Salmon Nigiri Sushi Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Make this salmon nigiri with sashimi-grade salmon and fluffy sushi rice at home! It’s so much cheaper than the restaurant but tastes just as good!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Nigiri, Nigiri Sushi, Salmon Nigiri

Servings: pieces

Author: Izzy

1 cup sushi rice* (uncooked, it’s best to use Japanese short-grain sushi rice)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sushi vinegar** or mixing 1 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Make the Sushi Rice: Wash and rinse the rice with cold water. Add the rice and water to the rice cooker. Cook according to the instructions. (You can also cook it in a regular saucepan on the stovetop)
Once cooked, transfer the 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).
Cut the Salmon: Slice the salmon against the grain, with an angle of 30 to 45 degrees. I recommend cutting it into 3-inch long, 1-inch wide, and 1/4-inch thick pieces. (You’ll need to adjust the angle from time to time to get the proper length and thickness.)
Shape the Rice: Take about 3 tablespoons of rice in your right hand. Squeeze it together until it rolls into a firm oval shape. Try to make the bottom flat with the rounded top. You can dip your hand in tezu water (see recipe notes) to prevent sticking.
Assemble Salmon Nigiri: Place the salmon slice on the root of your fingers. Then take a pea-sized portion of wasabi, and spread in the middle of the fish.
Place the rolled sushi rice onto the salmon, and bend your fingers to cover both the fish and rice together. Press down the rice using the index finger from the other hand.
Turn the fish and rice and let the salmon slice sit on top of the rice. Serve with optional wasabi, soy sauce, along with pickled ginger.

*Use Japanese short-grain rice for the best result. Here are some of my favorite sushi rice brands.
**Sushi vinegar is used to season the rice and add more flavor to the dish. To substitute: Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt as a replacement.
***Traditional salmon nigiri contains raw sashimi-grade salmon. If you’re not a brave raw fish eater, you can substitute smoked salmon or thinly sliced grilled salmon.
****Wasabi helps bring out the flavor and can kill microbes in the fish. It also helps stick the salmon slices to the rice. It’s an optional ingredient and you can skip it if you don’t have it at home.
To prevent the rice from sticking to your hands, you can make tezu water to dip your hands. Simply mix together 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar.
It’s best to eat the nigiri the same day, as the raw fish won’t taste as fresh the next day. If you have leftovers, wrap them tightly and store in the fridge for 24 hours.