Spicy Kani Roll is a popular Japanese sushi roll that is creamy, yet spicy. It features shredded kani crab sticks tossed in a spicy Kewpie mayo sauce, then rolled in seasoned sushi rice, nori, and your choice of sesame seeds or tobiko. This simple roll comes together in less than 20 minutes and is great for beginners who are looking to make sushi for the first time.
We love making this spicy crab roll when we have friends over or want to bring bring a tasty dish to a party. It's both easy to make and different than typical food for entertaining. Once you learn how to make this roll, it is a great springboard to make other sushi.
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- Taste - The kani and kewpie mayo provide umami flavor while the sriracha adds heat and spice.
- Texture - The imitation crab is soft and creamy while the nori and rice add firmness.
- Effort - One of the simpler sushi rolls you can make.
- Time - It takes about a half hour to cook the rice then another 15-20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and assemble. 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 light sweet and tart flavor.
- Kewpie mayo - Kewpie mayo is a Japanese pantry staple and the base of spicy mayo. This Japanese mayonnaise has a rich umami flavor and creamy consistency. Kewpie mayo combines with the other ingredients to create a delicious mayo.
- Sriracha - Sriracha sauce makes the kani roll spicy without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Togarashi - Togarashi is a Japanese chili powder that adds a hint of spice and sweetness to the sauce.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tobiko (Japanese Roe) - Roe adds an briny and savory flavor to the roll.
- Sesame seeds - We sprinkle white and black sesame seeds on the sushi roll to add a mild and nutty 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 to rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Fluff and fan the rice until cool.
- Make spicy Kewpie mayo - To make the spicy mayo sauce, add Kewpie mayo, Sriracha, and togarashi to a small bowl. Then whisk the ingredients until incorporated.
- Combine ingredients - Using two forks, gently shred the crab sticks and place in a bowl. Pour the spicy mayonnaise mixture 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 a fourth of the rice and place it on the nori. Use your finger tips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori. Sprinkle tobiko or sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Add crab (kani kamaboko) - Gently turn the rice side over so the the nori faces up. Take a fourth of the spicy crab 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 bamboo 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.
- Slice roll - Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce.
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 Spicy Kani Sushi
We typically dip the sushi in soy sauce (shoyu) with a little wasabi for refreshing spice. If you want to make a complete meal with this kani roll, it pairs wonderfully with these other Japanese dishes:
Substitutions
- Masago - Masago is capelin fish roe while tobiko is flying fish roe. The flavor of masago is very similar, but masago is much cheaper.
- Fresh crab meat - This recipe will also work with fresh crab meat if you don't mind paying extra for it.
- Ikura - Ikura means salmon roe. You can use ikura instead of tobiko if you want roe with a less sweet flavor.
Variations
- Cucumber - Add sliced cucumber for a mild and sweet crunch.
- Avocado - Top the toll with sliced avocado for an earthy and nutty flavor.
- California Roll - Add both cucumber and avocado to make this a California roll.
- Extra spicy - Add extra Sriracha or togarashi to imbue extra heat into the roll.
- Mild - Omit Sriracha to make a non-spicy and mild version of this roll.
- Sesame oil - Add ½ teaspoon of sesame oil to add a nutty flavor.
- No tobiko - Omit tobiko if you don't like the taste or texture.
- Panko - Roll toasted panko breadcrumbs on the outside of the rice will add a delicious crunch to the sushi.
- Kani Salad - Enjoy the spicy imitation crab in kani salad.
- Soy paper - Wrap the roll in soy paper to add a nice crunch.
FAQ
Yes, kani is cooked white fish that is sometimes frozen after it is cooked. Since this roll is cooked, it should be safe to eat when you are pregnant. However, we recommend consulting your doctor before eating it.
You can buy the ingredients at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, or some common chain grocery stores.
A California roll is just a kani roll with sliced avocado and cucumber.
A sushi roll (maki) is cylindrical and cut into 6-8 small individual pieces meant to be eaten in a single bite. On the other hand, a hand roll (temaki) is one large cone-shaped sushi dish that is meant to be bitten into.
Kani is made from surimi, a deboned white fish, that is blended with other ingredients before being shaped and colored to look like a crab leg.
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.
If you want to make the nori on the outside, you can follow most of the same steps. Just once you spread the rice on the nori, don't flip it over. Simply add the filling on the bed of rice then follow the rest of the steps.
Equipment
This kani sushi recipe requires a few kitchen essentials. To make this spicy crab sushi roll, you will need a knife, a 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 spicy mayo, you will also need measuring spoons and a spoon or chopsticks to mix it.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to our Kitchen Essentials Shop.
Storage
In order to store leftover kani maki, place it the refrigerator in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to 3 days. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rolls don't dry out. This crab 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.
- 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.
Did You Like this Recipe?
If you liked this kani maki recipe, please rate and comment on the recipe below! If you want to make more Japanese dishes, check these out:
- Alaska Sushi Roll
- Spicy Ahi Poke (Spicy Tuna Bowl)
- Crunchy Spicy California Sushi Roll
- Unagi Sushi (Eel Hand Roll)
Spicy Kani Roll (Crab Sushi)
Ingredients
- 1½ cup sushi rice
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1½ tablespoon sushi vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Kewpie mayo
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ½ teaspoon togarashi optional
- 6 pieces kani kamaboko imitation crab meat
- 2 sheets nori cut in half to make 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoon tobiko for outside garnish optional
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for outside garnish optional
Instructions
Sushi Rice
- Stovetop instructions -Â 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.
Spicy Kani Roll
- Make spicy Kewpie mayo - To make the spicy mayo sauce, add Kewpie mayo, Sriracha, and togarashi to a small bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Combine ingredients - Using two forks, gently shred the Kani sticks and place in a bowl. Pour the spicy mayonnaise mixture 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 a fourth of the rice and place it on the nori. Use your finger tips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori. Sprinkle tobiko or sesame seeds on top of the rice.
- Add crab (kani kamaboko) - Gently turn the nori over so the rice faces the cutting board and the nori faces up. Take a fourth of the spicy crab 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 and tuck the crab in the middle.
- Shape roll - Place the bamboo mat 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 bamboo 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.
- Slice roll - Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce.
Notes
Storage
In order to store leftover kani maki, place it the refrigerator in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to 3 days. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rolls don't dry out. This crab 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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