How to Make Nigiri Sushi

Do you want to learn how to make nigiri at home? Homemade nigiri is easier than you'd think! Nigiri is one of the simplest forms of sushi, and a staple of Japanese cuisine. It consists of a cylindrical ball of sushi rice topped with sliced raw fish or other toppings such as tamago (egg omelet), veggies, or cooked shrimp.

Nigiri are my favorite kind of sushi to make at home because they don't require too many ingredients. They are also so much cheaper to make at home compared to the prices at sushi bars! This guide will teach you everything you need to know to get started!

FAQ

What is nigiri sushi?

Nigiri sushi consists of a oblong ball of sushi rice that is most commonly topped with a slice of raw fish. Nigiri can have other toppings as well, such as cooked seafood, veggies, or tamgo (egg omlett). Nigiri is the most popular form of sushi in Japan, but in the US sushi rolls are more common.

Is nigiri hard to make?

Nigiri is not hard to make, but it may take some practice to get them looking picture-perfect. Slicing the fish is hardest part, but even poorly sliced fish still tastes great. Check out my How to Cut Fish for Sushi guide to learn how to slice fish for nigiri. It's important to use a sharp knife for the best results.

How is nigiri prepared?

Nigiri is prepared by creating an oval shape ball of seasoned sushi rice, and topping it with a slice of raw fish (or another topping). Nigiri commonly comes served with a small dab of wasabi between the rice and the fish. Nigiri is sometimes served brushed with nikiri sauce or other seasonings, see the Nigiri Toppings section below for more info!

Is it cheaper to make nigiri at home?

Yes! It's much cheaper to prepare nigiri at home, even if you use very high quality fish. For example, I can buy a half pound filet of sushi quality salmon at my Japanese grocery store for about $20 this is enough salmon to make about 16 salmon nigiri. If you add in the cost of the rice ingredients, that's about $1.50 per nigiri. In my area, a pair of salmon nigiri costs around $8. So for 16 nigiri the cost would come to around $24 for homemade, versus $64 from a restaurant.

What is the sauce they brush on nigiri?

Traditional sushi chefs may brush their nigiri with nikiri sauce. Nikiri sauce is made with soy sauce, and typically has mirin (sweet japanese cooking wine) and sake added as well. Nikiri sauce is usually boiled down so it has a thin glaze-like texture. A sushi chef's nikiri recipe is often a closely guarded secret. My Soy Sake Marinde recipe is pretty close to a classic nikiri sauce.

What is nigiri vs. sashimi?

Nigiri is a combination of raw fish and sushi rice, while sashimi is just slices of raw fish with no rice. Note, the rice has been seasoned with sushi vinegar, and isn't just plain rice. Additonally, nigiri can be made with toppings other than raw fish, such as cooked shrimp, veggies, or tamago (egg omeltte). On the other hand, sashimi refers exclusively to raw seafood, and I've never seen cooked seafood or other ingredidents referred to as sashimi.

Is nigiri raw?

Nigiri is commonly served raw, but there are some varities of nigiri that are cooked. Nigiri that is listed by type of fish (salmon nigiri, tuna nigiri, red snapper nigiri) are likely going to be served raw, unless they are marked as "seared" or "aburi" (seared in Japanese). Some seafood nigiri, such as shrimp nigiri, is commonly sold in both raw and cooked varieties. Some seafood, such as octopus (tako) nigiri are most commonly served cooked.

Ingredients for Nigiri

Here's what you'll need to get started:

• Sushi fish, sliced for nigiri. Try to use the highest quality fish you can find. (Check out How to Slice Fish for Sushi)
• Prepared, seasoned sushi rice. This consists of cooked rice that is coated in a vinegar mixture, containing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Good sushi rice is very important for homemade sushi! You can prepare sushi rice in a rice cooker, or on the stovetop. (Check out my recipe for Simple Sushi Rice)
• Running water for rinsing your hands during preparation.

How to Make Nigiri at Home

Pretty much all you need to do to make nigiri is make the oblong rice ball and place the sliced fish on top. The traditional process is a little more complicated, which I discuss below, but here is my process:

1. Run your hands under water in the sink and shake off any excess.
2. Using wet hands, pick up about 1.5 tablespoons of room temperature sushi rice.
3. Squeeze the rice together between your palms and form it into the oblong shape, about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. (This step will take a little time and patience to master)
4. Place the formed rice ball on a plate and continue on to the next one. Don't worry if the rice ball seems a little too wet from the water on your hands, this will evaporate off as it sits.
5. Between every 1 to 2 nigiri, rinse your hands cold water in the sink. You'll feel the residual rice starches on your hands (they'll feel a bit slimy), rinse and rub your hands together until this is gone, then shake off the excess water and continue to the next nigiri.
6. Once all the rice balls are formed, place one piece of sliced fish on each one. They're now ready to serve, or be dressed up with some toppings as discussed below!

Deviations from the traditional nigiri method:

If you watch a sushi chef make nigiri they don't just place the piece of fish on top of the rice. They may hold the nigiri in their left hand and use the middle fingers of their right hand to press the two together. This hasn't made much of a difference for me when I've attempted it, so I skip this step at home. Additionally, in Japan, it's common for a sushi chef to put a small amount of wasabi between the fish and the rice when making nigiri. In America this practice is less common, and since wasabi can be served on the side, I never add wasabi to my nigiri directly.

What size should nigiri be?

There is a generally expected size for nigiri, as well as a rice-to-fish ratio. This standard is useful in the restaurant industry, so guests get exactly what they're expecting, but at home you should feel free to prepare them to your personal preference. Do you love when there's way more fish than rice? Make a smaller rice ball for your nigiri! Do you like a bit more rice with your fish, or want to stretch your fish to cover more nigiri? Make the rice portion larger! You can also play with the overall size of the nigiri, making them smaller or larger to your preference!

"Ideal" Proportions

An "ideal" nigiri will have a rice ball about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. The fish slice will be about 1.5 inches wide, 3-4 inches long, and ~¼" thick. When the fish is draped over the rice ball, the short ends should touch the plate, but some rice is visible along the side. For some non-fish nigiri, like sea scallops, the top is not expected to drape over the edges of the rice given the shape of the meat.

Nigiri Sushi Toppings

Nigiri are delicious plain, but can be dressed up with various toppings and flavors. Topping nigiri is a good way to add some variety to a set of nigiri made with only one or two kinds of fish.

Traditional Nikiri Sauce

It's very common in Japan to see nigiri severed with a brush of nikiri sauce over the fish. This eliminates the need for dipping the nigiri in soy sauce. I don't have a recipe for nikiri sauce on the site at the moment, but it is very similar to my Soy Sake Marinade, and typically contains soy sauce, sake, and mirin.

Flavored Oils

Flavored oils are my favorite way to dress up nigiri. They add a bit of flavor and complexity without overpowering the taste of the fish. Lemon infused olive oil and salmon is my favorite combination! I picked up the idea from one of my favorite sushi restaurants, and branched out from there.

To apply the oil to the fish, I pour a small amount (around 1 tbsp) into a small bowl, then brush the oil onto the fish using a silicone basting brush.

My 3 most used oils for sushi are lemon infused olive oil, toasted sesame oil, and chili oil. Besides these three, it's fun to play around with other flavored oils and test out different combinations.

Oil Brushed Nigiri Omakase in Tokyo

On a recent visit to Japan, we splurged on an omkase dinner that featured nigiri with various flavored oils. Omakase sushi is a common format in Japan, and at more traditional sushi resturants elsewhere in the world. Omakase basically means "chef's choice", so the chef will select each piece and the menu is set. I was so excited to visit a sushi restaurant that specialized in flavored oil pairings, becuase they are my favorite way to make nigiri! If you're interested in paying them a visit yourself, you can find more information here!

Here's a translated version of the menu we tried during our visit! The meal included a few hot dishes as well, not included here.

Here are my top 4 favorite pieces we had, with some notes (swipe on mobile). You can find more pictures from the meal on my Instagram in the "Tokyo Eats" story archive.

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Other Sauces and Toppings

All kinds of ingredients may be delicious on top of nigiri, I've included the ingredient write-ups for a few of my favorites below, but you can see more ideas here. A word of caution, avoid anything with citrus juice in the sauce, such as ponzu. The citrus may "cook" the fish (think ceviche) leaving an undesirable texture.

Some of my favorite toppings and sauces are:

• Japanese BBQ Sauce (Yakiniku Sauce)
• Chili Crisp
• Tobiko (flying fish roe)
• Yuzu Kosho (citrus peel and spicy pepper)
• Japanese Mayo or Spicy Mayo (especially good when seared)

Seared Nigiri (Aburi Nigiri)

Sometimes nigiri are served seared, and this is a delicious option for many kinds of fish! Seared salmon is a really popular option, but my favorite nigir to sear is scallop! Check out my recipe for Scallop Nigiri 4 Ways to see how to sear nigiri. This technique can be applied to otehr fish as well!

Nigiri Sushi

A quick guide on how to make nigiri sushi at home! Please see the post section, which has a lot more details. Follow my others guides to slice the fish and make sushi rice before starting on the nigiri.

4.78 from 22 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Total Time 2 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Sushi

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 1 nigiri

Calories 45 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 piece thinly sliced fish click for a how-to guide!
• 1.5 tablespoon prepared, seasoned sushi rice click for the recipe!

Instructions

 

• Run your hands under water in the sink and shake off any excess.
• Using wet hands, pick up about 1.5 tablespoons of sushi rice.
• Squeeze the rice together between your palms and form it into the oblong shape, about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. (This step will take a little time and patience to master)
• Place the formed rice ball on a plate and continue on to the next one. Don't worry if the rice ball seems a little too wet from the water on your hands, this will evaporate off as it sits.
• Between every 1 to 2 nigiri, rinse your hands in the sink. You'll feel the residual rice starches on your hands (they'll feel a bit slimy), rinse and rub your hands together until this is gone, then shake off the excess water and continue to the next nigiri.
• Once all the rice balls are formed, place one piece of sliced fish on each one. They're now ready to serve, or be dressed up with some toppings as discussed in this post!

Notes

Before making nigiri, prepare sushi rice with this recipe. 

Before making nigiri, thinly slice the fish. Please see How to Slice Fish for Sushi for a simple guide!

Please see the post section of this page for an extensive guide on how to make nigiri! It contains a lot more info that what can fit into this basic recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 nigiriCalories: 45kcal

Keyword Nigiri, Nigiri Sushi, Sushi

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