Making shrimp tempura rolls at home is way easier than you’d think! Crispy shrimp tempura, cucumber and avocado wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and nori is a delicious cooked sushi recipe that tastes just like the kind you get at a sushi restaurant! No bamboo mat needed.
Making shrimp tempura sushi rolls at home is easy and fun to do with the kids, with friends or for a date night! Using pre-made shrimp tempura cuts out a lengthy step, so all you need to do is the fun part…roll some amazing sushi rolls, with or without a mat, and enjoy!
The best way to serve these sushi rolls are with pickled ginger, wasabi paste, soy sauce, and even some homemade Peanut Dipping Sauce, and Sesame Garlic Bok Choy on the side.
What Is A Shrimp Tempura Roll?
A Shrimp Tempura Roll, called Ebiten Makizushi (エビ天巻き寿し) in Japan, is typically made with crispy battered shrimp, cucumber and avocado slices, seasoned sushi rice, and nori (dried edible seaweed).
This cooked sushi roll has many variations, but this recipe makes Shrimp Tempura Rolls achievable regardless of your skill-level! The rolls turn out just as good or better than your local sushi restaurant!
Ingredients In A Shrimp Tempura Roll
- Sushi rice – good-quality sushi rice is the base for the best shrimp tempura rolls!
- Seasoned rice vinegar – seasoned rice vinegar can be bought right in the grocery store. Seasoned rice vinegar is different from regular rice vinegar in that it includes a dash of sugar and salt that’s mixed with rice to give sushi it’s classic tangy flavor.
- Nori – nori is dried edible seaweed. It looks like dark green thin paper and is used to wrap sushi into rolls.
- Preprepared frozen shrimp tempura – you can buy preprepared tempura shrimp in the freezer section of your grocery store. Simply bake the pre-battered shrimp…that’s it! What a time saver!
- English cucumber – English cucumber is extra crunchy and is perfect for sushi.
- Just-ripe avocado – choose an avocado that is just ripe and not super mushy so the slices stay in-tact when rolling sushi.
Why This Sushi At Home Recipe Works
This recipe works SO well because it doesn’t require you to have a sushi rolling mat! You also don’t need to go through the hassle of making shrimp tempura from scratch…it’s an unnecessary pain.
No need to spend all day making the best shrimp tempura rolls!
How to Make Sushi Rice
Making sushi rice is simple! Follow the instructions on the sushi rice package. I bring my rice to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes, which leads to slightly al dente sushi rice! Stir in seasoned rice wine vinegar, spread rice out in a large container, and let cool in the fridge to room temperature.
How to Make the Best Shrimp Tempura Sushi
The full instructions and step-by-step video are in the recipe card below!
Shrimp Tempura Sushi Steps
- Steam rice.
Steam the rice according to instructions on the sushi rice package. Stir in seasoned rice vinegar and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- Bake shrimp.
Bake the preprepared shrimp tempura according to the package instructions. Let cool to room temperature and remove the tails.
- Slice veggies.
Slice the cucumber and avocado into thin slices and set aside.
- Add rice to nori on parchment.
Place a sheet of nori on top of a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger than the nori. Use a large spoon and damp fingers to spread a thin layer of seasoned rice to the edges of the nori, leaving a ½ inch border on the top only.
- Add cucumber slices.
On the bottom third of the rice, add cucumber in a row.
- Add avocado slices.
Add avocado slices on top of cucumber slices in a row.
- Add shrimp.
Then add shrimp in a row.
- Roll.
Using the parchment paper for leverage, roll the sushi tightly.
- Keep rolling!
Push the parchment paper away from you as you tuck the nori over on itself into a spiral.
- Squeeze sushi roll to tighten.
Once you’ve created a roll, squeeze the roll slightly to tighten it.
- Seal shut.
Use damp fingers to seal the nori shut. See the video in the recipe card for full step-by-step rolling instructions!
- Cut sushi roll.
Cut the roll with a damp, sharp knife.
Recipe Tips
- Have a small bowl of water on hand to dampen your fingers so the rice and nori don’t stick to your fingers when you’re rolling the sushi!
- The ratio of shrimp, to vegetable, to rice ratio is up to you. I like a thin layer of rice, 4 cucumber slices (2 slices thick), 2 large slices of avocado, and 2-3 shrimp across the roll.
- If you’d like to flavor your rice with black or white sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted), feel free to mix a tablespoon or so into the cooked rice, or sprinkle on top of your rolls.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my shrimp tempura rolls with a bunch of fun condiments:
- Pickled ginger – you typically can get pickled ginger in the grocery store in the Asian foods aisle.
- Wasabi paste – you also can typically get wasabi in the grocery store!
- Soy sauce – try mixing a small amount of wasabi into the soy sauce. Spicy deliciousness!
- Spicy mayo – spicy mayonnaise is a classic condiment for shrimp tempura rolls. You can drizzle mayo on top of your rolls, or serve as a dipping sauce.
- Peanut sauce – want something a little different but absolutely delicious? Try this homemade Peanut Sauce recipe for dipping!
Needs side dishes? Try this Sesame Garlic Bok Choy, Sesame Sugar Snap Peas, or Brown Butter Miso Glaze Carrot recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Absolutely not! This sushi recipe uses parchment paper to roll sushi, and it’s so easy to use!
Shrimp tempura sushi rolls are good for 3 days in the refrigerator.
No! Shrimp tempura rolls are cooked sushi, including the battered and baked shrimp. So they’re perfect for everyone to enjoy, including the kids!
More Asian Recipes You’ll Love On Tastefully Grace!
- Sesame Garlic Bok Boy
- Toasted Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
- Brown Butter Miso Glaze Carrots
- Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Noodle Bowls
- Korean BBQ Ramen Noodle Bowls
- Pear & Apple Salad With Peanut Ginger Dressing
Equipment
- Parchment paper (or a bamboo mat)
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
- 2 ½ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 4 sheets nori
- 10 ounces preprepared frozen shrimp tempura roughly 10 ounces
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 just-ripe avocado
- Condiments of your choice
Instructions
- Steam rice: steam the rice according to instructions on the sushi rice package. I bring my rice to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes, which leads to slightly al dente sushi rice! Stir in seasoned rice vinegar, spread rice out in a large container, and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- Bake shrimp: while the rice is steaming, bake the preprepared shrimp tempura according to the package instructions. Let them cool to room temperature and remove the tails.
- Slice veggies: while the rice is cooling, slice the cucumber and avocado into thin slices and set aside. Watch the video below for tips on how to cut your cucumber and avocado!
- Add rice to nori on parchment: place a sheet of nori on top of a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger than the nori. Use a large spoon and damp fingers to spread a thin layer of seasoned rice to the edges of the nori, leaving a ½ inch border on the top only.
- Add veggie slices: on the bottom third of the rice, add a double layer of cucumber and then a single layer of avocado in a row across the roll. Then add shrimp in a single row.
- Roll: dampen your fingers. Using the parchment paper for leverage, roll the sushi tightly. Push the parchment paper away from you as you tuck the nori over on itself into a spiral. Once you’ve created a roll, squeeze the roll slightly to tighten it. Use damp fingers to seal the nori shut. See the video below step-by-step instructions on rolling!
- Cut roll: cut the roll into bite-size pieces with a damp, sharp knife.
- Repeat: repeat steps 4 through 6 for consecutive rolls.
- Serve: serve with your favorite condiments (ideas in post above!).
Video
Notes
- Have a small bowl of water on hand to dampen your fingers so the rice and nori don’t stick to your fingers when you’re rolling the sushi!
- The ratio of shrimp, to vegetable, to rice ratio is up to you.
- If you’d like to flavor your rice with black or white sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted), feel free to mix a tablespoon or so into the cooked rice, or sprinkle on top of your rolls.
Wow, this was so good! We loved the crunch of fresh cucs, the creaminess of the avocado, and the delicious tempura shrimp and seasoned rice. SO GOOD! Plus, it was pretty easy to assemble. The video was really helpful. Thank you!
Author
Hi Kathy,
So glad you love the rolls!! Thanks for letting me know.
Grace
Author
Hi Dan,
Thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate your help in improving my sushi making skills. I am certainly not an expert! My goal was to make sushi rolls accessible to anyone – from parents with kids that want to help out, to a fun couples date night, etc! I appreciate your help understanding what is authentic and best practice!
I hope there are other recipes you’ve enjoyed more on my site.
Grace