Learn how to make thin sushi rolls at home with my Maki Sushi (Hosomaki) recipe. I‘ll show you how to add a single filling like sashimi-grade tuna or cucumber and roll it in nori sheets and sushi rice. Enjoy these delicious bites at your next party, picnic, or potluck.
For today’s recipe, I’ll show you how to make the best known and popular Japanese food, Sushi Rolls or Maki Sushi (巻き寿司)! Even though you might not have tried making sushi at home before, don’t worry. I will explain in detail with lots of good tips and advice as well as the video tutorial and step-by-step pictures on how to make these delicious rolls at home!
You can put different ingredients inside but for today, we’ll be making Tuna Rolls, Cucumber Rolls, and Natto Rolls.
Table of Contents
What Are Sushi Rolls?
First of all, what’s sushi? Sushi is any dish that consists of vinegared rice (we call it “Sushi Rice“) combined with other ingredients such as seafood and vegetables. Some people think sushi means raw fish, but that’s not entirely true. There are various types of sushi, and you can find variations here.
When the sushi rice is wrapped in nori seaweed and rolled, it is a sushi roll. In Japan, we call it Makizushi or Maki Sushi (巻き寿司). There are several types of sushi rolls:
- Hosomaki (細巻き) – Thin rolls (1″ in diameter), nori on the outside, containing 1 ingredient
- Chumaki (中巻き) – Medium rolls (1-1.5″ in diameter), nori on outside, containing 2-3 ingredients
- Futomaki (太巻き) – Thick rolls (2-2.5″ in diameter), nori on the outside, containing 4-5 ingredients
- Uramaki (裏巻き) – “Inside-out” rolls (nori on the inside – like California Roll)
- Temaki (手巻き) – Cone-shaped hand roll sushi – Click for Recipe
Varieties of Sushi Rolls
1. Traditional Edo-style Sushi Rolls
These sushi rolls are hosomaki which consists of one main ingredient and is usually wrapped with nori on the outside. How many of these do you know or tried before?
- Tuna Roll (Tekka Maki) – Today’s recipe
- Cucumber Roll (Kappa Maki) – Today’s recipe
- Fermented Soybean Roll (Natto Maki) – Today’s recipe
- Dried Gourd Roll (Kanpyo Maki)
- Pickled Daikon Roll (Shiko Maki)
- Pickled Plum & Cucumber Roll (Umekyu)
- Eel/Sea Eel & Cucumber Roll (Unakyu or Anakyu Maki)
- Tuna & Scallion Roll (Negitoro Maki)
- Yellowtail & Scallion Roll (Negihama Maki) – Click for Recipe
2. Western Style Sushi Rolls
These sushi rolls consist of multiple ingredients and most of them are inside-out rolls (uramaki). A lot of restaurants create their own version of combinations and unique names, but here are some common ones.
- California Roll – Click for Recipe
- Dragon Roll – Click for Recipe
- Spicy Tuna Roll – Click for Recipe
- Rainbow Roll
- Caterpillar Roll
- Alaska Roll
- Boston Roll
- Philadelphia Roll
- Dynamite Roll
- Spider Roll
What You’ll Need to Make Sushi Rolls
First, you need to prepare 4 key items to make sushi rolls: sushi rice, the fillings of your choice, nori sheets, and a bamboo sushi mat.
1. Sushi Rice
One of the important ingredients to make sushi rolls is to have the right sushi rice. The steamed short-grain rice should be seasoned with sushi vinegar.
If you need directions on how to make sushi rice, you can watch this video or read/print out the recipe from How To Make Sushi Rice post.
2. The Fillings
Traditionally the fillings for hosomaki are either (raw or cooked) seafood or vegetables. However, if you don’t eat raw fish, you can use other ingredients you like. Experiment with what food works for your preference. Here are some ideas:
Vegetable and fruit filling ideas: The traditional Japanese fillings include julienned cucumber, pickled daikon, dried gourd, bell pepper, or radish. You can use non-traditional Japanese ingredients such as avocado or mango, if you’d like.
Sushi with raw fish: Sushi-grade salmon or tuna. See below for where to buy sushi-grade seafood.
Sushi without raw fish: Imitation crab sticks, cooked crab meat, canned tuna with spicy mayo, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, or natto (fermented soybean).
3. Nori Sheet (Roasted Seaweed)
There are many types of “seaweed” used in Japanese cooking, and for making sushi rolls, we need dried seaweed called nori (海苔). They are roasted and look like sheets of paper. We use a half sheet of nori for this recipe but depending on the type of roll, we use half, 3/4, or a whole sheet of nori.
Please remember that nori gets stale easily; therefore, once you open the package, store in an airtight container or a plastic bag (remove the air before closing) and keep in the refrigerator.
4. Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat (Makisu 巻き簾)
A bamboo sushi mat or Makisu (巻き簾) is made of bamboo and used to make sushi rolls and egg omelette like Tamagoyaki and Datemaki.
The left sushi mat has a round and flat (green) side and each bamboo strip is wider and bigger round shape. The right sushi mat has narrower round bamboo strips with no flat side. For today’s sushi roll recipe, I highly recommend the sushi mat on the right because it is more flexible when you shape the sushi roll.
I found this cool sushi kit, a set of sushi oke (also called hangiri), a bamboo mat, and rice paddles from Amazon! If you have a sushi party often, this is a must!
If you don’t want to purchase a bamboo mat, you can use a thick, hard texture kitchen towel folded into a similar size as a bamboo sushi mat, or use a placemat similar to the bamboo mat.
Where to Buy Sushi Grade Fish (Sashimi)
You can find sushi-grade fish in the sashimi selections of your local Japanese grocery stores.
If you live in San Francisco, you can place an order from TrueFish for local delivery or pickup. I go to the Suruki Supermarket in San Mateo for sashimi. They usually take orders in advance via email. If you are using it for hand roll, ask for the hand roll cut (a stick shape rather than sashimi style).
Practice Makes Perfect!
Today we’ll make these traditional sushi rolls – Hosomaki. They are much easier to roll than thick western-style fancy sushi rolls. Consider today’s recipe as a practice run before you move on to bigger sushi rolls like California Rolls and Dragon Rolls.
We’ll make Tuna Roll, Cucumber Roll, and Natto Roll. Tuna and cucumber rolls are the most popular Hosomaki and you have probably seen or eaten these at Japanese restaurants. If you don’t eat raw fish or cucumber, you can substitute it with other ingredients of your choice.
More Sushi Recipes You’ll Love
Also, check out our Ultimate Sushi Guide: Sushi Types, Recipes & Etiquette
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Sushi Rolls (Maki Sushi – Hosomaki)
Video
Ingredients
For the Sushi Rice
- 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups, 450 g; cook the rice ahead of time using my Sushi Rice recipe)
- 2¼ cups water (for cooking the rice)
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (5 g; 2 x 2 inches or 5 x 5 cm; for cooking the rice; optional, but it gives a nice aroma!)
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned) (if you substitute seasoned bottled sushi vinegar, skip the sugar and salt)
- 3 Tbsp sugar (skip if using bottled sushi vinegar)
- 1½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (skip if using bottled sushi vinegar)
For the Nori and the Filling Options
- 5 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed)
- 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber (yields 8 rolls)
- 7 oz sashimi-grade tuna (block; yields 12 rolls)
- 1 box natto (fermented soybean) (yields 2 rolls)
For the Tezu (Finger Dipping Water)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
For Serving
- soy sauce
- wasabi (optional)
- sushi ginger (gari) (optional; you can make my homemade Sushi Ginger)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Please cook the rice ahead of time following my Sushi Rice recipe. The cook time varies depending on the device/method you use. You will need a bamboo sushi mat.
To Prepare the Sushi Rice
- Use 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice, 2¼ cups water, and 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) to cook the rice. This yields 6⅔ cups of cooked rice, enough for 10 hosomaki or thin sushi rolls. Please follow my Sushi Rice recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to cook the rice.
- Use ⅓ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned), 3 Tbsp sugar, and 1½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to season the cooked rice as described in my Sushi Rice recipe. Cover the sushi rice with a damp cloth/plastic wrap at all times to prevent drying.
To Prepare the Filling Options, Tezu, and Nori
- Cut both ends of 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut the halves again lengthwise so you now have 4 strips. Remove the seeds with your knife. Then, cut each strip in half lengthwise yet again. You now have 8 strips.
- Cut the 7 oz sashimi-grade tuna block lengthwise into ¼- to ½-inch slabs. Then, cut the slabs lengthwise into long strips ¼- to ½-inch thick.
- Remove the natto from 1 box natto (fermented soybean) and place in a small bowl. Season with the packet of soy sauce or seasoning that came with the package. Mix everything up and stir several times until it’s slimy and bubbly.
- Make finger-dipping vinegar water (tezu) by combining ¼ cup water and 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) in a small bowl. Apply this water to your fingers and hands to prevent the rice from sticking to them.
- Cut 5 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed) in half. Even though it may look it, nori sheets are not perfectly square; therefore, cut the longer side of the rectangle in half. Also, nori gets stale easily, so store the sheets in an airtight bag and take out each piece only when you‘re ready to use it.
To Roll the Sushi
- Place the sushi mat on a work surface. The bamboo slats should run sideways (horizontally) so you can roll them up. On the mat, place a nori half sheet shiny side down, with its long side along the bottom edge of the mat (the side closest to you). Leave about 3–4 slats visible on the side nearest you.
- Moisten your hand with tezu before you touch the sushi rice.
- Using a measuring cup, scoop ½ cup (80 g) of sushi rice into your hand. This way, you‘ll use the same the amount of rice for each roll and they will be the same size. You can wet the measuring cup with tezu so the rice won‘t stick. I know, this is not the “proper” way, but until you can grab a perfect amount of rice each time, this trick will do!
- Place the sushi rice on the nori, left of center. Leaving a 1-inch strip of nori along the top edge, spread the rice toward the right using your right fingers while you use your left fingers to keep the rice away from the 1-inch nori strip on top.
- Spread the rice evenly with both fingers, still keeping the 1-inch space on the top. Wet your fingers in dipping water if the rice starts to stick.
- Place a single filling of your choice (tuna, cucumber, or natto) in the middle of the rice across the entire length of the roll. If your tuna or cucumber is too short, add extra pieces on the end. Hold the filling down using your fingers.
- Lift up the bottom edge of the sushi mat with your thumbs. With one swift movement, roll the nori and rice over the filling. Land right at the top edge of the rice. You should still see the 1-inch nori space.
- Leaving the sushi mat in place, gently shape and tighten the roll with your fingers from outside of the mat. Shape the roll to give it square sides (or keep it round). Finally, lift the sushi mat and rotate the roll once to seal the top edge of nori. Gently squeeze and tighten the roll again through the mat. Your sushi roll is now done. Move the completed roll to a tray or platter and keep it covered with a damp cloth/plastic wrap at all times to prevent drying. Continue rolling the rest of the rolls.
To Serve
- To cut a sushi roll, wet your knife with a damp towel and cut the roll in half first. You should “push, then pull” the knife while cutting through the sushi. Wet the knife again and cut each half roll into 3 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and sushi ginger (gari). Enjoy!
To Store
- Sushi rolls are best consumed right away, but you can stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. I highly recommend keeping them in an airtight container or a plate wrapped tightly with plastic, and then wrapping the container/plate with a thick kitchen towel so the food stays safe in a cool environment but the rice doesn't get hard from the cold air in the refrigerator.
Hi Nami, thank you for your reply regarding sushi (I cannot find your comment now but I did read it here last week). Yes, I think I cut the nori the wrong side! I’ll try again perhaps next week (with cucumber and also sushi grade salmon). Will let you know.
Hi Sofia! Ohhh glad to know you just cut the nori wrong way – it’s easy fix! 😉 Have fun making sushi! xo
Dear Nami
Thank you for sharing these fabulous recipes. Today, I’ve made Sushi Rice for the first time and it was a success. It tasted really nice and I would say the rice was just perfect. I then used the rice to make cucumber roll. It didn’t become a perfect roll; the seaweed didn’t meet when I rolled! I guess, I either cut the nori too small, the nori was just a smaller size than normal from the packet (is this possible?) or I’ve put too much rice. Anyway, since it was only my first time ever making this, I am actually happy with the result because the flavour was really nice. I’ll make this again since the rice was a success. Infact, next time.I’ll use some nicer fillings. Thank you again. All your tips were great.
Hi Sofia! Thank you for trying this recipe! Having good and delicious sushi rice is key to a good sushi roll. Glad to hear sushi rice was a success.
Now, the sushi rolls. Do you know that nori’s length and width is slightly different? When you place nori, the longer side should be perpendicular to you. I don’t know how to describe this…. At Step 7 picture, do you see I cut the longer side of rectangular in half? Maybe you cut the wrong side? But putting more rice could be another reason. Hope next trial will be successful! Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
I used this guide to make sushi for the first time. It turned out really good. I appreciate the time you took to write this up. Thank you very much. I made cucumber and tuna rolls. Also a 3rd with both cucumber and tuna.
Hi Kevin! Thank you for using my recipe to make your first sushi rolls! I’m so happy to hear you had fun making them. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Yummy
Thank you Scarlet!
This was great! Thanks for all the information and careful instructions
Thank you Carlos! Glad to hear the recipe was helpful. 🙂
can i use pickled cucumber as a filling?
Hi Yuli! My first thought was that it might be salty… pickled cucumber or any Japanese pickles (tsukemono) are pretty salty, and to fill in the rolls, I feel like you’re putting too much pickles for rice : pickles ratio….
But if you enjoy it, why not? One thing though. You have to eat right away, otherwise the moisture drawn from pickles may be too much for sushi to hold tight.
Do you have recipes for the Dynamite Roll, Spider Roll, and Seafood Tempura?
I’ll add to my list. Thank you Angel!
Do you need to cook the tuna first?
Hi Alva! Sushi uses raw fish, BUT it’s sushi grade fish, and not any kind of raw fish you can get in a regular fish monger. You have to purchase from a store where they carry sushi grade or sashimi grade fish. 🙂
Hi Nami, if I have left over sushi rice (after I put in the vinegar etc,) and want to use it next morning to make rolls for school lunch, what’s the best way to store the rice? Ok at room temperature? If I put in the fridge, the rice will get hard,
Hi Vivian! For food safety, I feel more comfortable putting in the fridge. But my trick for keeping the rice in the fridge is to wrap the container (that has sushi rice in it) with towel, so the rice doesn’t get hard. It’s cool enough but not cold. I do the same trick for rice ball and sushi rolls when I keep in the fridge. It helps. 🙂
Thanks, Nami. I use glass container with lid to put in the fridge. You wrap a towel around that? Didn’t know that trick!
Hi Vivian! Yeah basically you don’t want your rice to be super cold. If you would put it in a rice bowl or plate and wrap with plastic wrap, most likely the rice will be pretty hard. So towel would just protect the cold air directly touching the food…. If you live in a cold place, you can keep it in a cold room or something, but I think the fridge is the best place, but don’t need it to be that cold… 🙂 So yeah, wrap the towel… Hope that will help!
Thanks so much! Have a nice weekend!
Ps, I follow all your posts and videos!!! You make things simple but tastes very authentic!!
Thank you so much for your support, Vivian! Your kind words mean so much to me! Have a great weekend too! xo
Today was the second time I have made sushi rolls and they were great, thanks to your easy to follow recipe and videos. the rice flavor is very good and my family loved it.
Hi Lariza! I’m so happy to hear your sushi rolls came out well! I’m glad my video and recipe were helpful and sushi rice was good. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
very information and easy to follow
Thank you, Tiu!
Boston, Caterpillar, Rainbow rolls are all my favorite and would love to have their recipeson this site.
Hi Jeff! Thank you for your request! I have added them to my list. 🙂
I’ve made quite a few of your recipes including your sushi roll recipes, and they have turned out AMAZING due to your clear instructions and step-by-step photos. Thank you! Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes!
Hi Audrey! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and this recipe too! I’m so happy to hear they turned out well. A lot of people like my step by step pictures… and glad to hear they are helpful! Happy cooking, and thanks so much for taking your time to write your kind feedback! xo
I had to chuckle when I read about the natto turning “slimy and bubbly”–good explanation! Is it true that if you chop up the natto, it doesn’t become as slimy? I’ve had it temaki style with little or no “web” that natto usually has. My favorite hosomaki is made with takuan but I cheat and use a press instead of the sushi mat! 😉
Hi Donna! Hmm that’s a good question. I use “hikiwari natto” for sushi rolls and even though it’s slimy, maybe you are right, it might be less slimy… I never thought about it or realized it though. I love takuan and ume. I do have oshizushi set from my mom… I should use it one day. It might be fun recipe to develop. 😀
Thanks so much for the response, Nami!
I have made sushi out of leftover rare beef, a little wasabi and sweet red pepper strips as the filling. It was delicious! Also, steamed asparagus with egg (lightly beaten, cooked into a pancake, and cut into strips), I put slivers of lemon zest into this one – it was an experiment that worked. I have thought about putting in everything from little shrimps to pimento-stuffed green olives. Wonder how leftover spicy chicken from Popeye’s would taste?
Hi Sherrie! Thank you so much for sharing all the great combination! The spicy chicken sounds good. I’ve tried one with Chicken Karaage before and it was actually pretty good too! 🙂 Thank you for your comment!