Alaska Sushi Roll is a delicious American spin on sushi that comes together in minutes! The roll contains creamy imitation crab tossed in Kewpie mayo, cucumber, and avocado rolled in seasoned sushi rice, nori, and topped with raw salmon and ikura. This roll is perfect if you are looking for a decadent sushi roll with lots of flavor!
This inside out sushi roll is easier to make than it looks and is perfect for a date night or fun family dinner at home. We recommend you enjoy this roll with a delicious side like our Spicy Kani Salad, Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers, or Spicy Tuna Onigiri.
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Why You'll Love This Alaska Roll
- Taste - The salmon, imitation crab, cucumber, and avocado create a refreshing medley of flavors.
- Texture - The nori, rice, and cucumber are firm while the salmon, imitation crab, and avocado are soft and creamy.
- Effort - This roll is easier to make than it looks and only requires basic sushi making skills.
- Time - It takes about a half hour to cook the rice then another 15-20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and assemble the roll. As you get better at making sushi, the time it takes to assemble will decrease.
Ingredients
- Rice - Japanese short grain rice is best for sushi because it is both sticky and fluffy enough to retain its shape. The rice is also lightly salted for flavor.
- Seasoned rice vinegar (sushi vinegar) - Seasoned rice vinegar is added to normal rice to make sushi rice. The vinegar adds a lightly sweet and tart flavor.
- Kewpie mayo - Kewpie mayo is a Japanese pantry staple with rich umami flavor and creamy consistency. Kewpie mayo combines with the other ingredients to create a delicious medley.
- Kani kamaboko (imitation crab meat) - Imitation crab meat, also known as kanikama or kani kamaboko, is made of surimi, a white fish shaped and cured to resemble crab leg meat. It has umami flavor and a subtle sweetness.
- Sushi-Grade Salmon - Fresh, sushi grade or sashimi grade salmon fillet is key to a delicious and safe Alaska roll. Make sure your salmon was previously frozen, then thawed before eating.
- Avocado - Avocado adds creaminess and an earthy nutty flavor.
- Cucumber - Cucumber adds a sweet crunch. Japanese cucumbers (Kyuri in Japanese) are preferable because they are slightly sweeter than their American and European counterpart. They also have a thinner and slightly crispier skin. However, American, European, and Persian cucumbers will also work.
- Nori seaweed sheets - Nori is dried Japanese seaweed used to wrap and keep the rice and kani filling together. Nori sheets also tastes delicious with the other ingredients.
- Ikura (salmon roe) - Ikura adds a salty and briny ocean flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Make rice - Rinse rice in a bowl until it runs clear. Then make rice on the stovetop or in an electric rice cooker pot. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Transfer cooked rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Fluff and fan the rice until cool.
- Combine kewpie mayo and kani (imitation crab)- Using two forks, gently shred the Kani sticks and place in a bowl. Pour the kewpie mayo on top. Toss the ingredients until evenly coated.
- Spread rice on nori - Place one sheet of nori seaweed on a dry surface with the rough side facing up. Then wet your hands and take half of the rice and place it on the nori. Use your finger tips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori.
- Add kani, cucumber, and avocado - Lightly wet the bamboo mat or line it with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from sticking. Then, gently turn the rice side over so the the nori faces up and place the nori on the bamboo mat. Take half of the crab, sliced cucumber, and sliced avocado and place it in a row across the center of the roll. Gently lift the long side of the nori and roll it over to touch the other side.
- Shape roll - Place the bamboo mat (makisu) on top of the roll and gently squeeze with both hands to form the roll. Slide the bamboo mat to one side of the roll so the edge of the roll and edge of the bamboo mat are aligned. Hold the rolling mat with one hand to squeeze the roll and place your other hand against the edge of the mat. Then roll sushi to press any loose crab and rice back into the roll (see photo in post). Repeat on other side of the roll.
- Place salmon on roll and slice - Place 6-8 pieces of salmon across the top of roll then take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and picked ginger.
Hint: Use a very light touch when making the bed of rice on the nori. If you press too hard, the rice will become more of a paste. A good way to tell if you are doing it right is to make sure that you can still see individual kernels of rice on the nori bed.
How to Enjoy this Alaska Roll
We often dip the sushi rolls in soy sauce (shoyu) with a little wasabi for refreshing spice. If you want to make a complete meal with this Alaska roll, it pairs wonderfully with these other Japanese dishes:
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Crunchy Spicy California Sushi Roll
- Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
- Shrimp Tempura
If you are enjoying this roll with another dish, especially a sushi roll, try adding pickled ginger. Pickled ginger will cleanse your palate between eating different dishes so you can properly relish the taste of each piece of sushi.
Substitutions
- Smoked or canned salmon - While fresh salmon is preferable, this recipe can also be made with smoked or canned salmon.
- Fresh crab meat - This recipe will also work with fresh crab meat if you don't mind paying extra for it.
- Regular mayo - Instead of Kewpie mayo, you can use regular mayo. It will have less of an umami flavor but will still be delicious.
- Tobiko or masago (Japanese Flying Fish Roe) - Use tobiko instead of ikura if you want to add a slightly sweeter version of ikura.
Variations
- Sesame seeds - Sprinkle white and black sesame seeds on the sushi roll to add a mild and nutty flavor.
- Eel sauce - Drizzle the roll with eel sauce (Unagi no tare) to add tangy sweetness. Eel sauce is a reduction consisting of sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.
- Spicy - Make this roll with spicy mayo for an added kick. All you need to do is add Sriracha and togarashi to the kewpie mayo.
- Sesame oil - Add ½ teaspoon of sesame oil to add a nutty flavor.
- Panko - Roll toasted panko breadcrumbs on the outside of the rice to add a delicious crunch to the sushi.
- Ponzu sauce - Dip each individual piece in ponzu sauce to add a rich and fragrant umami flavor with a hint of smokiness and lemon.
FAQ
You can buy the ingredients at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, or some common chain grocery stores. Sushi grade salmon is also usually available in Japanese grocery stores, Whole Foods, or small specialty grocers. If they don't have it, you can also go to a local fish monger or seafood market. If you are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, wehighly recommend Four Star Seafood, a chef-curated grocery service.
The imitation crab and rice are cooked while the other ingredients are raw.
No, we do not recommend eating this roll if you are pregnant since it includes raw salmon. However, if you remove the salmon or cook it, this roll should be safe to eat. We just recommend consulting your doctor before eating it.
Yes, almost all of the ingredients in this roll are nutrient-rich. The only ingredient that isn't healthy is imitation crab since it is processed white fish. While imitation crab isn't the healthiest food, it is still protein rich and low in calories. Use unprocessed crab meat to make this roll healthier.
An Alaska roll is just a California roll with sliced salmon on top.
Since imitation crab is made of fish, it has no real crab meat in it. However, it can contain a small amount of crab extract for flavoring. As a result, you shouldn't eat this dish if you have a shellfish allergy.
Equipment
This Alaska roll sushi recipe requires a few kitchen essentials. To make this Alaska sushi roll, you will need a knife, cutting board, mixing bowls, a pot or rice cooker to make the rice, bamboo mat to shape the roll, and a rice paddle. For the kewpie mayo, you will also need measuring spoons and a spoon or chopsticks to mix it.
Storage
This Alaskan roll is best enjoyed immediately or within 1 day of making. Store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rolls don't dry out. This Alaska roll recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
Top tips
- Water-Rice Ratio - When you are cooking the rice, make sure you don't add to much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
- Cook Rice - Be careful to not overcook the rice or it will be too hard and not pliable enough to use for sushi.
- Cool Rice - Be sure to let the rice cool before using it, or it will become rubbery on the nori.
- Fluff Rice - If you are using a rice cooker and the outside of the rice gets crispy and hard, use a fork to fluff the rice and add moisture back into those crispy bits.
- Use a Sharp Knife - Make sure you have a sharp knife to cut through the roll to ensure each individual piece comes out clean and none of the ingredients get messy.
- Make the Nori Stick - If you are having a hard time getting the nori to stick to itself when you roll the sushi, you can smash a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick to itself.
- Realign the Roll - If you slice the roll and the pieces end up deformed or misaligned, place the bamboo mat over the entire roll again and apply gentle, consistent pressure. This will realign and reshape the pieces.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Alaska Sushi Roll
Ingredients
- 1½ cup sushi rice
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1½ tablespoon sushi vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Kewpie mayo
- 4 pieces kani kamaboko imitation crab meat
- 2 sheets nori trimmed to be ¾ the normal size
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1 small cucumber julienned/ cut into matchsticks
- ¼ lb sushi-grade salmon thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon ikura optional
For Serving
- soy sauce
- wasabi
- pickled ginger
Instructions
Rice
- Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
- Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
- Make sushi rice - Transfer to rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Fluff and fan the rice until cool.
Alaska Roll
- Combine kewpie mayo and imitation crab (kani)Â - Using two forks, gently shred the kani sticks and place in a bowl. Pour the kewpie mayo on top. Toss the ingredients until evenly coated.
- Spread rice on nori - Place one sheet of nori seaweed on a clean dry surface with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands and take half of the rice and place it on the nori. Use your finger tips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori.
- Add kani, cucumber, and avocado - Lightly wet the bamboo mat or line it with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from sticking. Then, gently turn the rice side over so the the nori faces up and place the nori on the bamboo mat. Take half of the crab, sliced cucumber, and sliced avocado and place it in a row across the center of the roll. Gently lift the long side of the nori and roll it over to touch the other side.
- Shape roll - Place the bamboo mat (makisu) on top of the roll and gently squeeze with both hands to form the roll. Slide the bamboo mat to one side of the roll so the edge of the roll and edge of the bamboo mat are aligned. Hold the rolling mat with one hand to squeeze the roll and place your other hand against the edge of the mat. Then roll sushi to press any loose crab and rice back into the roll (see photo in post). Repeat on other side of the roll.
- Place salmon on roll and slice - Place 8 pieces of salmon across the top of roll then take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 8 pieces. Top with Ikura if desired. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and picked ginger.
Notes
Storage
This Alaskan roll is best enjoyed immediately or within 1 day of making. Store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rolls don't dry out. This Alaska roll recipe does not stand up well to freezing.Top tips
- When you are cooking the rice, make sure you don't add to much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
- Be careful to not overcook the rice or it will be too hard and not pliable enough to use for sushi.
- Be sure to let the rice cool before using it, or it will become rubbery on the nori.
- If you are using a rice cooker and the outside of the rice gets crispy and hard, use a fork to fluff the rice and add moisture back into those crispy bits.
- Make sure you have a sharp knife to cut through the roll to ensure each individual piece comes out clean and none of the ingredients get messy.
- If you are having a hard time getting the nori to stick to itself when you roll the sushi, you can smash a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick to itself.
- If you slice the roll and the pieces end up deformed or misaligned, place the bamboo mat over the entire roll again and apply gentle, consistent pressure. This will realign and reshape the pieces.
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