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This Spicy Crab Roll is spicy, creamy, and absolutely delicious. It’s very easy to make with our video tutorial and step-by-step instructions. The Japanese kani crab stick is shredded and seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then wrapped in nori seaweed sheets and seasoned sushi rice.
Watch Me Make Spicy Crab Sushi Rolls
Related: For a crunchy texture, take a look at my crunchy roll sushi recipe. If you like spicy rolls, check out this easy spicy tuna roll recipe.
Why I ❤️ this recipe
- Budget-friendly – You can make this with a fraction of the price you pay at Japanese restaurants. It’s even more affordable if you choose to use imitation crabs as I do in this recipe.
- Quick and easy – Once the sushi rice is ready, it takes about 15 minutes to make these spicy crab rolls. So skip the Japanese restaurant and make your own crab sushi rolls! You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make them at home.
- Delicious – You’ll enjoy sweet and savory crab meat with creamy and spicy mayo in every single bite!
What is a Spicy Crab Roll?
Spicy crab rolls are not truly Japanese – it’s created in America and is a modern version of traditional Japanese sushi rolls. It’s made by rolling spicy kani salad in a nori seaweed sheet and seasoned sushi rice. The filling consists of imitation crab or real cooked crab, which is mixed with spicy mayo sauce. These rolls don’t contain raw fish!
It’s also called kani roll and often made inside-out, where a nori seaweed sheet wraps around the filling inside, and the sushi rice is on the outside.
What does it taste like? Spicy crab roll sushi tastes creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet. It’s completely irresistible!
Here is the photo of the few simple ingredients you’ll need:
You’ll also need a sushi rolling bamboo mat for easy rolling.
To make perfect spicy crab rolls, I have a few easy tips:
- Make Good Sushi Rice
Prepare seasoned sushi rice that’s fluffy and flavorful. It won’t get smashed once squeezed.
- Use high-quality Japanese short-grain sushi rice.
- Use less water when cooking sushi rice for the sushi rolls. The best water-to-rice ratio is 1:1.
- Once cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still warm, stir in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt). Mix well.
- Adjust the Spicy Level for the Filling
- Simply shred the imitation crab (or kanikama) and add it to a mixing bowl. You can substitute canned crab meat.
- Season the shredded crab with sriracha sauce and mayo. The heat of the spicy crab roll comes from Sriracha sauce. You can start with a small amount of spicy mayo and taste as you go. Huy Fong is my favorite brand. You can use chili sauce as a replacement. You can also use mayo only for a non-spicy version.
- Roll Spicy Crab Sushi Gently But Tightly
- Cover the bamboo sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Cut the nori sheet into two halves with kitchen scissors. The fresh nori sheet is crispy enough to easily break into half by folding it.
- Place half of a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat shiny side facing down.
- Spread seasoned sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori evenly. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Flip the sheet and add the spicy kani crab salad filling to the middle of the nori sheet.
- Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling. Roll the bamboo mat away from you. Press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet. Tip: When rolling the sushi, you’ll need to squeeze the roll gently but tightly. Once you finish, you can place the mat over the roll and gently squeeze it again. This will prevent the sushi roll from falling apart.
How to prevent rice from sticking to your hands
Before handling the sushi rice, you can prepare a bowl of water with a bit of rice vinegar ( called Tezu water), which will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
It’s a hand-dipping liquid made with 1/4 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.
- Slice the Rolls with a Sharp Knife for Clean Cuts
- Remove the sushi mat, and cut the ends of your rolls with a very SHARP knife. Cut each roll into 8 pieces with a back-and-forth motion. Wipe your knife with a WET paper towel after each cut.
- To Serve: Drizzle more spicy mayo sauce on top of the roll for some extra heat. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Storage
These rolls are best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, I recommend refrigerating them as soon as possible. Wrap the sushi rolls tightly in plastic wrap, and store them for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Recipe Variations
- You can use real crab or tempura shrimp instead of kani crab.
- Use the whole kani stick and add avocado to the filling for a spicy California roll.
- Add other ingredients such as cucumber, avocado, Oshinko, or Yamagobo to the filling.
More Sushi Roll Recipes
I hope you like this recipe. If you try it, please comment below and let me know how your Spicy Crab Roll turns out!
Spicy Crab Roll Recipe
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)
Spicy Mayo
- 3 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoons sriracha sauce
For the Spicy Kani Roll
- 4 oz kani crab meat (imitation crab or canned crab meat*)
- 2 sheets nori seaweed
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or black, or the combination. I recommend toasting them in a frying pan for about 5 minutes for more flavors.)
Instructions
- Make sushi rice: Rinse the rice and add to the rice cooker. Then add water and cook according to the instructions. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool. When it’s still very warm, mix in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt).
- Make spicy Sriracha mayo sauce: In a clear bowl, mix together Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise. Taste and add more Sriracha if you prefer a spicier flavor.
- Make the filling: Shred the imitation crab meat using your hands or two forks.
- Mix the Sriracha sauce and myo. Add the sauce to the shredded crab and mix well.
- Assemble the roll: Cover the bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Cut the nori sheet into two halves with kitchen scissors.
- Place half of a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat shiny side facing down.
- Spread seasoned sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori evenly. Press the rice gently with your hands. (Tips: You can dip your hands in Tezu water to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands).
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Flip the sheet and let the rice side facing down.
- Add the spicy Kani crab salad to the middle of the nori sheet.
- 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.
- Move the roll to a cutting board and cut it into 8 pieces.
- Drizzle more spicy mayo sauce on top of the roll for some extra heat.
Notes
- * If you use canned crab meat, make sure to squeeze out the water thoroughly so your crab salad filling is not too wet.
- To make Tezu water: Simply 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 or you didn’t squeeze the rolls tightly. You need to tuck in and pull the bamboo mat tightly while rolling.
- Calorie information is for each piece.
Video
Nutrition
Sam says
I didn’t realize how easy sushi was to make at home! This was so delicious. Will be making it regularly.
izzycooking says
Hi Sam, glad you like this recipe. Thanks!
Kelly Stilwell says
I’ve always wanted to try to make sushi. I’m so glad I found your easy directions! Delicious!
Nona Anthony says
This was amazing! I would love to see you make the Sweet Carolina Roll! It’s a favorite in our household!
Izzy says
Hi Nona, thanks for letting me know. The sweet Carolina roll is on my list now!
Mary says
Simple, easy, delicious. My family and I loved it.