Godzilla Roll Sushi (Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe)
on May 18, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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Godzilla Rolls are filled with crispy shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber, all wrapped in seasoned rice and nori seaweed sheets. Then drizzled with soy sauce or spicy mayo for some extra flavor. You can easily make this popular Japanese shrimp tempura roll recipe, so skip the restaurant and prepare some in the comfort of your own home!
If you like cooked sushi rolls, you’ll have to give this recipe a try. It’s one of my favorites, along with Boston Roll, Alaska Roll, and California Roll.
I love Japanese rolls, but they’re so expensive at restaurants. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make them at home. In this recipe, you will learn how to make sushi rice and how to roll the sushi.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pre-cooked Shrimp Tempura: This is the key ingredient for this recipe. To save time, I like to buy pre-cooked tempura shrimp in a package. You can find them in the frozen section at local supermarkets. Alternatively, you can mix up your own tempura batter, coat shrimp in batter and deep fry them until golden brown.
- Avocado: Avoid overripe avocado as it can get too mushy when squeezed. Look for avocados that have dark skin and yield to firm gentle pressure.
- Cucumber: If you use American cucumber, make sure to remove the seeds as they contain too much water.
- Sushi Rice: Use high-quality Japanese short-grain rice for the best result.
- Sushi Vinegar: For seasoning the rice. If you don’t have sushi vinegar, you can mix together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Nori Sheet: Look for seaweed sheets with a black color with a slightly green hue. They should have the same thickness without any holes. The fresh ones are crisp and easy to break when folding in half.
You’ll also need a Sushi Rolling Bamboo Mat for easy rolling. This recipe is quite versatile, and you can add other ingredients like cream cheese to the filling. For the topping, you can add soy sauce, masago or spicy mayo.
How Do You Make Godzilla Roll Sushi?
Cook Sushi rice
It’s important to use high-quality short-grain rice. You’ll need to use less water than cooking regular rice. The best water to rice ratio is 1:1. Once cooked, transfer the hot rice to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, stir in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt).
Make Godzilla Shrimp Tempura Roll
1. Lay out your bamboo mat with a piece of plastic wrap on top. Then cut off 1/3 of the nori seaweed sheet using kitchen scissors.
2. Place the remaining nori sheet towards the bottom of the mat, the shiny side facing down.
3. Take 3/4 cup of cooked rice and evenly spread over nori while leaving 1/2 inch at the top of the sheet. Spread the rice in a thin layer. Don’t use too much pressure, otherwise, you’ll make the rice mushy.
4. Add shrimp tempura, avocado, and cucumber slices on top of the rice. Then place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
5. Roll the bamboo mat away from you and press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
6. Slice the sushi roll into 8 pieces. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Tips for Making the Perfect Godzilla Sushi
- To prevent the rice from sticking to your hands: Before handling rice, you can dip your hands into Tezu water. It’s a hand dipping liquid made with 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar.
- To prevent sushi rolls from falling apart: You’ll need to squeeze the roll gently but firmly while rolling. Once you finish, you can place the bamboo mat over the sushi roll and gently squeeze the roll again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Godzilla Roll?
Also called Shrimp Tempura Roll, Godzilla Roll is a type of maki sushi (rolled sushi) made by rolling shrimp tempura and other ingredients in nori seaweed sheets and seasoned rice. The key ingredient is shrimp tempura, which adds a nice flavor and crispy texture.
Is Godzilla Roll Cooked Sushi?
Yes, there’s no raw fish in this recipe. Shrimp are fully cooked and then rolled with other vegetables.
How Many Calories Does Each Godzilla Roll Have?
There are about 400 calories in each roll, and 50 calories in each piece of sushi.
If You Like This Recipe Try Out These Cooked Sushi Roll Recipes:
I hope you like this recipe. If you try it, please comment below and let me know how your Godzilla Roll turns out!
Godzilla Roll Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Sushi Rice
- 1 cup sushi rice, short-grain sushi rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoons sushi vinegar, (or mix 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt )
For Godzilla Roll
- 6 oz pre-cooked shrimp tempura, (about 8 pieces)
- ½ cucumber, cut into thin slices
- 1 avocado, cut into thin slices
- 2 sheets nori, seaweed
Optional for Serving:
Instructions
Make Sushi Rice:
- Add the rinsed rice and water to the rice cooker. Cook according to the instructions.
- Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, mix in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt).
Make Godzilla Rolls:
- Lay out your bamboo mat with a piece of plastic wrap on top. (This will prevent your mat getting dirty.)
- Cut off 1/3 of the nori seaweed sheet using kitchen scissors.
- Place the remaining nori sheet towards the bottom of the mat, with the shiny side facing down.
- Take 3/4 cup of cooked rice and evenly spread over nori while leaving 1/2 inch at the top of the sheet. (You can dip your hands into Tezu water* before handing the rice.)
- Spread the rice in a thin layer. Don’t use too much pressure, otherwise, you’ll make the rice mushy.
- Add shrimp tempura, avocado, and cucumber slices on top of the rice.
- Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling. Roll the bamboo mat away from you and press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
- Slice the sushi roll into 8 pieces. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- *To Make Tezu water: Mix together 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
- Why does my sushi roll fall apart? This could be caused by the wrong types of rice you use or you didn’t squeeze the rolls tightly enough. You need to tuck in and pull the bamboo mat while rolling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
