Dragon Roll Sushi Recipe

A platter with dragon roll sushi on it topped with avocado, spicy mayo, masago, and black sesame seeds.

5 from 1 vote

Dragon Roll Sushi is a filling and easy sushi roll that is fancy enough for the best sushi restaurants but easy enough to make at home. If you are craving some sushi flavor without the sushi prices, try making this delicious roll at home!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 0

Servings

Calories 585kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

4 Half Nori Sheets
½ English Cucumber cut into thin strips
8 Shrimp Tempura prepared according to package instructions
8 tsp Tobiko
2 cups sushi rice prepared
2 avocados
4 tsp sriracha mayo or more to taste
2 tsp black sesame seeds
Unagi Sauce for serving

For Hands

¼ cup water
2 tsp rice vinegar

Instructions

Start by preparing your avocados. To do so, remove the pit from the center of the avocado. Then use your hands to carefully peel the skin off of the outside of the avocado (without squishing the flesh of the fruit).
Once the avocado flesh is separated from the skin, place the avocado inside-down on a cutting board. Use a knife to thinly slice the avocado. Then, use the side of your large knife to very gently press on top of the avocado until the slices start to separate and the avocado lengthens.
When the avocado is about ½ - ⅔ the length of your sushi roll, pause. Set this aside.
Now begin rolling your sushi. Wrap your sushi mat in plastic wrap in order to keep it from getting dirty.
Place a half nori sheet on top of your sushi mat, shiny-side down.
In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup water and 2 tsp rice vinegar for your hands. Whisk to combine.
Measure out ½ cup of sushi rice and place it on top of your nori sheet. Dip your hands in this vinegar water so that you can touch the rice without it sticking to your hands. Use your hands to spread the rice over the entire nori sheet.
Once the rice is spread out, flip the nori sheet over. Place 2 pieces of shrimp tempura at the bottom edge of the nori sheet. Place 1-2 strips of cucumber across the length of the nori sheet as well. Finally, sprinkle about 1 tsp of tobiko over the ingredients.
Place your thumbs under the sushi mat. Then lift the edge of the mat closest to your belly up and over the filling in the center.
Use your hands to press the length of the log, making sure that all of the sushi ingredients are staying together. Continue lifting and rolling the edge of the sushi mat until the sushi is in one roll. Gently press with your hands again to make sure that the rice on the outside edge is sticking together. If you need visual instructions for this process, I enjoyed watching this video.
Once the sushi is rolled, remove the sushi mat. Use the flat side of your knife to pick up the avocado slices and lay them across the top of your sushi roll. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top of the avocado. Then put the sushi mat over the top of the sushi roll and gently squeeze until the avocado slices match the shape of the sushi roll.
Remove the bamboo mat but keep the plastic wrap on top of your sushi roll. Use your knife to cut the sushi into 8 pieces through the plastic wrap. Once cut, remove the plastic wrap.
Place the cut sushi on your serving platter. To decorate, spoon a pinch of tobiko onto each piece of sushi. Then drizzle about 1 tsp of sriracha mayo over the top of the roll and a pinch or two of black sesame seeds. Place a few dollops of unagi sauce on your plate for dipping.
Repeat until all of the sushi rolls are ready. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Nori Sheets: I cut mine in half and have found it is just the right amount to cover your filling. You can also buy them pre-cut for an easier preparation.
Cucumber: Persian cucumbers, Japanese cucumbers and English cucumbers all work well. If you use English cucumbers, cut them lengthwise and remove the seeds. A regular cucumber can also be used, but the cucumber slices will have more moisture and may not provide the best texture for the roll.
Shrimp Tempura: Many stores like Trader Joe’s sell shrimp tempura in the frozen section. Just pop it in the oven or fry it on the stove to heat it up. I got mine at a local Asian market.
Tobiko: Tobiko is flying fish eggs. They are salty and slightly smoky and add amazing flavor to your roll. Tobiko is certainly the most expensive part of this Dragon Roll Sushi Recipe, so while it is a great addition to the top of the roll, feel free to omit it in order to keep cost down.
Sushi Rice: Sushi rice is a short-grain rice that is extra sticky and chewy. I do not recommend using medium or long-grain white rice as the texture will not be the same and the roll will not stick together as well.
Avocados: Choose avocados that are ripe but not too soft. You need to be able to peel the skin off the avocado without squishing the flesh of the fruit. This is a difficult balance, so make sure to check that the avocado has a little give when pressed but is not overly soft.
Sriracha Mayo: You can purchase the pre-mixed sriracha mayo or create your own by mixing mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. If you make your own I recommend using Japanese mayonnaise.
Unagi Sauce, for serving: Unagi is an eel sauce that provides great flavor. You could also just serve it with soy sauce!
Rice Vinegar and Water: This is helpful to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers when preparing your Dragon Roll Sushi Recipe.
I got my shrimp tempura in the frozen section of my local Asian market. I had to fry the tempura for about 3 minutes to prepare.
If you are going to wait to serve your dragon roll, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top of the avocado slices to keep them from browning.
Your avocado is one of the key ingredients of the dragon roll and its presentation so take your time to find the right, ripe avocados for the job.

Nutrition