Salmon in Sushi
Did you know that traditional Japanese sushi restaurants don’t actually serve salmon? The reason is simple: only farmed salmon is safe to eat raw, and upscale sushi chefs typically prefer using wild, locally sourced fish.
But when you’re making sushi at home, it’s a different story. Sashimi-grade salmon is your best friend. It’s very accessible and easy to work with. That’s why I came up with this thin-rolled sushi recipe with salmon. However, a simple salmon roll isn’t anything revolutionary, so I wanted to add something to give it a bit of extra flavor and texture.
How I Developed This Recipe
Salmon is a great sushi filling on its own, but have you ever tried salmon with pickled daikon and green onions? It’s a great combination! The sweet, tangy crunch of the daikon and the fresh kick of the green onions really bring out the flavor of the salmon.
If you want to bring a unique, colorful and flavorful addition to your next sushi night, I hope you give this recipe a try!
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Vinegared Sushi Rice: This is the heart of any sushi dish. This rice is seasoned just right with a blend of short-grain Japanese rice, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for that authentic sushi taste and texture you’re looking for. For the best results, check out my detailed sushi rice recipe on the blog.
- Wasabi Paste: It doesn’t matter if you pick a store-bought paste or grate your own wasabi root. If wasabi isn’t your thing, no problem! It’s completely optional and can be adapted to suit your taste.
- Sashimi-Grade Salmon: It’s really important to make sure you only use salmon that’s been labeled as safe for raw consumption (sashimi-grade). Do not use any others. If you can’t get sashimi-grade salmon, smoked salmon is a good alternative.
- Takuan Pickles (Yellow Pickled Daikon): Ready-made takuan is a time-saver, but if you’re feeling adventurous, check out my homemade takuan recipe.
- Green Onion: Finely chop green onions to add a fresh, mildly sharp flavor to your sushi. They go great with the other ingredients, but don’t overpower them.
- Sushi Nori Seaweed: We’ll cut them in half to create perfect rectangles for hosomaki (thin sushi rolls). Look for nori with a dark green hue and crisp texture.
- Dark Soy Sauce: This sushi roll is best enjoyed with just a light dip in dark soy sauce.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Salmon Sushi Rolls at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. This mixture is key to giving sushi rice its distinctive flavor.
Pour it over freshly cooked Japanese short-grain rice and gently mix with a rice paddle or silicone spatula, being careful not to crush the grains.
As you mix, fan the rice to help it cool faster.
Once mixed, cover the rice with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cut the sashimi-grade salmon into thin sticks. Finely chop the green onions and takuan (pickled daikon). The fine chopping helps to ensure an even distribution in the roll and balances the flavors.
Make sure you have a bowl of cold water to wet your hands (this will stop the rice from sticking), a small dish of wasabi, and a bamboo rolling mat ready.
Split each nori sheet in half by folding it along the crease or using scissors, with the shiny side down.
Just a heads-up: The shiny side should be on the outside of the roll (facing down), while the rough side faces up.
Line up the nori sheet with the bottom edge of the bamboo mat, with the rough side facing you, and get ready to roll.
Wet your hands with the cold water and take about 65 grams of rice, forming it into a rough cylinder.
Put the rice on the bottom edge of the nori and spread it gently across to the other side, leaving about a finger-width border at the top.
Wetting your hands helps keep the rice from sticking, and using a slightly smaller amount of rice (65g instead of my usual 80g) allows more space for fillings. Once you’ve spread the rice, pinch the top edge to create a small ridge along the border.
This will help you roll the rice up into the nori.
If you’re using wasabi, just spread a little across the center of the rice.
Then, add a thin layer of chopped green onions and pickled daikon along the middle of the rice.
Finally, add the salmon sticks to the center. Just a heads-up: Don’t overfill the roll, or it’ll be tricky to roll and cut.
Line the bottom of the nori with the edge of the bamboo mat. Now, just lift the bottom edge of the mat and roll it over the fillings, pulling it up to meet the top edge of the rice “ridge.”
Gently but firmly press to secure the roll, then lift the bamboo mat and continue rolling until the empty border of nori seals the roll.
Once you’ve rolled it all the way up, use the bamboo mat to gently press the roll and make sure it’s all the way shaped.
Use a sharp knife to cut the roll in half. To get a clean cut, use a quick, sharp sawing motion, pushing the knife forward first, then pulling it back.
Just wipe the blade with a damp cloth between each cut to keep the rice from sticking.
Once you’ve cut it in half, cut each half into thirds to create six even pieces.
Arrange the sushi rolls on a plate and serve with soy sauce for dipping. Enjoy these fresh salmon sushi rolls with the crisp bite of takuan and the mild heat of green onion!
I hope you enjoy this Salmon Sushi Roll recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Hosomaki Recipes
- Tekka Maki (Tuna)
- Kappa Maki (Cucumber)
- Kanpyo Maki (Simmered Gourd)
- Shinko Maki (Pickles)
Salmon Maki Sushi (with Daikon Pickles & Green Onions)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 260 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 100 g sashimi grade salmon
- 30 g yellow pickled daikon (takuan)
- 4 tbsp finely chopped green onions
- 2 sheets sushi nori seaweed
- wasabi paste
- soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Mix 2 tsp rice vinegar, ¼ tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt in a bowl until fully dissolved.
- Pour the mixture over warm 260 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice, and mix using a cut and fold motion with the edge of a rice paddle while fanning to cool. Once evenly distributed, cover the rice with a clean damp tea towel to prevent it drying out.
- Cut 100 g sashimi grade salmon into strips, and finely dice 30 g yellow pickled daikon. Measure out 4 tbsp finely chopped green onions and your desired amount of wasabi paste.
- Optional: Turn your gas burner on low and carefully fan 2 sheets sushi nori seaweed over the fire to improve the texture and aroma of the nori.
- Fold the nori in half and pinch along the crease before tearing them down the fold. (Use scissors for a neater cut.)
- Lay the bamboo rolling mat on a flat surface with the bamboo sticks laying horizontally. Place a piece of nori rough side facing up at the bottom of the mat.
- Wet your hands and shape an 65g (approx 2.3 oz) handful of rice into a rough cylinder.
- Place the rice on the nori and spread it out while leaving a finger-width border along the top. Pinch along the top edge of the rice to make a ridge, then spread wasabi through the middle.
- Sprinkle the pickled daikon and chopped green onion over the wasabi.
- Arrange the strips of salmon on top of the other ingredients.
- Lift the bottom of the mat fold over until the rice meets.
- Press firmly to shape, then lift the edge of the mat and roll once more so that the edge of the nori seals the roll.
- Wipe a sharp knife with a damp cloth and cut the sushi roll in half. Use a short, sharp sawing motion to cut the roll without applying too much pressure (pressing down will squash it).
- Cut each half into thirds, wiping the knife between each cut.
- Enjoy with a small bowl of soy sauce for dipping.
Leave a rating and a comment