California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published August 27, 2022. Updated July 8, 2023

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California Roll in layered bowl form! These are the simplified way to enjoy all the flavors of a California roll in a fraction of the time! You get a hearty bowl of sushi rice layered together with so many delicious flavors and textures. Who could resist?

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (1)

California Rolls the Quick and Easy Way!

How could you go wrong with deconstructed sushi piled high in a bowl? It’s destined to be a new go-to weeknight recipe for you!

You get a slightly sweet, slightly tangy, tender sushi rice and atop is a blend of crab (or imitation crab), crisp fresh veggies including carrots, cucumber, and buttery avocado. Then there’s also umami-rich nori, flavorful pickled ginger, a salty soy finish, creamy and spicy sriracha mayo, then buttery little sesame seeds to finish it off with more texture.

Talk about explosion of flavor in every bite!

Plus these are so easy to make. Just cook the rice, chop everything up, then serve it layered together individual bowls. No meticulous cutting and rolling just slice it, dice it, dress it and boom! Dinner (or lunch) is served.

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (2)Watch the Video!

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (3)

What Ingredients are in a California Sushi Roll Bowl?

  • seasoned sushi rice (whichreally is so easy to make by the way)
  • avocados
  • cucumbers
  • crab meat (real or imitationeither works)
  • carrots
  • nori (which is just that seaweed which sushi is wrappedin)
  • sesame seeds
  • sriracha mayo

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (4) California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (5)

How do You Make Deconstructed California Rolls?

  • Rinse and cook rice.
  • Heat vinegar with sugar and salt then toss with rice.
  • Mix mayo and sriracha.
  • In a bowl toss crab, cucumber, carrots, nori, ginger and avocado, OR keep it separate and layer in sections into individual bowls over the rice.
  • Mix soy and vinegar.
  • Layer rice and crab mixture among serving bowls, top with soy vinegar mixture and mayo mixture.

Try Serving in Mini Portions Too!

I think these would be so fun for a party to serve in mini bowls. Everyonewould think you are genius. I think you could easily get10 mini servings out of this, just be sure to set aside a few for yourself, they’ll go quick.

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (6)

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California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (7)

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California Roll Sushi Bowls

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All the flavors of the traditional California Roll in a simplified deconstructed version! Seasoned sushi recipe is layered together with crab, nori, fresh veggies and sriracha mayo for one crave-able bowl you'll want to make again and again!

Watch the video

Servings: 5

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook25 minutes minutes

Ready in: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry sushi rice or calrose rice
  • 5 Tbsp rice vinegar , divided
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp sriracha
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 10 oz imitation crab or lump crabmeat , torn or chopped into small bite size pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups diced English cucumber
  • 3/4 cup roughly chopped matchstick carrots
  • 1 nori sheet , chopped or crumbled into small pieces (add more if you'd like)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped pickled sushi ginger
  • 1 large avocado , peeled and diced
  • Black and toasted sesame seeds , for garnish

Instructions

  • Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear (it will take about 2 minutes of rinsing). Tap bottom of strainer with palm of your hand until water no longer falls from strainer (it should be well drained).

  • Transfer rice to a medium saucepan along with 2 1/4 cups water. Bring mixture to a full boil then reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and let rest 10 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine 4 Tbsp of the vinegar with the sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat, cook and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, let cool while rice is resting then pour vinegar mixture over rice and toss to evenly coat.

  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together mayonnaise with sriracha. Transfer to a sandwich size resealable bag. Set aside.

  • Separately in a small mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce and remaining 1 Tbsp vinegar, set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl gently toss together crab meat, cucumber, carrots, nori, ginger and avocado OR keep it separate and just divide chopped ingredients into sections over a rice layer in serving bowls.

  • Divide prepared rice among 4 or 5 bowls. Top with crab mixture.

  • Spoon soy sauce mixture over top of each serving. Cut a small tip from one corner of the resealable bag and drizzle sriracha mayo over each serving. Serve shortly after preparing (the avocado will start to brown).

Nutrition Facts

California Roll Sushi Bowls

Amount Per Serving

Calories 465Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 1185mg52%

Potassium 400mg11%

Carbohydrates 84g28%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 3325IU67%

Vitamin C 9.3mg11%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: California Roll

Author: Jaclyn

California Roll Sushi Bowl Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients of a California roll? ›

A California roll is a fresh take on traditional Japanese rice rolls. Filled with avocado, crab, and cucumber, it's fresh and crunchy and makes a filling meal. You can use real or imitation crab.

What is the difference between a sushi bowl and a poke bowl? ›

Both bowls often feature similar toppings, such as avocado, cucumber, and furikake seasoning. However, poke rice bowls may also include ingredients that are not typically found in sushi rice bowls like edamame, seaweed salad, or pineapple chunks.

What is the difference between Japanese sushi and California roll? ›

Unlike traditional sushi rolls, the California roll does not use raw fish as its main ingredient. Instead, it features avocado, imitation crab (also called kani), cucumber, and sushi rice, all wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed).

What is the original California roll? ›

California roll, a type of inside-out sushi roll (uramaki) in which vinegared rice (rather than nori, an edible seaweed) forms the outside of the roll, usually encompassing cucumber, crab (or imitation crab), and avocado.

What is the red stuff in a California roll? ›

Tobiko (とびこ) is flying fish roe in Japanese cuisine, known for its use in sushi. The eggs are small, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 mm. For comparison, tobiko is larger than masago (capelin roe), but smaller than ikura (salmon roe). Natural tobiko has a red-orange color, a mild smoky or salty taste, and a crunchy texture.

Which is healthier, poke bowl or sushi? ›

Thus, poké bowls can be more nutritious and delicious because of the flexibility of taste and ingredients. You have the option to choose your base, select your source of protein and mix your fillings. Top it off with some fresh veggies and chia seeds or black seeds.

Do you use white or sushi rice for poke bowls? ›

Base - sushi rice is commonly used, but regular white and brown rice could also be used.

Is poke bowl really healthy? ›

Poke is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, the crucial fat that helps keep your heart healthy and protect you from heart disease. Getting enough omega-3 fatty acids each day helps contribute to a lower blood pressure and heart rate and also improves other potential heart disease risk factors.

How to make a Florida roll? ›

Making a Florida Roll
  1. Using a half sheet of nori, apply a thin layer of rice horizontally and sprinkle some sesame seeds along the center.
  2. Flip over your rice and seaweed and put a thin line of crawfish salad (no larger than 2cm in diameter).

What's in PF Chang's California roll? ›

What ingredients are in P.F. Chang's California Roll? White rice, nori (dried seaweed), kani kama, cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Each roll is served with wasabi and pickled ginger on the side.

Is there anything raw in a California roll? ›

Arguably the most notorious sushi roll of them all: The California Roll. This roll has been the “bread and butter” to most sushi bars. This roll is what most people start off with, if they have never tried sushi before (because it doesn't contain raw fish).

What is FF on sushi? ›

“It's flying fish roe!” I would always say. These little balls are also known as tobiko. They are used primarily for aesthetics. Most sushi bars use them for garnish, lite flavor, and texture. Tobiko is slightly salty and, in large quantities, very crunchy.

What is golden California roll sushi? ›

Spicy Crabmeat and Tuna, Shrimp Tempura, Cucumber rolled together, then Eel and Spicy Mayo sauce drizzled over Crunch Panko bits.

What does omakase mean? ›

Omakase literally means “I Leave The Details Up to You

Omakase directly translates to - "I leave it up to you." The term Omakase gained popularity in the 1990s. Omakase, a chef-curated dinner, is famous for its direct interactions with the chef. The customer leaves the order details to the sushi chef.

Are California rolls cooked or raw? ›

California Roll – Imitation crab, avocado and cucumber. The crab is cooked – so this is perfect if you're still not sure about eating raw fish.

Does California roll have gluten or dairy? ›

Additionally, the imitation crab, also called surimi, found in many rolls such as California rolls, are made from fish and a food starch, which often contain wheat and therefore gluten.

What is the difference between rainbow roll and California roll? ›

While the California roll uses no raw fish at all, the rainbow roll takes it one step further by adding raw tuna, salmon, shrimp, and white fish.

What sushi has no fish? ›

16 Types Of Sushi Rolls That Don't Contain Any Raw Fish
  • Avocado Roll. Avocado sushi rolls - Rez-art/Getty Images. ...
  • Dragon Roll. Dragon roll sushi - Anton Dobrea/Getty Images. ...
  • Spider Roll. Spider roll sushi - Balevski/Shutterstock. ...
  • Boston Roll. ...
  • Philadelphia Roll. ...
  • California Roll. ...
  • Caterpillar Roll. ...
  • Dynamite Roll.
Dec 12, 2023

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