Homemade sushi is easier than you’d think, less-expensive than takeout, and really fun to make. Our spicy salmon roll takes things to the next level with fresh salmon that looks great, avocado that tastes great, cucumber that is crunchy, and our best spicy sauce. Don’t miss it.
Spicy salmon rolls have become a beloved menu item at sushi restaurants and a fun meal to recreate at home. Their popularity leaves many home cooks wondering – is the salmon in a spicy salmon roll raw or cooked? Let’s take a closer look at how these tasty rolls are made.
What is a Spicy Salmon Roll?
A spicy salmon roll is a type of maki sushi made by rolling salmon, spicy mayonnaise, and sushi rice inside nori seaweed sheets The spicy flavor comes from mixing sriracha or other hot sauce into the mayonnaise
Spicy salmon rolls are considered a “modern” or “fusion” kind of sushi. Traditional sushi chefs in Japan don’t use spicy mayonnaise. But spicy salmon rolls have become popular globally especially in America.
Is the Salmon Raw or Cooked?
Traditionally, raw salmon that is good enough to eat as sushi is used to make spicy salmon rolls. Sashimi-grade means it’s safe to eat raw. To keep salmon for sashimi from getting contaminated, it is handled carefully and frozen to kill any parasites.
So if you order spicy salmon rolls from a sushi restaurant, chances are the salmon will be uncooked. Leaving the salmon raw preserves its delicate flavor and texture.
However there are some variations on the traditional raw salmon
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Smoked salmon can be used instead of raw. The salmon is cured, then cold smoked. This cooks it slightly while adding flavor.
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Canned salmon works too. Canned salmon is cooked during the canning process.
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Quick-searing or torching the raw salmon before rolling it adds flavor without fully cooking the fish.
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People who are afraid of raw fish can still enjoy spicy salmon rolls by baking, sautéing, or grilling the salmon all the way through.
Other Spicy Salmon Roll Ingredients
While salmon is the star ingredient, a few other components round out spicy salmon rolls:
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Sushi Rice: The base of the rolls. Short-grain white rice seasoned with rice vinegar provides a tangy flavor and sticky texture that holds the rolls together.
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Nori: Dried seaweed sheets wrap around the fillings to form the rolls. Toasted nori adds an umami, ocean-like taste.
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Spicy Mayo: As mentioned earlier, mixing sriracha or other hot sauce into Japanese mayo makes a spicy sauce for the salmon. Some chefs add a bit of sesame oil too.
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Fillings: Avocado, cucumber, carrot, and cream cheese are popular extras to tuck inside spicy salmon rolls. They add flavor, creaminess, and crunch.
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Toppings: Finishing touches like toasted sesame seeds, masago (fish roe), and green onions add texture and visual appeal.
How to Make Spicy Salmon Rolls at Home
Want to recreate this fusion favorite at home? Here are some tips:
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Find sushi-grade salmon at specialty fish markets or the seafood counter. If using regular salmon, cook it first by gently poaching, baking, or pan searing.
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Cook sushi rice following package directions. Blend rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for the seasoning.
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Mix sriracha and mayo to taste for the spicy sauce. Start with a 2:1 ratio of mayo to sriracha and adjust based on your heat preference.
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Prep fillings. Thinly slice salmon, avocado, cucumber, etc. into long strips.
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Use a bamboo rolling mat to assemble and roll up the sushi. Place nori sheet on mat, spread rice evenly, add salmon and fillings, then roll up.
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Let the rolled sushi rest briefly before slicing so it firms up. Use a sharp knife to cut into bitesize wheels.
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Top with sesame seeds, green onions, and/or roe if desired. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Enjoying Spicy Salmon Rolls
Spicy salmon rolls are tasty whether the salmon is raw or cooked. Their growing popularity worldwide shows how versatile and adaptable sushi can be.
Sushi purists may insist on raw fish. But cooking the salmon allows more people to enjoy the spicy mayo flavors. Just be sure to use high-quality fresh salmon.
Part of the fun of sushi is customizing rolls to suit your tastes. Try searing salmon or swapping in smoked salmon to put your own spin on spicy salmon rolls.
Why we love this recipe
Sushi is a true art form, and frequently I’m delighted to leave it to the pros. I’m no Morimoto, to say the least. But making spicy salmon roll and other sushi at home is fun once in a while, too!.
Homemade sushi is:
- Totally customizable
- A fun activity for adults and kids alike
- Not as hard as you might think
Our spicy salmon roll is:
- Perfectly balanced: creamy, crunchy, savory, and spicy
- Greater than the sum of its parts. The parts that make it eat like magic were built from the ground up with a lot of care.
- It was so good! Writing about it now makes me want MORE.
One good thing about making your own sushi is that you can choose what goes in it. Here’s what I use for our spicy salmon roll.
- Sushi-grade salmon. “Sushi-grade” and “sashimi-grade” are not legal designations. People who work at the store will say that if they think that fish is safe to eat raw because of where it came from and how it was handled. In the end, you should only buy sushi fish from people you know and trust. Commercial flash-freezing helps contribute to safety, too.
- Most of the time, I buy fish from Honolulu Fish Company or Whole Foods’ special freezer.
- To be clear, sushi fish isn’t cheap. You can also make great homemade sushi without it. Smoked salmon or slow-roasted salmon can be used instead, or you can make savory veggie rolls.
- Learn how to make great sushi rice in this article.
- Here’s our best-in-class spicy sauce recipe.
- Depending on what’s available, I pick for garnishes that add a nice visual and textural touch. Tobiko, which is salty, crunchy fish roe, is my favorite, but black and white sesame seeds also work.
- Firm-ripe Hass avocado is my favorite. It’s creamy but doesn’t fall apart.
Expert tips and FAQs
For equipment, you can go bare-bones with just a bamboo sushi mat. I like to have a few so several people can use them at once. Or go a little more deluxe and buy a kit. Here’s one with a sushi oke and paddle, the proper tools for making sushi rice. I’m not a fan of plastic wrap in general, but a little goes a long way here to wrap your bamboo mat. (And you’ll be saving a lot of plastic by avoiding takeout containers, just sayin.)
Put a small bowl of water on the work surface. Wet your hands with the water before you pick up the rice. A splash of rice vinegar in the water is traditional. It contributes a bit of flavor and acts as a mild antiseptic.
Use a very sharp knife. A chef’s knife is okay, but if you have a thinner slicing knife that’s even better. Use a wet towel or paper towel to wipe the blade between cuts. This will keep the blade clean, slightly wet, and slicing neatly. Instead of cutting back and forth with the knife, try to cut each piece in one go.
Maki (sushi rolls) made with spicy sauce (Japanese-style mayonnaise mixed with chili sauce), sushi rice, and raw salmon are called spicy salmon rolls. The roll is wrapped in nori (seaweed). It can be rolled inside-out or with the seaweed on the outside, and other flavors can be added.
Spicy Salmon Roll – How to Make Sushi and Sushi Rice
FAQ
Are salmon rolls raw?
Is spicy tuna roll raw or cooked?
What is a spicy salmon roll made of?
What is spicy salmon roll?
Spicy salmon roll is a type of maki (sushi roll) made from raw salmon, spicy sauce (Japanese-style mayonnaise mixed with chili sauce), and sushi rice, wrapped in nori (seaweed). It can be rolled inside-out or with the seaweed on the outside, and other flavors can be added. When we serve homemade sushi, there are two basic formats.
What are the benefits of smoked salmon over raw salmon?
It actually has the same characteristics as raw salmon, being relatively low in calories, it is an excellent source of protein, good fat and several vitamins and minerals. The smoking process just adds an aroma.
What is a spicy salmon roll in sushi?
A Spicy Salmon Roll is a type of sushi that traditionally uses raw sashimi-grade salmon, sushi rice, and nori along with spicy mayo. But vegetables like cucumber and avocado can be added as well. Is the salmon cooked in sushi? Salmon is usually left raw when used in sushi.
What does a spicy salmon roll taste like?
TASTE: This roll is full of buttery salmon, spicy mayo, sweet rice, and nutty sesame seeds. Together with the crab and seaweed, you have a flavorful combination. TEXTURE: Each piece of this Spicy Salmon Roll will have some melt-in-your-mouth salmon along with crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, and rich spicy mayo.