This easy California roll sushi bowl recipe gives you everything you love about a California sushi roll combined into a bowl for an easy, tasty weeknight dinner that is even better than takeout! With rice, imitation crab meat, avocado, cucumber, carrots, and a creamy sauce, you’ll want to make this sushi bowl recipe again and again.
Sushi has always been my weakness on a busy weeknight. I absolutely love ordering a California roll to go. After doing this week after week, I realized not only how much I was spending on this sushi, but also how many calories I was consuming – yikes! This California roll sushi bowl is easy to make, and is cheaper and healthier than takeout. You and your family will love this tasty weeknight California roll sushi bowl recipe.
Sushi bowls are much easier to make than traditional rolled sushi. You have the ease of simply mixing everything into the bowl! For this California roll sushi bowl recipe, you start by simply cooking your rice. Then you will combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt and microwave the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Once the rice has cooled, pour this mixture over the rice. All that is left to do after that is to divide the rice into 4 bowls and add the rest of your ingredients. You will have a sushi rice bowl ready to go in less time that it would take you to order takeout.
Why You’ll Love This Quick California Roll Sushi Bowl
- This California Roll Sushi Bowl is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- This sushi rice bowl is a cheaper and healthier option versus takeout.
- In this sushi bowl recipe, the flavorful liquid mixture that you will add to the rice will make your California roll bowl extra tasty.
- Your whole family will enjoy these delicious homemade sushi bowls!
Ingredients For Your Amazing Sushi Roll Bowl
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 cup cold water
- 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 8 oz. imitation crab meat, chopped
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1-2 nori sheet, crumbled (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce
- low sodium soy sauce for serving
How to Make Your California Roll Sushi Bowl
Step 1: Rinse rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Don’t skip this step.
Step 2: Pour rinsed rice into a medium size saucepan and add cold water. Heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is fully cooked. Set aside to cool.
Step 3:In a small mixing bowl stir mayonnaise and siracha until combined. Set aside.
Step 4: Once rice has had a chance to cool completely, pour seasoned rice vinegar over rice and stir to combine.
Step 5: To assemble the bowl, divide rice between 4 bowls and top with crab, cucumber, avocado, carrots, and crumbled nori.
Step 6: Top with sesame seeds and spicy mayo. Serve with a side of soy sauce if desired. Enjoy!
What to Serve/Pair with Your California Roll Sushi Bowl
While these California roll sushi bowls are filling enough to serve on their own, sometimes you just want a little something extra. For a side that will pair perfectly with these flavors try these amazing Homemade Cream Cheese Crab Rangoons. To use up your leftover rice, you can also make this tasty Homemade Chicken Fried Rice.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
I love the taste of rice vinegar in Asian dishes, but I know that not everyone keeps it on hand. If you do not have any rice vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in your California roll sushi rice bowls.
For a lower fat option, light mayo can be substituted for regular mayonnaise in this sushi bowl recipe. If you don’t want the added spice, nix the sriracha.
Soy sauce is optional, but can be drizzled over the top or served on the side with your sushi rice bowls.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover California roll sushi bowls can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. They will remain fresh for up to two days. I recommend that if you are not going to eat all of it at once, do not mix all of the ingredients together yet. Store them separately in the fridge and mix them together when you are ready to eat them.
FAQs
What is a nori sheet?
A nori sheet is edible seaweed. It is usually used to wrap sushi together. This ingredient is optional in these California roll sushi bowls.
What is the difference between sushi rice and regular rice?
Sushi rice is stickier than your traditional white rice. Sushi rice can usually be found on the Asian aisle in most grocery stores.
Do I need to cook the imitation crab meat for these sushi bowls?
Nope, for these sushi bowls, the imitation crab will go straight into the bowl.
What is imitation crab?
Imitation crab tastes like crab but is actually made from surimi, a fish flesh that has been deboned and minced.
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Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How Your Quick and Easy California Roll Sushi Bowl Turned Out!
Easy California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice I used Mahatma sushi rice from Kroger
- 2 cup cold water
- 5 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
- 8 oz. imitation crab meat, chopped
- 1 large avocado, diced more or less
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced more or less
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1-2 nori sheet, crumbled (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. siracha sauce
- low sodium soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Rinse rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Don't skip this step.
- Pour rinsed rice into a medium size saucepan and add cold water. Heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is fully cooked. Set aside to cool.
- In a small mixing bowl stir mayonnaise and siracha until combined. Set aside.
- Once rice has had a chance to cool completely, pour vinegar over rice and stir to combine.
- To assemble the bowl, divide rice between 4 bowls and top with crab, cucumber, avocado, carrots, and crumbled nori.
- Top with sesame seeds and spicy mayo. Serve with a side of soy sauce if desired. Enjoy!
