Shrimp Tempura Roll
intro
Light, crispy shrimp tempura rolls with cool avocado, crisp cucumber, and tangy seasoned sushi rice wrapped in roasted nori, a classic sushi favorite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep seasoned sushi rice
Place rinsed 300g sushi rice in a rice cooker with 360ml tap water, cook on the standard white rice setting for 20 minutes until tender. Transfer cooked rice to a wide wooden bowl, gently fold in 45ml seasoned rice vinegar with a rice paddle, fanning the rice continuously for 3 minutes to cool it to room temperature (21-24°C); do not mash the rice grains.
Prep shrimp and batter
Pat butterflied shrimp completely dry with paper towels to prevent splattering during frying. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk 1 egg yolk with 160ml ice-cold water, then sift in 100g tempura flour, stirring only 2-3 times to leave visible lumps in the batter (overmixing makes tough tempura); keep the bowl nested in a larger bowl of crushed ice to maintain cold temperature while frying.
Fry crispy tempura shrimp
Heat 1L neutral oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot to 175°C (350°F), verified with a kitchen thermometer. Dip each dried shrimp fully in the cold tempura batter, then carefully lower into the hot oil, frying 3-4 shrimp at a time to avoid dropping the oil temperature. Cook for 2 minutes per batch until the batter is pale golden and crispy, then transfer shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain for 2 minutes; do not drain on paper towels as this sogs the crisp crust.
Set up rolling station
Place a bamboo sushi rolling mat on a clean work surface, lay one full nori sheet shiny-side down on the mat, with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands with cool vinegared water to prevent sticking, then spread 1/4 of the cooled seasoned rice (about 165g) in an even, 5mm thin layer across the nori, leaving a 2cm bare strip at the top edge of the nori to seal the roll. Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted sesame seeds evenly over the rice layer.
Fill and roll tightly
Lay 3 fried tempura shrimp horizontally across the center of the rice layer, lining them up end to end, then add 2-3 strips of avocado and 2-3 strips of cucumber alongside the shrimp. Lift the bottom edge of the bamboo mat up and over the fillings, pressing firmly to tuck the edge tight against the fillings to form a log shape, then continue rolling forward toward the bare nori strip, dabbing the bare strip with a tiny bit of water to seal the roll closed. Apply gentle, even pressure across the mat to shape the roll into a firm, uniform cylinder.
Slice and plate rolls
Wet a sharp, thin-bladed knife with cool water between every cut to prevent sticking, then slice each rolled log into 8 even, 2.5cm thick pieces. Arrange the slices cut-side up on a serving platter, and serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi on the side if desired.
Tips
2.Always wet your hands and sharp knife with cool vinegared water when handling rice and slicing rolls—dry hands or knives will stick to sticky rice and create ragged, squished slices.
3.Avoid overstuffing rolls with fillings, as this will cause the nori to split when rolling or slicing; use firm, even pressure (do not crush the rice) to create a tight, neat roll that holds its shape.
OMG, this ebi tempura roll turned out SO good last night for our family sushi night! I was nervous making tempura for the first time but the tempura batter tip to use ice cold water was a total game changer. My kids ate three rolls between them and asked when we can make it again. 10/10 will be adding this to our weekly rotation!
Took me a minute to get the sushi rolling technique down (my first two rolls were a little lopsided lmao) but once I got the hang of it, these tasted exactly like the rolls I get at my go-to local spot for $18 a pop. Save so much money making this at home! The only swap I did was add a little spicy mayo on top because I can’t resist that kick.
Wait, has anyone tried pre-making these for meal prep? I want to make a batch on Sunday for work lunches all week but I’m worried the tempura shrimp will get soggy if it sits in the fridge too long. Would love any tips!
Made this for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner since she’s obsessed with sushi, and she said it was better than the restaurant we went to for our anniversary. I feel like a literal chef now lmao. The 40 minute cook time was spot on, didn’t feel rushed at all even when I was fumbling with the bamboo mat.
SO good! I brought these to a neighborhood potluck last weekend and they were gone in 10 minutes flat. People were asking me for the recipe before I even finished my own plate. 100% making these for every gathering from now on.
Idk what I did wrong but my tempura came out super greasy instead of light and crispy. I used cold water like the recipe said, but maybe my oil temp was off? I didn’t have a thermometer so I guessed. Bummer because the flavors were still great, just not the texture I wanted.
Game changer! I’ve been intimidated to make any kind of sushi at home for years because I thought it was too hard, but this recipe broke everything down so simply. The shrimp came out perfectly crispy, the rice was seasoned just right, even my picky toddler ate an entire cut up roll without complaining. Win!
I added avocado and cucumber inside the roll with the tempura shrimp just like my local spot does, and it was chef’s kiss. The crunch from the tempura paired with the creamy avocado is such a perfect combo. Don’t skip the toasted sesame seeds on top either, they add such a great nutty flavor!
Solid recipe, cook time was accurate for me too. I’ve made tempura a handful of times before so the shrimp part was easy, but the tip to not squeeze the roll too tight when you’re shaping it saved me from squishing all the filling out. My rolls actually looked presentable for once, ha.
My kid has a seafood allergy so I swapped the shrimp for tempura fried sweet potato strips following the same batter recipe, and it worked so well! We did a mix of shrimp rolls for the rest of the family and sweet potato ones for my kid, and everyone was happy. Such a versatile base recipe!
Idk if I’m just bad at rolling sushi but my nori got all chewy instead of that nice snappy texture. Did I leave it out too long before rolling? I laid out all my ingredients first so maybe it absorbed moisture from the air? Flavor was still on point though.
Made these last night for movie night with my roommates and we devoured every single roll. We paired them with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi, and it felt like we ordered takeout but way cheaper and fresher. Will absolutely be making this again soon.
Wait a second, how do you keep the shrimp from curling up super tight when you fry them? Mine shrank into little curls so they didn’t lay flat in the roll, made rolling a little tricky. Tasted great, just looked a little wonky.
I was worried this would be too hard for a medium difficulty recipe, but it was totally manageable as someone who only cooks a couple times a week. The steps are super straightforward, no fancy equipment needed besides a bamboo mat (which I got for $3 at the grocery store, so no excuses!).
Pro tip from me: double the tempura batter recipe. I tried to make a single batch and ran out halfway through prepping the shrimp, had to whip up a second batch fast. No big deal, but save yourself the hassle and make extra, especially if you’re making rolls for a group.
My husband is a total sushi snob and he went back for thirds, that’s how good this recipe is. I was stressed I’d mess up the rice ratio but it came out perfectly sticky, not mushy at all. The tempura was light and crispy, no heavy greasy coating at all. Obsessed!
I tried making these for a girls’ night in and we had so much fun rolling them together! We set up a little make-your-own roll station with extra toppings like cream cheese, spicy crab, and mango, and the tempura shrimp was the star of the spread. Everyone kept raving about how crispy the shrimp was even after sitting out for a bit while we hung out.
Tried this recipe yesterday and the only issue I had was that my rice was a little too vinegary for my taste. I followed the measurements exactly but I think I just prefer less seasoned rice personally, so next time I’ll cut the vinegar a little. Otherwise the tempura was perfect, the rolling was easy, super solid recipe.
Just finished making these and they are unreal! I was so skeptical I could get restaurant-quality tempura at home but this recipe delivered. I ate three pieces before I even finished plating all the rolls, oops. 10/10, no notes, this is going in my permanent recipe binder.