Featuring seasoned short-grain rice and creamy avocado slices, these avocado maki rolls are a crowd pleaser! They are easy to assemble and only call for a handful of ingredients. This avocado sushi is versatile and is great as an appetizer, side dish, or snack.
Avocado maki is one of my favorite sushi of all time! Although simple, the combination of sticky short-grain rice and creamy avocado always hits the spot. Serve them with Japanese mains like yakisoba or other sushi types like cucumber maki.
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- A simple and easy recipe that is ready in 30 minutes
- Flavorful, delicious, and incredibly filling
- Versatile and highly customizable
- Great for filling lunchboxes!
🤔What is avocado maki
Avocado maki is a popular sushi roll that features seasoned sushi rice and avocado slices wrapped with a layer of nori. The rice is commonly seasoned with vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Like other varieties of sushi, avocado maki is commonly served alongside condiments like wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. They can be enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or snack.
🥑What you will need
📃Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Rice - make sure to use short-grain rice (also known as sushi rice). Long or medium-grain rice will not work and might fall apart while rolling. You can also opt for short-grain brown rice.
- Avocado - I like using Hass avocado due to its creamy texture, but other varieties will also work. Use a ripe avocado that yields slightly when gentle pressure is applied.
- Sugar - Any granulated sweetener will work. However, if you are using coconut or brown sugar, your rice might be stained light brown.
- Nori sheets - can be found in most groceries or your local Asian market. As they turn stale quickly, I recommend transferring them to a zip-top bag or airtight container, then refrigerating them.
🔪How to make
Cooking sushi rice
Rinse - Start by rinsing the short-grain rice several times or until the water turns clear. This removes the excess starch that might cause the rice to clump excessively.
Cook - Place water and rice into the inner pot of your Instant pot. Pressure cook for 10 minutes, and allow pressure to release naturally.
Making sushi vinegar - while the rice is cooking, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or until sugar and salt dissolve completely.
Mix rice with seasoning - Pour sushi vinegar into the rice and gently mix until everything is well incorporated. Let sushi rice cool down to room temperature before use.
Rolling sushi
- Place a nori sheet on the bamboo mat, with the shiny side facing up.
- Add ¾ cup of sushi rice to the center of the nori and spread it evenly across the nori sheet using moist hands or the back of a spoon. Leave an inch of a gap on the top.
- Layer strips of avocado on the rice.
- Fold the bamboo mat over the filling, holding the avocado slices to keep them intact.
- Continue to roll while applying pressure until you reach the other end. Dip your finger in water, and wet the edge of the nori before rolling over to seal it tightly.
- Wet your knife and slice maki rolls into bite-sized pieces. Your avocado maki is ready to be served!
🍚Other ways to cook rice
You can also choose to cook your sushi rice in a rice cooker or on the stove -
Rice cooker - Place water and rice into your rice cooker. Select white rice and start cooking. (Depending on your rice cooker, it might have different buttons.) Cook until the indicator switches color.
Stovetop - Add rice and 11/4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let it steam with the lid on for 10 minutes before fluffing them.
✅Helpful tips
- Rinse rice thoroughly - Rinse your rice a few times or until the water clears before cooking. This is to rinse off the excess starch that might cause excessive clumping.
- Making without a bamboo mat - You can use a piece of parchment paper to roll your sushi like you would using a sushi mat.
- Keep a small bowl of water beside - this is to wet your fingers and utensils while wrapping to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Cutting sushi - Use a sharp knife, and run the blade under running water after every few cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to the blade.
❄️Storing leftovers
Unfortunately, this avocado sushi does not store well and is best served 1-2 hours after making. The sushi rice goes stale easily, which causes them to turn brittle. If you do have leftovers, here are some tips for storing them -
- For unsliced sushi: Wrap with a layer of plastic wrap, and store them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- For sliced sushi: Transfer them to an airtight container before refrigerating. It is NOT recommended to store them longer than 24 hours.
- To revive stale sushi: warm them in the microwave for 30 minutes or until the rice has softened. Be careful not to cook it for too long, as this will affect the taste of the avocado slices.
🍲How to serve
- Dips - Serve your avocado maki with classic condiments like soy sauce and wasabi or fun ones like vegan sriracha mayo or spicy teriyaki sauce.
- Other sushi or side dishes - Some sides complimenting this dish include kappa maki, wakame miso soup, and steamed edamame.
- Japanese mains - If you plan to cook a Japanese-themed dinner, give my miso ramen or teriyaki seitan a go!
❔Commonly asked questions
Avocado maki rolls are naturally vegan, only made from seasoned sushi rice, avocado, and nori sheets. However, note that some condiments served alongside avocado maki, like mayonnaise, are not vegan.
Hass avocado works best in sushi due to its rich flavor and creamy texture. That said, any avocado can be used to make this avocado sushi.
Sushi is a broad term that can be used to describe various dishes that consist of vinegared rice and other ingredients like vegetables, eggs, and raw fish.
Maki is a variation of sushi that is cylindrical. They can be stuffed with various fillings, the most common being cucumber, tuna, avocado, and raw salmon.
🍽️More vegan Asian appetisers
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📖 Recipe
Avocado Maki Rolls (avocado sushi)
Equipment
- Instant pot optional
Ingredients
For sushi rice
- 1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar (any granulated sweetener will work)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Other ingredients
- 4 nori sheets
- 1 medium avocado sliced
Instructions
Making sushi rice
- Start by rinsing the short-grain rice several times or until the water turns clear.1 cup uncooked short-grain rice, 1 cup water
- Place water and rice into the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 10 minutes, and allow pressure to release naturally. (see notes for instructions to cook rice in a rice cooker/stovetop)2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- While the rice is cooking, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or until sugar and salt dissolve completely.
- Pour sushi vinegar into the rice and gently mix until everything is well incorporated. Let sushi rice cool down to room temperature before use.
Rolling sushi
- Place a nori sheet on the bamboo mat, with the shiny side facing up.4 nori sheets
- Add ¾ cup of sushi rice to the center of the nori and spread it evenly across the nori sheet using moist hands or the back of a spoon. Leave an inch of a gap on the top.
- Layer strips of avocado on the rice.1 medium avocado
- Fold the bamboo mat over the filling, holding the avocado slices to keep them intact.
- Continue to roll while applying pressure until you reach the other end. Dip your finger in water, and wet the edge of the nori before rolling over to seal it tightly.
- Wet a sharp knife and slice sushi rolls into bite-sized pieces. Your avocado maki is ready to be served!
Notes
- Making without a bamboo mat - You can use a piece of parchment paper to roll your sushi like you would using a sushi mat.
- Keep a small bowl of water beside - this is to wet your fingers and utensils while wrapping to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Cutting sushi - Use a sharp knife, and run the blade under running water after every few cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to the blade.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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