This crazy easy California sushi bowl is the quickest way to satiate a sushi craving. Super healthy and budget-friendly!
Did you ever want to try all of the sushi rolls on the menu? If you love sushi as much as I do, but don’t exactly like getting the bill at the end of the meal, this recipe is for you. I’ve created this quick and easy California sushi bowl recipe that anyone can make at home with absolutely no need for any tedious rolling.
What’s a California Sushi Bowl?
This California sushi bowl is basically a California roll deconstructed. Simple and balanced, all this roll contains is crab, avocado, and cucumber. We use the same exact ingredients in this recipe, with the addition of a not-so-secret secret sauce and seaweed.
How to Make Sushi Rice for this Recipe
While you can get away with using plain steamed rice, going the extra mile to whip up sushi rice will really elevate the flavors. Here’s how to do it:
- Cook the Rice: Prepare the rice using a rice cooker or pot.
- Make the Sushi Vinegar: In a small bowl whisk 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and a sprinkle of salt together.
- Season the Rice: Using a rice paddle or fork, pour the seasoned rice vinegar over the cooked rice and toss.
Assembling a California Sushi Bowl
This sushi bowl recipe is so simple, a kid could put it together. Here’s how to do it…
- Make the Spicy Mayo: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil together.
- Assemble the Bowl: Layer the sushi bowl as follows – sushi rice, imitation crab meat pieces, avocado chunks, cucumber, and seaweed (aka nori).
- Drizzle the Sauce: Finish the sushi bowl off by drizzling the sauce on top. Dig in and enjoy!
3 Top Tips for the Best California Sushi Bowl
A couple of handy tips will help you nail this recipe.
- Add more sriracha if you like heat. If you like it super spicy, add more sriracha to taste.
- Prep the sauce ahead of time. If you have the time, whip the sauce up a couple hours ahead of time. As it marinates in the fridge, it will develop a ton of flavor.
- Clean the rice thoroughly. To prevent your rice from turning out mushy or starchy, rinse it until the water runs nearly clear. To do so, pop it in a pot, submerge it in water, and swirl your hand around the pot to loosen the starch. Drain and repeat!
Different Toppings to Play Around With
If you’re a fan of poke bowls, you already know how many toppings you can experiment with. Below, find a couple of ingredients to inspire you.
- Protein: Tuna, salmon, shrimp, or tofu
- Veggies: Shredded carrots, soy beans, seaweed salad, or ginger
- Odds & Ends: Sesame seeds, green onion, or tobiko
Best Practices for Storing
While this bowl is best eaten fresh, feel free to prepare the ingredients and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. If you’re a fan of meal prep, you can pull the ingredients out of the fridge and make quick California roll sushi bowls for on the fly lunches throughout the week.
FAQ
What’s the best type of rice to use?
Short-grain Japanese rice is best. You’ll find it labeled as “sushi rice” in most grocery stores and Asian specialty food stores.
Is a California roll considered real sushi?
This is widely contested, as a California roll isn’t a traditional Japanese roll. Imitation crab is also fully cooked versus raw.
Can I swap out the rice for anything else?
Sushi rice is the best option, but feel free to use cauliflower rice or quinoa if you want to go healthier.
How long does a California sushi bowl keep fresh?
Like most seafood recipes, sushi bowls are best eaten fresh and straight away after assembling.
More Tasty Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Simple Yakisoba Noodles Recipe – Japanese-style stir-fried noodles
- Japchae (Korean-Style Stir Fried Noodles) – Sweet potato glass noodle stir fry
- Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon Recipe – Sweet and salty salmon
- Korean Air Fryer Pork Ribs (Easy) – Sweet and salty short ribs
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup cooked sushi rice
- 1 avocado chopped
- 8 oz crab meat cut into small pieces
- 1 oz seaweed sheets cut into small pieces
- 1/2 english cucumber sliced
Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp roasted sesame oil
Instructions
Spicy Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil together. Pop the sauce in the fridge.
Sushi Bowl
- Place the rice in the bottom of the bowl. Top it with the crab, avocado, and cucumber. Add a sprinkling of seaweed.
- Drizzle the sauce on top. Enjoy!
I been making this since the early 80s. Good stuff. I have created over a dozen of these bowls,including this one.
Hi Heath, Thanks for sharing your love of sushi bowls!
We all liked this one! Great recipe for a night when it’s too hot to cook!
Hi Corrinne, I agree - it's perfect for those hot nights! 🙂
Do you season the rice hot or wait for it to cool?
Hi Alysha, I don't know that it really makes a difference. The rice should not be hot for this recipe. I hope this helps. Thank you for reaching out! Enjoy!
I made California sushi bowls before, but something always seemed off. I found your recipe and decided to give it a try and this is the taste I was looking for. So good and so easy to make for a weeknight dinner. Thank you!
I take sheets of Nori (dried seaweed) and, using a pizza cutter, I slice it into tiny bits and pieces to sprinkle throughout the rice. There’s supposedly a product that mimics this, but none of us care for it! I add all kinds of sashimi to my bowl, & we use a spicy tuna mix (tuna tartare at restaurants) in my own bowl!
That sounds like a great tip. Thanks for sharing.
Hey there, I am so thrilled to hear that you love this recipe! Thank you for the feedback, enjoy!
Just made this with leftover rice) turned out amazing!!!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Maria! 🙂
So good & so easy! I am obsessed!
It's so great for a fast meal on a busy night!
Oh, I really love everything on this sushi bowl! So fresh and delicious!
Thank you Toni! It's a great light meal 🙂
Thank you Natasha for a great recipe
Where usually you bye crab meat?
Thank you, Luda! Any store that sells it, really!
I did my own version of this easier way to put together sushi! Thanks for the inspiration. Nathalie - myhealthyfoodielife.wordpress.com
Looks cool!! Great idea, thanks for sharing 🙂
Just an FYI cucumber wasn't in the ingredient list.
Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much. I have this lazy sushi on next weeks menu. I will have to try it.
oops-- don't add the water until you check the consistency
Try: YUM YUM Sauce--G
1 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon. tomato paste
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon. garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sesame oil
cayenne pepper to taste.
1 Tablespoon Sriracha or hot sauce --optional
Wisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Must refrigerate OVERNIGHT for flavors to blend.
Serve at room temp make 6 ¼ cup servings (we love this sauce) or 12 1/8 cup
Those are great tips. I want to make sushi now 🙂 Mind sharing what is ur secret sauce 😉
I do this type of thing all the time also....sushi just tastes better homemade! Especially with our own secret homemade sushi sauce! One other thing I use if doing lazy sushi that makes all the difference is Jay One brand premium roasted and lightly salted seaweed sold in Costco in a 24 pack, it's 24 small packages of 10 small pieces of seaweed that are full of nutty sesame flavor. Try it out and enjoy!
no clue but I know the sauce you are talking about, I love that sauce. Ill have to look into that.
hehe, what a great idea.. never thought of this, but it makes sense on days when you just crave sushi but don't have time to buy or make it. I would love to add the spicy mayo sauce that they use. Do you by any chance know how they make that??
That sounds like a great idea. I use sushi sauce on top for flavoring.
I love this idea of lazy sushi:) I will try it your way. I would mix rice with mirin sauce and rice vinegar first like the same way I make sushi.