Salmon Seaweed Rolls (Onigiri Rolls)

A plate of salmon onigiri seaweed rolls on a plate.

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Salmon Seaweed Rolls (Onigiri Rolls)

Easy homemade sushi rolls! Salmon onigiri handrolls are made even more delicious with avocado and brown rice. Perfect for bento boxes and appetizer trays.

Course Appetizer, Bento, Lunch

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 326kcal

Author Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN

Equipment

Bamboo mat

Ingredients

For the Rice

1 cup short grain brown rice or sushi rice
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon fine salt

For the Salmon

11 oz canned or leftover salmon 320 g, see notes for shiozake
2 Tablespoons tamari
½ teaspoon fish sauce

For the Onigiri Seaweed Rolls

10 sheets nori seaweed
1-2 medium avocados 1 avocado - 7.6 ounces
Optional: sriracha for drizzling or dipping
Optional: white & black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the rice:

In a rice cooker or on the stovetop, cook 1 cup short grain brown rice (or sushi rice) in about 3 cups water (or according to package instructions).
When rice is cooked and slightly cooled, stir in the toasted sesame oil and a pinch of salt.

For canned salmon or leftover cooked salmon:

Add the drained salmon to a large bowl and stir with a fork to separate the flakes. Combine with the tamari an fish sauce and stir well. *Note, if using gluten-free soy sauce, I recommend using 3 teaspoons as GF soy sauce is very salty.

For shiozake:

Proceed directly to the layer and rolling step. There is no need to mix shiozake with tamari/soy sauce, fish sauce, or sesame oil, as it is already very salty and very flavorful.

Assemble the onigiri rolls:

Prepare a cutting board with all of your ingredients. If using a bamboo mat, lay that out in a way that you can easily roll it away from you, with the prepped ingredients nearby.
Lay out a sheet of nori, shiny side down. Scoop about ¼ - ⅓ cup rice onto the nori, spreading it out evenly, but leaving about 1 inch on the bottom and 1.5-2 inches at the top. Press it together and into the seaweed so it sticks, wetting your hands as needed. (Please note that starchy rice works best here. This will not work well with long-grain rice.)
On the bottom part of the rice, closest to you, layer about 2-3 Tablespoons of the salmon mixture and 3-4 (or more) slices of avocado. Optionally, you can add a drizzle of sriracha if you’d like.
Pull the bottom of the nori over the fillings, and squeeze, then roll, squeezing tightly as you go, using the bamboo mat to help you roll and apply even pressure. Before you get to the very end, wet your fingers and dab a little water on the top inch of the exposed seaweed. Then continue rolling until it seals.
Place your nori roll seam-side-down and set aside for a few minutes as you continue rolling. (The rolls are easier to slice if they’ve been sitting for a bit.)
Repeat to fill 10 seaweed rolls, and then cut them with a sharp knife into 6-8 pieces.

Notes

Shiozake is a type of salted salmon that is common in Japanese cuisine. You can make this at home or find it in some Asian markets. It is delicious, but not as readily available as canned salmon, which is why I have re-written this recipe to use plain canned salmon or pre-cooked.
- If using shiozake, you can omit the tamari/soy sauce, fish sauce, and skip the sesame oil in this step.
Short grain brown rice and white sushi rice tend to be a bit starchier and stickier than long-grain varieties, making them best for this recipe. I have not tried this with long-grain rice. Short grain brown rice has more fiber than white rice, and is a “whole grain”. However, white rice is stickier and holds together much better. I recommend choosing whichever works for you and your family as the difference in nutrition & blood sugar benefits are typically negligible.
A bamboo mat makes this process a little bit easier, but isn’t totally necessary.

Original Recipe: 1 jar of shiozake, 1 medium avocado, 2 cups cooked sticky rice (white or short grain brown), 5 sheets of nori. Follow instructions above for rolling! If you can get your hands on shiozake, I highly recommend it, and if you tolerate white rice, it is fantastic here!

Nutrition