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The Rainbow Roll is one of the most popular sushi items at many Japanese restaurants. It’s uramaki sushi with the rice on the outside, covering seaweed nori, and filled with creamy avocado and imitation crab. Atop the rainbow sushi roll is a colorful assortment of fresh fish such as salmon, tuna, yellowtail, together with slices of avocado. This roll is a great way to sample many types of fish at once.

Did you know you can easily make sushi rolls at home? You’d be amazed by how much you can save by making your own sushi. California Roll, Boston Roll, Dragon Roll, and this rainbow roll are my favorites!

Lovers of Japanese cuisine will have lots of fun learning how to recreate their favorite rolls. With some practice, you will be just as good as the chefs from your favorite restaurant!

Table of Contents

What is a Rainbow Roll?

The rainbow roll is a type of uramaki sushi, commonly known as “inside-out” rolls. This means that the nori is on the inside of the roll, with the rice on the outside. Rainbow rolls can be filled with traditional ingredients like cucumber, crab meat, or imitation crab. The roll is topped with a rainbow of colorful fish, shrimp, and avocado. Once sliced, each piece will have a tasty combo of rainbow toppings.

Ingredients for Rainbow Roll Sushi

Sushi Rice: Fluffy, short-grain sushi rice is the foundation of your rainbow roll. Get authentic sushi rice from the Japanese aisle in your supermarket. Don’t try using long-grain, basmati or jasmine rice for this recipe.
Sushi Vinegar: For a traditional roll, you’ll need to season your rice with sushi vinegar. This gives the rice its authentic umami flavor. Look for sushi vinegar in the Japanese aisle of your supermarket. Otherwise, make it yourself by combining rice vinegar with a bit of sugar and salt.
Imitation Crab: Also known as kanikama, these seafood sticks are made from whitefish and made to resemble crab meat. Look for it in the seafood section of your grocery store. You can also use real crab meat if you prefer.
Avocado: No rainbow roll is complete without creamy avocado to complement the fresh fish. Your avocado should be ripe, but firm enough to be thinly sliced and hold its shape.
Nori Seaweed: At the heart of your rainbow roll is nori seaweed. Find these thin seaweed sheets in the Asian or Japanese aisle of most supermarkets, or online.
Sashimi Grade Tuna: For the safest, freshest sashimi grade tuna, visit a reputable fishmonger. You can purchase bluefin or yellowfin tuna for your rainbow roll.
Sashimi Grade Salmon: Select high-quality, succulent slivers of sashimi-grade salmon from your fishmonger.
Sashimi Grade Yellowtail: Also known as Japanese amberjack, this popular fish should be easily sourced at a fishmonger or fish market.
Optional Wasabi and Soy Sauce: Sushi pieces are even more delicious with soy sauce and wasabi. These are widely available in most grocery stores.

How to Make Rainbow Roll

Step 1: Cook & Season Sushi Rice

Cook the rice. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly.
When the rice is still warm, stir in the sushi vinegar and mix well.

Step 2: Make Inside-out Sushi Rolls

Rainbow Roll recipe: cutting nori sheet and placing half onto the sushi mat.

Cut the nori sheet into two equal pieces using a pair of scissors.
Place half of the nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat, shiny side facing down.

Rainbow Roll recipe: add rice, flip everything, and add avocado and imitation crab.

Take 3/4 cup of cooked rice and spread it over the nori sheet evenly using your hands.
Flip everything so that rice is facing down. Place imitation crab and avocado slices in the middle of the sheet.

Rainbow Roll recipe: showing how to roll the sushi.

Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
Start rolling away from the mat and apply some pressure to firmly keep the roll in place. Apply some pressure to make the roll tight. Keep rolling until the ends meet. Remove the plastic wrap, and set the roll aside.

Step 3: Make the Rainbow Toppings

Rainbow Roll recipe step 3: slicing the fish to make rainbow topping.

Place the salmon filet on the cutting board, slice the salmon against the grain, with an angle of 45 degrees. Cut the salmon into about 1/5-inch slices.
Use the same technique, and cut the yellowtail and tuna yellowfin into 1/5-inch slices.
Cut the other half of the avocado into very thin half-moon slices.

Step 4: Assemble Rainbow Roll Sushi

Layer the rainbow toppings on top of the sushi roll. Start with a slice of yellowtail, followed by avocado, salmon, tuna, with some overlap to cover the roll. Repeat the order until you come to the end of the roll.
Arrange the layer to cover the roll properly. Then place plastic wrap on top, and cover with the sushi mat. Squeeze gently to shape the toppings around the roll.
Remove the mat from the roll while keeping the plastic wrap. Then slice the roll into bite-size pieces. Remove the plastic wrap and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for the Best Rainbow Roll Sushi

You will need a bamboo sushi mat to shape and form your rolls. We recommend using a plastic wrap with your mat to prevent the sushi rice from sticking to the bamboo.
To prevent the rice from sticking, dip your hands in vinegar water before rolling.
When filling your nori, be careful not to overfill, as this will prevent the roll from sealing properly.
For best results, use a sharp knife to slice your fish and avocado. Before slicing your finished roll, wipe the knife with a damp paper towel to prevent sticking.

How Many Pieces Does a Rainbow Roll Have?

Rainbow rolls are usually cut into 8 pieces. Depending on how you slice your roll, you may end up with 6 pieces.

How to Make a Rainbow Topping

The colorful topping that gives this roll its name is made by layering fresh fish and avocado on top. After you’ve made your inside-out roll, put slivers of yellowtail, followed by avocado, salmon, tuna, with some overlap to cover the roll. Repeat the order until you come to the end of the roll. If you like, you can also use cooked shrimp, snapper, or eel for your rainbow toppings.

Variations

You can use your favorite fillings for the sushi roll. For example, you can add cucumber strips, or use real crab meat.
For the rainbow toppings, you can also add cooked shrimp, white fish, snapper, or eel.

If You Like This Recipe Try Out These Sushi Recipes

If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Rainbow Rolls turn out in the comments below!

Rainbow Roll Sushi

What is a Rainbow Roll?

Ingredients for Rainbow Roll Sushi