Kani Sushi (Spicy Crab Roll)

A plate of kani sushi surrounded by table settings.

Kani Sushi (Spicy Crab Roll)

Let’s make kani sushi at home featuring spicy crab, crunchy cucumbers and creamy avocado. Learn how to make this delicious spicy crab rolls by following my step-by-step guide with photos.

Course Appetizer, Appetizer & Sides, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword baked sushi ingredients, baked sushi recipe, kani roll, kani sushi roll, sushi

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings rolls

Calories 180kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

1 ½ short grain sushi rice uncooked
2 cups water
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Spicy Crab Filling

9 sticks imitation crab meat thinly sliced
¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha
½ teaspoon lime juice
⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
1 avocado thinly sliced
2 persian cucumbers julienned
3 Nori Sheets cut in half
toasted sesame seeds black and white

To serve

Instructions

Sushi Rice

Cook the rice. Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water turns clear. Add water and cook the rice in a rice cooker. Alternatively, you can bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then stir in the rice and lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
Season the rice. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until everything has dissolved. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the rice to a large bowl, pour over the seasoning, and toss until combined.

Filling

Spicy Crab mixture. Slice the imitation crab into small pieces. Then add to a bowl with the Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, lime juice and sesame oil. Use a whisk and mix vigorously together to break up the crab and mix until combined.
Slice Avocado. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, remove the skin, and cut into thin slices.
Cucumber Sticks. Cut the ends off the cucumber and slice it into sticks.

Assemble

Prepare the workstation. Wrap your bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Have a small bowl of water and a sharp knife at your station.
Prepare the nori. Cut your nori sheet in half and spread a thin even layer of about 1/3 cup of sushi rice across the sheet using your hands. Dip your hands in the water to prevent your fingers from sticking to the rice. Press the rice into the seaweed to seal in the rice. Sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly across the rice.
Add filling. Flip the nori over so the nori side faces up. Add the spicy kani mixture along the center of the sheet. Then place the cucumber slices and avocado on top of the mixture.
Roll. Hold the filling with your fingers. Gently lift the bottom edge of the sushi mat and roll the nori over the filling applying light pressure. Stop where the end of the rice is and gently tighten and shape the roll. Roll the plastic with over as you roll and apply gentle pressure again to shape and seal. Tightly squeeze the ends of the plastic wrap to keep the filling intact when you slice.
Slice. Dip your sushi knife or sharp knife in warm water. Slowly and gently slice the roll. Clean the knife in between each slice for clean slices. Peel off the plastic wrap.
Serve. Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Enjoy!

Notes

See the above Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition