California Roll with Crab Avocado (Printable)

Crab, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in seasoned rice and nori for classic American-style maki.

# Ingredient List:

→ Sushi Rice

01 - 1 ½ cups sushi rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 2 ½ tbsp rice vinegar
04 - 1 tbsp sugar
05 - ¾ tsp salt

→ Filling

06 - 4 oz cooked crabmeat or imitation crab sticks, shredded
07 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into strips
08 - ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
09 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise

→ Assembly

10 - 4 sheets nori seaweed
11 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

→ To Serve

12 - Soy sauce
13 - Pickled ginger
14 - Wasabi

# How-to Steps:

01 - Rinse sushi rice under cold water until clear. Combine with water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until dissolved. Gently fold into cooked rice. Allow to cool to room temperature before using.
03 - Cover bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place nori sheet shiny side down on mat.
04 - With wet hands, spread ¾ cup rice evenly over nori, leaving 1-inch border at top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
05 - Carefully flip nori so rice side faces down.
06 - Arrange crab, avocado, and cucumber in line along bottom edge. Drizzle mayonnaise over fillings if using.
07 - Using mat, tightly roll sushi away from you, pressing gently to shape. Seal edge with water.
08 - Cut roll into 6 pieces with sharp, damp knife. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Restaurant quality sushi without the restaurant price tag, and you can customize every single roll
  • The satisfaction of creating something beautiful with your hands makes the learning curve worth every minute
02 -
  • Rice temperature matters, let it cool enough to handle but work while its still slightly warm for the best texture and easiest rolling
  • A wet knife is your best friend for slicing, wipe and rewet between every single cut or youll end up with smashed rolls
03 -
  • Place a damp towel over your prepared rice while rolling to keep it from drying out and becoming difficult to work with
  • If you cant find a bamboo mat, a piece of parchment paper on a clean towel works in a pinch, just press more firmly
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