluten which will result in a thick soggy batter
- Before making the sushi rolls, prepare a clean workstation by wrapping the bamboo mat with plastic wrap, small bowl of water, sharp knife and kitchen towel
- Wet your hands and fingers which will prevent the sushi rice from sticking to your hands while handling
- Don't overfill the rolls (as tempting as it is). Too many fillings will make the roll difficult to roll and cut
- Serve immediately for the best flavor and so the tempura shrimp is still warm and crispy
- Have fun with it! Practice makes perfect and the important thing is to have fun while practicing
Storage Instructions
- Shrimp tempura sushi rolls are best enjoyed fresh when the shrimp are still warm and crispy
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days
- Leave them out of the fridge for 5-10 minutes before serving so the rice isn't too cold and therefore hard
FAQs
Yes you can! These days, you can buy store-bought shrimp tempura which is usually in the freezer section. You can then fry or bake them and add to your sushi rolls for a quick easy option
Its actually a cooked roll as the shrimp has been fried with a light batter so therefore a great option if you don’t eat raw fish
A California roll is made using imitation crab meat, cucumber and avocado, similar to my kani sushi which includes seasoned crabmeat. A shrimp tempura roll is made with shrimp that has been fried with a crispy tempura batter along with fresh ingredients such as avocado and cucumber
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Shrimp Tempura Roll:
More Japanese Inspired Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Shrimp Tempura Roll photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Shrimp Tempura Roll (Easy Steps)
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 cup Japanese sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Good pinch of salt
Shrimp Tempura
- 8 shrimp tempura - either buy frozen prepared shrimp tempura or make them yourself with my recipe below
- 8 large cleaned and deveined shrimp/prawns
- 1 cup tempura flour
- Ice cold water - refer to tempura flour package instructions for the amount
- ¼ cup plain all purpose flour
- Oil for frying - I've used sunflower oil
Filling
- 2 seaweed nori sheets
- ½ avocado
- ½ cucumber
- Sesame seeds
- *Optional sriracha mayonnaise for drizzling
Instructions
Cook Sushi Rice
- In a small pot, wash the sushi rice until the water is almost clear and not murky. Add 1 ¼ cups of water and cook over a medium-high heatWhen the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and place the lid on. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed
- While the rice is cooking, make the rice seasoning by adding rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a small pot/saucepan. Heat over stove top for a couple of minutes until heated through and sugar has dissolved
- Remove the rice pot from the heat, however leave the lid on and allow it to steam for 5-10 minutes
- Transfer rice to a large bowl and pour over the rice seasoning. Using a wooden paddle or a spatula and gently fold the rice so that it's evenly seasoned. *Don't over mix as rice will become mushy
Make Shrimp Tempura
- If using pre-packaged shrimp tempura, fry or bake as per package instructions. If making shrimp tempura from scratch, continue with the below stepsWash and pat dry the shrimps, making sure they have been shelled and deveined but have their tails on
- Straighten the shrimps by cutting 6 small slits lengthways on the inside of the shrimp - don't cut all the way through
- Turn the shrimp over so the slits are facing down on the cutting board. Using your finger, gently but firmly press down along the length of the shrimp all the way down to the tail. The shrimps should now be flat and longer in length
- Cut the very tips of the tails along the angles to clean them up, still keeping the tails intact
- Place the all purpose flour in a bowl and dip the shrimps in the flour for a light coating
- In a new bowl, sift in the tempura flour and pour in the ice cold water - refer to your tempura flour package for the correct water to flour ratio. My package has a 1:1 ratioLightly stir the tempura batter with chopsticks, making sure not to over mix. Some small lumps are ok to be left
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Check the oil is ready by adding a touch of the tempura batter to the oil. It should rise to the topDip each shrimp into the batter and allow the excess to drip off. Carefully drop into the hot oil. Cook a few shrimps at a time and work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden then remove from the oil and place on a plate with paper towels to remove the excess oil
Make Shrimp Tempura Rolls
- Prepare a workstation by wrapping the (makisu) sushi mat with plastic wrap, have a small bowl of water, sharp knife and clean kitchen towel. Cut a sheet of nori seaweed in half and place it shiny side down on the bamboo matAlso prepare fillings by slicing cucumber and avocado into thin strips
- Using wet hands, spread a thin layer of the sushi rice evenly across the nori sheet
- To make an uramaki roll (inside out roll), sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds and gently press them into the rice. Flip the nori sheet so the rice is now face down on the mat and the nori sheet is on top *Skip this step if making a normal maki roll (with seaweed on the outside)
- Place avocado and cucumber in a horizontal line in the middle of the nori sheet, then 2 pieces of shrimp tempura on top with the tails on the outside
- Lift the edge of the bamboo mat that is closest to you and fold it over the filling. Use your fingertips to tuck in the filling and roll it forward
- Use a gentle but firm pressure to roll into a cylinder shape, using the mat to help shape the roll and clean the edges as needed
- Carefully place the sushi roll onto the cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the sushi roll, making sure there is surplus plastic on all sides
- Dip a sharp knife in the bowl of water and slice the uramaki roll in half. You then cut each half into halves again and continue to make 6 or 8 pieces - wiping the knife with the clean towel each time, and wetting before slicingRemove the plastic wrap then repeat the above steps to make the remaining rolls
- Present your beautiful Shrimp Tempura Rolls on a serving plate and drizzle with sriracha mayo. Serve with soy sauce for dipping, pickled ginger and wasabi for garnish and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional table does not account for oil used for frying the shrimp tempura
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