Quick Look at this Temaki Sushi Hand Roll
- Ready In: 45 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: sushi rice, fresh fish, raw veggies, and a nori sheet!
- Dietary Info: dairy-free and gluten-free
- Regular Roll vs. Hand Roll: both use the same ingredients, but a hand roll is much simpler and does not require any equipment (i.e. bamboo mat). It is a cone-shape (to hold everything in) and held in your hand vs. being cut into bite-sized pieces, like a homemade sushi roll.
- History of Sushi: Want to dig a little more into the history of sushi? Here is a great article!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No bamboo mat needed! Perfect for beginners and very approachable.
- Customizable → create your own combination using any of your favorite filling ingredients.
- Quick and Easy – wrap the nori sheet into a cone to hold in the fillings (5 minutes to fill and wrap).
- Host a sushi party – set everything out and let guests make their own. I have been doing this for 15+ years!
- Perfect for entertaining!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Sushi Rice – highly recommend this sushi rice that I have used for years! Follow the recipe card to make on the stove top or make Instant Pot sushi rice.
- Nori Sheets – high-quality seaweed wraps or nori sheets are a must. Some of the lower-quality options break very easily, which can get frustrating.
- Filling Ingredients – anything that can go in a sushi roll, can go in a hand roll! Some of our favorites are tuna, salmon, avocado, cucumber, and carrots!
How To Roll A Sushi Hand Roll (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 – Rinse the rice and simmer in water on the stove top.
Step 2 – Mix the sushi vinegar, pour over the rice, and cut it in with a wooden spoon.
Step 3 – Cut each nori sheet in half.
Step 4 – On one half of the nori sheet half, spread the sushi rice.
Step 5 – Option to add some wasabi mayo from one corner of the rice to the other.
Step 6 – Any desired fillings should also be added at an angle (shown here).
Sushi Hand Roll Filling Variations
There are so many different options. Here are some favorites:
- Raw Fish: salmon, tuna
- Non-Raw Proteins: imitation crab, smoked salmon, cooked shrimp or shrimp tempura, seared scallops.
- Vegetables: cucumber, carrots, avocado (technically a fruit), shredded cabbage, lettuce leaves, etc.
- Others: cream cheese, furikake, kewpie, etc.
👉 Watch how many fillings you use. Be sure to not overfill the hand roll!
Step 7 – Fold the corner closest to your thumb over the fillings.
Step 8 – Wrap the non-rice half of the nori sheet back over everything to make a cone.
Pro Tip
Keep a small glass of water handy when rolling. You may need to rub a very small amount of water along the edge of the nori sheet to help it stick.
Best Ways To Serve Homemade Sushi Hand Rolls
Simply add a drizzle of soy sauce (coconut aminos to keep it gluten-free) and enjoy these super easy hand rolls. Adding some homemade wasabi mayo gives it a little kick of heat, but if wasabi isn’t your thing you could a simply spicy mayo.
Temaki Sushi Hand Roll FAQs
A sushi hand roll (also called temaki) is a cone-shaped piece of sushi made by wrapping nori around rice and fillings. Unlike traditional sushi rolls, hand rolls are assembled by hand and meant to be eaten immediately.
A sushi roll, or maki, are made by rolling all the filling ingredients into a long roll that is cut into small pieces. A hand roll is a more simple process that doesn’t require any tools for the rolling process. Just wrap all the filling ingredients up in a nori sheet and eat it by holding it in your hand.
Any combination of ingredients that you would like can be used together in a hand roll. Try to pick a variety of textures (i.e. crunchy and soft – cucumber and avocado).
No, it is best to eat hand rolls right away after they are made.
Other Homemade Sushi Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups short grain sushi rice, uncooked
- 1 ½ cups water, plus enough to rinse the rice
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 nori sheets, halved
- wasabi, optional
- 6-8 ounces sushi-grade salmon, cut into thick slices (sub tuna)
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cucumber, cut into long strips
- matchstick carrots
Serving Suggestion:
- soy sauce, sub coconut aminos
Instructions
- Rinse Rice: Put 1 ½ cups short grain sushi rice in a medium-sized bowl. Fill with enough water to cover the rice. Use your hand to move the rice around until the water becomes cloudy. Drain and continue to repeat this process until the water becomes clear (it takes a bit of time and the water doesn't need to be 100% clear).
- Boil Rice: Place drained rice in a saucepan. Add 1 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Let simmer until water is fully absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10-15 minutes.
- Sushi Vinegar: Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup with a spout add 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; mix and set aside.
- Combine: Pour cooked sushi rice in a deep baking dish. Using a rice paddle or wooden spoon begin slicing through and gently folding in the sushi vinegar as you slowly pour it evenly over the sushi rice. Continue gently folding the rice (you don't want to mix or stir it in as it can squash the grains) until the sushi vinegar is combined. Let it cool to room temperature; do not refrigerate before use. To keep the rice moist, cover with a damp cloth.
- Add Rice: Pick up half of a nori sheet and lay flat across your left hand (rough side up). Take a spoonful or two of sushi rice (about ½ cup) and place it on the left side of the nori; use the back of the spoon to flatten so it fills about the whole left side of the piece of nori.
- Fillings: Place a little wasabi (if using) down the middle of the rice. Add fillings like salmon, cucumber, avocado, and carrots.
- Form Hand Roll: Fold the bottom-left corner of the nori sheet over the middle of the ingredients and hold it down with your thumb. Use your fingers to roll the nori into a cone shape. You may need to use a bit of water to get the end of the nori sheet wet, so it sticks to itself.
- Serve: Enjoy with soy sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Sushi Rice: the recipe card includes instructions for making sushi rice on the stove top, but we also have a Instant Pot sushi rice recipe.
- Filling Ideas (protein): other than raw fish, you can add smoked salmon slices, cooked shrimp or imitation crab!
- Filling Ideas (non-protein): avocado, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, etc.
- Where to find fish for sushi hand rolls? Head to your local fish monger (someone who specializes in selling fish) to ask about what they would recommend for making sushi. I have also had good luck at Whole Foods.
- Raw Food: consume raw fish at your own risk.
- Leftovers: hand rolls don’t keep well leftover – they are more of an eat them when you make them recipe.
Paul says
Hand roll instructions worked perfectly but we did spicy scallops, crab, avocado, tobiko and rice. Finally know how to do a hand roll. Cutting the paper in half was the trick I was looking for. Thanks!
Erin says
That sounds amazing, Paul!