Skip ordering off of your food delivery apps tonight and make a homemade Shrimp Tempura Roll instead! Perfectly fried shrimp tempura is nestled with avocado and cucumber inside nori paper and sushi rice. It’s delicious sushi without the restaurant price!

A sliced shrimp tempura roll is placed on a striped white and blue plate.


Shrimp Tempura Roll

Shrimp Tempura Rolls are perfect for anyone who wants sushi, but doesn’t like or can’t eat raw fish. The protein in this roll comes from the tempura fried shrimp, which is cooked to absolute perfection! The other ingredients are also fairly simple. Cucumber and avocado both lend a freshness to the roll to help balance the savory shrimp and dipping sauces.

You know when you’re ordering off of an app like UberEats or Postmates and you go to pay… Only to discover that your $14 sushi roll is now $24 with the tip, delivery fees, taxes, and any other surcharge they feel like tacking on?! Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of way overpaying for my food, especially when I can make the same thing but even better in my own kitchen.

If you’re a sushi rolling novice, have no fear! This recipe is super simple and you’ll feel proud of yourself for being able to assemble, roll, and slice your own Shrimp Tempura Roll. This is a fun entree to make for your family if you feel like shaking up your usual weeknight dinner routine! It’s also fun for serving for an at home date night or even as a midday lunch. Grab your favorite dipping sauce and let’s get to rolling!

The ingredients for shrimp tempura roll are placed on a white countertop.

How to Make a Shrimp Tempura Roll

Rice Instructions: 

Dissolve the sugar. In a small saucepan combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Cook over low to medium heat until sugar dissolves, approximately 2 minutes.

Cool and add rice. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes, and stir into cooked rice. Rice will seem wet but as you stir and rice cools it will dry out some. Keep the rice at room temperature (does not need to be refrigerated).

Shrimp Tempura Roll Instructions:

Create the stations. Set up the station with a cutting board and the ingredients – the sushi rice, cucumber, avocado, shrimp tempura.

Assemble the rolls. On the first sushi mat, lay down one piece of nori paper. On the nori paper, add ⅓ to ½ cup of sushi rice covering the paper. Using the second sushi mat, cover the rice and carefully flip the rice/nori paper over so the rice is now on the bottom (on its own sushi mat). Starting at the closest long edge, add 2 pieces of shrimp tempura with their tails sticking out the ends, sliced cucumber and sliced avocado.

Roll and slice the sushi. Roll the entire roll over once; use the sushi mat to tighten the ingredients inside. You’ll need to tighten this a few times on the first roll. Finish the roll and place to the side for slicing. Repeat these steps one more time, making a total of 2 large rolls. To serve, slice the roll in half. Move both roll halves parallel to each other. Make two more slices, for a total of 6 pieces per roll.

Note – You can use the sushi mat to “remold” the roll back into a roll, sometimes when cutting it the roll might get pressed down.

Enjoy! Serve each roll with wasabi, soy sauce, sriracha mayo, and pickled ginger.

A sushi roll is in the process of being rolled.

Storage

In an airtight container in the fridge, a Shrimp Tempura Roll will stay fresh for about 1-2 days. Keep in mind that the longer the shrimp sits in the fridge, the less crispy the tempura will become. It’ll still be tasty, just not as crunchy as it once was.

I don’t recommend freezing a Shrimp Tempura Roll.

A sliced roll is placed on a blue serving plate.

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A sliced shrimp tempura roll is placed on a striped white and blue plate.

Get the Recipe: Shrimp Tempura Roll

Easy to make Shrimp Tempura Roll is a fun food activity for the whole family. Tender, crispy shrimp is rolled up into a savory sushi roll that rivals any sushi restaurant!
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Ingredients

For the Sushi Rice

  • 1 1/2 cups Sushi Rice, found in the international section of the grocery store, cooked and cooled to room temperature per package instructions
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar – if you want the rice less sweet just reduce amount
  • ½ tsp kosher salt – do not use table salt

For the Shrimp Tempura Roll

  • 1-1 ½ cups Sushi Rice, see above
  • Shrimp Tempura – 8-12 pieces
  • ½ medium cucumber, julienne cut in 2 inch strips
  • ½ medium avocado, sliced
  • Nori Paper, found in the international section of the grocery store
  • Sesame seeds
  • Soy Sauce
  • Pickled Ginger
  • Wasabi paste

Equipment

  • Sushi Rolling Mats
  • bamboo rice paddle

Instructions 

For the rice:

  • In a small saucepan combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Cook over low to medium heat until sugar dissolves, approximately 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes, and stir into cooked rice. Rice will seem wet but as you stir and rice cools it will dry out some.
  • Keep the rice at room temperature (does not need to be refrigerated).

For the Shrimp Tempura Roll:

  • Set up the station with a cutting board and the ingredients- Sushi rice, cucumber, avocado, shrimp tempura
  • On the first sushi mat, lay down one piece of nori paper.
  • On the nori paper, add ⅓ to ½ cup of sushi rice covering the paper.
  • Using the second sushi mat, cover the rice and carefully flip the rice/nori paper over so the rice is now on the bottom (on its own sushi mat).
  • Starting at the closest long edge, add 2 pieces of shrimp tempura with their tails sticking out the ends, sliced cucumber and sliced avocado.
  • Roll the entire roll over once; use the sushi mat to tighten the ingredients inside. (You’ll need to tighten this a few times on the first roll.)
  • Finish the roll and place to the side for slicing.
  • Repeat these steps one more time, making a total of 2 large rolls.
  • To serve, slice the roll in half. Move both roll halves parallel to each other.
  • Make two more slices, for a total of 6 pieces per roll. (You can use the sushi mat to “remold” the roll back into a roll, sometimes when cutting it the roll might get pressed down.)
  • Serve each roll with wasabi, soy sauce, sriracha mayo, and pickled ginger.

Notes

Best if served soon after making to ensure the shrimp stays crispy.
Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 594mg, Potassium: 360mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 127IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg