How to Make Sushi Rolls

Follow this simple guide to learn how to make sushi at home! Use in combination with the recipes shared on this site!

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Gathering Supplies

The first thing you'll need to do is make sure you have all the equipment and materials to get started. You can find more details on the equipment needed HERE. To summarize, you will need:

Sushi rolling mat, like this
Sharp knife, like this or this
Cutting board, like this
Japanese rice spatula, like this
Plastic cling wrap, like this

The basic ingredients you'll need are:

Desired roll fillings & toppings

This will vary based on what sushi rolls you want to make. Check out the Beginner Friendly Sushi Rolls list, or jump right in and search through the index of all my sushi roll recipes!

Sushi rice

Sushi rice is prepared, medium grain rice that is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. The seasoning added to the rice is what give it the distinctive taste and sticky texture.
If possible, I strongly recommend picking up the proper kind of rice rather than using whatever rice you have on hand. Other varieties of rice (jasmine, basmati, etc.) will not turn out the same.
Follow my recipe for Simple Sushi Rice before you begin making your sushi. You can find more information there on locating the proper ingredients.

Nori

Nori is the seaweed wrapping used to hold together sushi rolls. After opening, store leftover nori sheets in an airtight bag at room temp with all the air pressed out to maintain freshness.
Packages of nori vary a lot in quantity and price. I've tried out a variety of brands at different price points and have been happy with all of them. I don't think you need to splurge on the more expensive brands.
A Japanese grocery store will have the widest selection of nori. You may be able to find nori in the "Asian foods" section of a large American grocery store, but you can also find nori online if needed.
Nori comes in a variety of sizes, so make sure you pick up full sheets (approximately 8"x7"). These sheets can be cut down smaller when making rolls (if desired). You can read more about this in the How to Make Sushi Rolls post.

Preparing the Nori

Nori is sold in a few sizes, but the largest size is what you want for full size sushi rolls. It should be approximately 8" x 7". Sushi is typically rolled up in the short direction, creating a roll that is 8 inches long. Removing length from the shorter side before rolling is a very common practice, with some people even cutting the sheet in half (creating two 8" x 3.5" sheets). The size of sheet used will help you control the rice-to-fillings ratio of your roll. In general, a larger sheet = more rice, however you are also in control of how thick the layer of rice is on the nori.

The rice-to-fillings ratio of your rolls is a matter of personal preference when making sushi at home, so I would encourage you to try it out a few different ways and settle on your favorite. This ratio also depends on how much filling you put in your roll, if you're following the recipes on this site I would recommend cutting at line "A" shown here for your first batch (this is what I use). Its easier to achieve a structurally sound roll with a larger sheet of nori. Because of this I would not recommend options B or C until you have already made a few batches. Keep in mind that using the full sheet with no cuts is also a great option!

An image showing 3 options for slicing a nori sheet — Nori Cutting Guide

To achieve a clean cut apply pressure to the knife until the nori splits, don't try to saw or slide the knife (this may cause it to tear). If using a rounded chef's knife make sure you rock the knife back and forth so the whole blade makes contact.

Applying Rice

Make sure your rice has cooled down to approximately room temp and is not visibly wet. Wet rice make the rest of the process more difficult. Don't begin adding the rice to the nori until all of your filling and topping ingredients are prepped. The nori will absorb moisture from the rice and become limp overtime, so its important to serve the roll soon after rolling.

There are a few options for applying the rice to your nori sheet. In many sushi restaurants, chefs will wear disposable plastic gloves and apply the rice using their hands. You cannot follow this method with bare hands because the rice will stick to you. Wetting your hands to handle rice without it sticking is not a good option in this case because you don't want extra moisture soaking into the nori.

I spread my rice using a rice spatula, taking a large scoop then spreading it into an even layer while gently holding the nori in place. I use about ¾ cup of prepared sushi rice per sheet. Spread the rice in a thin even layer all the way out to the edges of the sheet, you should be able to see a little bit of nori peeking through the rice. Don't smash the rice down flat, you should be able to see the distinct grains of rice.

Rolling

Prepare your sushi rolling mat by wrapping it in plastic cling film. I use two pieces to wrap my mats, first in one direction and then in the other. For rice-on-the-outside rolls (uramaki) place the covered nori sheet rice side down on your mat. If you'd like to make a roll with nori on the outside, place the sheet rice side up and follow the rest of the directions, placing your filling ingredients on top of the rice.

Align the long side of your sheet with the bottom of the mat, as shown below. Place your fillings in neat lines along the long side of the sheet, starting approximately 1 inch from the bottom.
Roll the bottom of the sheet up and over the filling ingredients. Pause here and use your fingers to make sure the end of the sheet is tucked in snug around the filling ingredients. It's okay to take your time here, this part of the roll needs to be tight before you roll it up the rest of the way.
Once the beginning of the roll is snug around the fillings, use the rolling mat to gently roll it up the rest of the way. Pause here and make sure the roll is tight. If not, it's okay to unroll it and try again. It will look messy as you do that, but the mess will be completely hidden inside when you're finished.
After rolling, reposition the roll on your mat with the seam side down. Wrap the mat around the roll and gently apply some pressure to form the roll into a neat cylindrical shape. With soft fillings, be careful not to squeeze too hard, or you may lose some filling out of the sides of the roll.

Rolling sushi, solid fillings

Rolling sushi, soft fillings

Cutting

If the roll you're making is going to be topped with other ingredients such as fish or avocado, stop here and continue on the Sushi Roll Topping Guide. For a clean look, toppings like these should be applied prior to cutting. Other toppings like tobiko, sprouts, or sauces can be applied after cutting.

To cut the roll, place it on a cutting board and grab your sharpest knife. A sharp knife will make this process much easier than a dull one. When you cut the roll, apply light pressure and gently saw the knife back and forth. Do not press the knife down hard, or you will squish the roll.

Run the knife under water and shake off any excess. Wetting the knife keeps the rice from sticking to it. After wetting, cut the roll in the center to create 2 pieces, then cut each of those pieces in half again (creating 4 pieces). Run your knife under water again and divide two of the pieces in half one last time, then repeat for the other two pieces. The final result should be 8 pieces of equal size.

After cutting, you can use your rolling mat to reshape the pieces again. This will help return them to a round shape if they deformed a bit while cutting.

Plating

The final step is plating your roll and topping with any additional toppings. For a standard roll (not topped with fish or avocado) you can plate them cut-side-up, on their side, or leaning on each other. Check out the examples below for some ideas!