This Alaska roll is the perfect quick-bite! Easily dressed up with a variety of sauces, its combination of raw salmon, soft crab, crunchy cucumber, and creamy avocado is totally irresistible.
If you’ve never had it before, the Alaska roll is a maki, or a sushi roll, where the rice is on the outside and nori is on the inside. The filling has three components: shredded crab meat combined with creamy mayo, crisp cucumber, and avocado. Then, since the nori is on the inside, we add a layer of salmon to the outside. I think that’s my favorite part!
Why You Should Make This Alaska Roll Recipe
Now is the perfect time to start making sushi! And this Alaska roll recipe is a great one to start with. Here’s why:
- Quick and Easy. This homemade Alaska roll recipe comes together in 15 minutes! And once you start making your own sushi at home, it becomes a little bit addictive. It’s super fun!
- Flavorful. Buttery salmon and crab, slightly sweet rice, creamy avocado and crunchy cucumbers—is your mouth watering yet?
- Serve with your favorite sauce. Although soy sauce is the perfect accompaniment, wasabi, Sriracha mayo, and eel sauce can easily dress it up to make this Alaska roll extra exciting.
What You'll Need
With sushi, it’s all about the freshness and quality of your ingredients. Here are some ingredient notes along with information about substitutions. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list.
- Sheet nori – Don’t mistake them for the snack-sized ones. Get the large nori sheets that are usually 8×7″ (20×18 cm).
- Sushi rice – Sushi rice has a shorter grain and is slightly sticky, perfect for pressing it into the nori. My Instant Pot Sushi Rice is a quick and easy way to cut down on prep time.
- Crab meat – Alaskan crab meat and imitation-crab will both work.
- Mayonnaise – Japanese mayonnaise is richer in flavor, so I prefer it over other kinds. Kewpie mayo is my favorite brand. If you can’t get a hold of it, use regular full-fat or low-fat mayo instead.
- Salmon – Fresh salmon is my favorite kind for sushi rolls, just make sure it’s sushi-grade. Smoked salmon will also work.
- Cucumber – Remove the pulp and seeds.
- Avocado – Use ripe avocado.
- Pickled ginger – I love its spiciness, but you don’t have to include it. Pickled ginger is only served on the side as a palate cleanser.
How to Make an Alaska Roll
Sushi-making at home is easier than it seems. Here’s a quick look at how to make an Alaska roll. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for more details.
- Prepare the crab. Use a fork or your hands to shred the crab meat. Mix with mayo.
- Prepare the sushi mat. Cover the bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place half of a nori sheet on the mat.
- Spread the rice. Moisten your hands with a bit of water. Evenly spread cooked rice over the nori.
- Flip it over. So that the rice is facing down.
- Arrange the fillings. Leave a 2″ edge of nori around the side closest to you. Then place the mayo-crab mix, avocado, and julienned cucumber lengthwise across the rice.
- Fold the edge over. Use the bamboo mat to carefully lift and press the 2″ edge of nori over the filling. Use your hands to help you keep the filling in place as needed.
- Shape the roll. Use the bamboo mat to continue rolling the sushi. Tightly squeeze the roll so it doesn’t lose its shape later. Carefully unroll the bamboo mat, leaving the rice-covered roll in the center.
- Cover it in salmon. Arrange salmon slices on top until the roll is completely covered. Use the bamboo mat again to help you lightly press down on it so that the salmon sticks to the rice.
- Slice the roll and serve. Before every cut, dip the blade in water so that the sushi doesn’t stick to it and lose its shape. Slice the roll into 8-9 pieces and serve with a side of pickled ginger.
Tips for the Best Alaska Roll
With a little guidance, you won’t need to be an Itamae, or Japanese sushi-master, to prepare this Alaska roll. Follow these tips to take the recipe to the next level.
- Use lemon juice. Keep the avocado from browning by tossing it in a little bit of lemon juice before assembling the roll.
- Lightly grease your hands. Although water works fine, sometimes the rice is stickier than usual. Lightly grease your hands with a bit of cooking spray to avoid it from sticking on your hands.
- Make it spicy. Add Sriracha to taste to the mayo-crab mixture to make the roll spicy!
- Make it extra creamy. Adding thin slices of cream cheese to the filling will add some nice richness.
Topping Ideas
With such a delicious roll on your plate, the toppings and sauces should be no less exciting. Soy sauce is fine, but why not make things more interesting? Here are my favorite ways to spice up this Alaska roll:
- Wasabi. Mix a little bit of wasabi into some soy sauce to give your dipping sauce a spicy kick.
- Ponzu or teriyaki sauce. These sauces keep the roll light, just like soy sauce, but have more complex flavor profiles. Ponzu is slightly citrusy while teriyaki sauce is sweet and tangy.
- Sriracha mayo. Combine three parts mayo to one part Sriracha until well combined. Drizzle the spicy mayo over the sushi roll.
- Unagi eel sauce. It brings hint of sweetness to an otherwise savory roll, so drizzle it to taste.
- Sesame seeds. Adding a sprinkle of white or black sesame seeds will pack a lovely crunch and subtle nutty bitterness.
How to Store
- Store in the fridge: To avoid the transfer of odors with other foods and reduce the risk of food poisoning, make sure to store any leftover Alaska roll in an airtight container. It will last for 1-2 days in the fridge.
More Recipes for Sushi Lovers
Alaska Roll
With its combination of raw salmon, soft crab, crunchy cucumber, and creamy avocado, this homemade Alaska roll recipe is irresistible!
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 1 cup Japanese short grain white rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (mirin)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Roll:
- 1 sheet nori cut in half
- 2 cup sushi rice
- ½ cup Alaskan crab meat (or imitation crab meat)
- 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise
- 8 thin slices of salmon
- ½ cucumber cut into strips
- 1 avocado cut into strips
- Pickled ginger for serving
Instructions
Make the rice:
- In a mesh strainer, rinse the sushi rice under cold water, until the water runs clear. Let it drain for10 minutes.
- Transfer the rice to the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add the water.
- Cook on low pressure for 10 minutes with natural pressure release.
- While the rice cooks, add the vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt to a small bowl and whisk together until the sugar dissolves.
- Transfer the rice to a large bowl.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the bowl of cooked sushi rice and gently mix to combine with a wooden spatula.
- Let it cool down.
Assemble the roll:
- Shred crab meat and mix with mayonnaise.
- Cover a bamboo sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap.
- Place half of the sheet of nori on the mat.
- Moisten your hands with water, this will help to avoid the rice sticking to your hands.
- Spread 1 cup cooked rice across the nori in an even layer.
- Flip over the nori sheet with the rice on it.
- Place 2 tablespoon crab mix, avocado and cucumber strips lengthwise across the rice, at the bottom end of the nori sheet closest to you..
- Use bamboo mat to lift edges up and over filling. Help with your fingers to keep the filling in place.
- Place the bamboo mat over the top and tightly squeeze the roll.
- Place the salmon slices on top of the roll, squeeze again with the mat on top to hep it stick to the rice.
- Cut the roll into 8-9 pieces with the sharp knife. Moisten the blade with water before every cut.
Nutrition
Calories: 735kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 1145mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg
