Spicy Shrimp Rolls are one of my favorite sushi rolls and they are actually very easy to make at home. You will need a bamboo mat for rolling the sushi but aside from that it is not very complicated. Alternatively, you could use a Ziplock bag for rolling but its not nearly as sturdy.

What shrimp to use?

I would highly recommend using the smallest/cheapest shrimp you can find. Since we are mincing the shrimp, there's no point to using the bigger ones. I'm using some frozen shrimp I found at Costco. They're size 50-70, which means there are 50-70 shrimps per pound.

hand holding raw shrimp from Costco shrimp bag.

How to prepare the shrimp?

I like my shrimp to be very tender and a good method I have learned is to gently poach them in boiling water. To do so, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, then remove the pot from the heat. Add the shrimp and let them sit in the water for 2-3 minutes until fully cooked. When they're done, drain the water and run them under cold water. Make sure to dry the shrimp thoroughly so they don't make the filling too wet.

cooked shrimp being lifted out of pot of water.

For mincing the shrimp, you can either use a knife or a food processor. They both do the job but I highly recommend the food processor because it's much faster and makes less of a mess.

What is the spicy sauce?

Most spicy sauces are made with sriracha, Japanese mayo, and some kind of acid like rice vinegar or lemon juice. I recently saw some TikTok chefs using Chinese chili crisps in their spicy mayo, and I tried it and it actually tasted really good! So for this recipe, I decided to use both sriracha and chili crisps for double the flavor.

Spicy Shrimp Roll

My wife and I love getting spicy shrimp rolls every time we go out for sushi. Here's a recipe that is very easy and very flavorful. Honestly, I think I even prefer my version over the restaurants.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Spicy shrimp filling

1 pound frozen raw shrimp (defrosted)
¼ cup Japanese mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon chili oil with crisps
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons green onions (thinly sliced)

Sushi rice

¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cooked sushi rice

For assembling

3 sheets nori (cut in half)
roasted black sesame seeds

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the shrimp and them sit in the water for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Drain, then rinse under cold tap water to stop them from cooking further. Pat dry with paper towels.
Chop the shrimp into tiny pieces (no bigger than ¼-inch) and combine with the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
In a small pot, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Set the heat to high and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the rice and fold until combined.
Grab a bamboo mat and wrap it with plastic wrap (this prevents rice from sticking to it). Place a half sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. Spread on a thin layer of sushi rice but leave ½ inch uncovered at the bottom. Sprinkle on sesame seeds.
Flip the nori over so that the rice is underneath. Add a generous helping of the shrimp to the center.
Roll the sushi tightly.
Cut the sushi into bite-sized pieces and enjoy.