Salmon Maki is one of the most popular sushi rolls and we can see why. Simple and delicious, this is our take on a classic, as we have swapped raw salmon for smoked salmon, making it perfect for those that are new to sushi.
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Homemade sushi is much easier to make than you might think. Just 3 ingredients go into making a salmon maki roll and it's easy to adapt with other sushi fillings too.
Sheets of nori, seasoned sushi rice and strips of smoked salmon all rolled up into bite sized salmon roll sushi. If you are put off sushi because of raw fish, then this is a great recipe for you.
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Why You Will Love It
- Easy - You might think sushi is hard to make, but salmon roll sushi is about as easy as it gets. All you need is a pan to cook the rice in and a sushi rolling mat too.
- Adaptable - This is a really easy sushi roll, with just one filling. However, you can easily adapt it with other fillings - more ideas below.
- Cheap - Anything with salmon in is usually really expensive in a restaurant, but these are so cheap to make yourself at home. Also, using smoked salmon is a great way to make a little go a long way.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Nori - These are the sheets of edible seaweed that sushi is wrapped in. Choose a brand that is dark green in colour. You can find these in the world food aisle of most supermarkets.
- Sushi rice - You have to use sushi rice for the best results. Basmati or jasmine rice will not work. Follow our recipe for Sushi Rice for the best sticky rice. The measurements in this recipe are for cooked sushi rice.
- Salmon - We have used smoked salmon, because it's what our kids love. You could use raw salmon fillets (try to find sashimi grade salmon) and thinly slice them if you prefer, which is what is more traditional when it comes to salmon sushi. You could also pan sear some salmon fillet slices too.
Variations
The variation options are almost endless here, but we have lots of sushi filling ideas for you. Other ingredients that you can add to this maki sushi include cucumber sticks, avocado, tofu, pickled radish, roasted sweet potato, red/purple cabbage, fresh coriander (cilantro), tenderstem broccoli, jackfruit, asparagus, cooked mushrooms, vegan cream cheese or jalapeno.
You could even add some mango, as it's lovely and fresh and the creaminess goes well with the salmon.
These are meant to be thin rolls, so try not to add too many fillings otherwise you will end up with a much larger roll.
For some crunch in these salmon maki rolls, add some chopped spring onions.
How to Make Salmon Maki
Prep: Cook your sushi rice according to our Sushi Rice recipe.
- Step 1: Lay a sheet of nori on a bamboo rolling mat, shiny side down. Put the cooked sushi rice onto the nori and spread to cover ¾ of the nori.
- Step 2: Lay the strips of smoked salmon halfway along the rice.
- Step 3: Using a bamboo rolling mat, roll up from the bottom, tightly away from you (a). Leave a small amount of nori unrolled (b). Wet this part of the nori with water and finish rolling to seal it.
- Step 4: Dip a sharp knife into some water and then slice the roll. Dip the knife into water each time you make a cut. Slice the roll into 10 pieces.
What to Serve with Salmon Rolls
This salmon sushi is great for a light lunch, but are also a great addition to a bigger sushi meal. Try it with some of these sushi recipes:
You could also serve it with an edamame salad and some pickled seaweed.
Of course some soy sauce, wasabi and ginger are a must served alongside sushi. But if you want something with a bit more of a kick, then mix together some mayo and Sriracha to dip these maki rolls into.
We love dipping sushi in our Healthy Teriyaki Sauce too.
Storage
It is best to eat sushi within 1-2 hours of it being made, as the rice will go dry and stale. However, if you do have any leftovers then it can be stored.
Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 24 hours. If it has gone stale, you can put it in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it up.
If you have any leftover nori sheets, it's important to store them properly because they turn stale very quickly. Keep the leftover sheets in your fridge in a freezer bag with the air removed.
Dannii's Top Tips
- For easy cleaning, you can put the rolling mat inside a zip lock bag.
- This recipe calls for 200g of cooked sushi rice. To make this amount of cooked rice, you will need 70g of raw rice. If you are altering the serving size in the recipe card, divide the amount of cooked rice by 3 to get how much raw rice you will need.
- Make sure to wet the knife before making each cut. This prevents the rice from sticking to the knife.
- Always place the nori shiny side down on the rolling mat. This is because the rice sticks better to the rough side and it looks better for presentation.
- With some nori brands, you might not be able to use water to seal the roll. You can use cooked rice grains as the "glue" instead, just squash a few grains across the nori where you want to seal it.
- Make sure the sushi rice is fully cooled before adding it to the nori, as the steam of the hot rice can cause the nori to go soggy.
- When handling the rice, use wet hands or a spoon, as it is very sticky.
Frequently Asked Questions
We really would recommend getting a sushi rolling mat, and they are quite reasonable in shops or online. However, if you don't have one then you can use a flexible place mat instead. Just wrap it in clingfilm/saran wrap first.
For each nori sheet, which makes one sushi roll, you need 100g/0.5 cup of cooked sushi rice.
Using both hands, slowly roll it with the bamboo mat pressing down gently and equally as you roll. The pressure will make it stick together.
More Salmon Recipes
If you've tried this salmon sushi recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Salmon Maki (Sumōku Sāmon Maki)
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 cups) Cooked sushi rice
- 2 sheet Nori
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Smoked salmon - cut into strips
Instructions
- Cook your sushi rice according to our Sushi Rice recipe.200 g Cooked sushi rice
- Lay a sheet of nori on a bamboo rolling mat, shiny side down. Put the cooked sushi rice onto the nori and spread to cover ¾ of the nori.2 sheet Nori
- Lay the strips of smoked salmon halfway along the rice.100 g Smoked salmon
- Using a bamboo rolling mat, roll up from the bottom, tightly away from you. Leave a small amount of nori unrolled. Wet this part of the nori with water and finish rolling to seal it.
- Dip a sharp knife into some water and then slice the roll. Dip the knife into water each time you make a cut. Slice the roll into 10 pieces.
Recipe Tips
- For easy cleaning, you can put the rolling mat inside a zip lock bag.
- This recipe calls for 200g of cooked sushi rice. To make this amount of cooked rice, you will need 700g of raw rice. If you are altering the serving size in the recipe card, divide the amount of cooked rice by 3 to get how much raw rice you will need.
- Make sure to wet the knife before making each cut. This prevents the rice from sticking to the knife.
- Always place the nori shiny side down on the rolling mat. This is because the rice sticks better to the rough side and it looks better for presentation.
- With some nori brands, you might not be able to use water to seal the roll. You can use cooked rice grains as the "glue" instead, just squash a few grains across the nori where you want to seal it.
- Make sure the sushi rice is fully cooled before adding it to the nori, as the steam of the hot rice can cause the nori to go soggy.
- When handling the rice, use wet hands or a spoon, as it is very sticky.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Mike E. says
Great recipe for a fun family meal project. We are smoking salmon son in law caught and having a ball. Thank you.
Whitney says
Making sushi is definitely intimidating to me but the step by step photos are the best!! Thank you for taking the time to do this!
Cathleen says
Any time I get takeout, I always get salmon maku. No fail. I am so excited to try making it myself at home :)
Sara Welch says
I have always been intimidated to make sushi, but your recipe couldn't have been easier! Was quick and delicious; definitely a new favorite recipe!
Michaela says
One of my families favorite sushi. I had no idea it was this easy to make. Can't wait to try it out.
Neha says
Such a fantastic sushi recipe! Loving your spin on the classic, need to try this out asap!
dina and bruce miller says
We are so excited for this! We already tried your cucumber and avocado maki, and now we are going to make all 3! We have friends that are not raw fans, and we are having a party featuring different types of foods from around the world to try. This smoked salmon maki is now part of the menu! THANK YOU !!!
Cynthia says
We make sushi as a family project a few times a year! Salmon sushi is one of our faves! Yum!
Andrea says
As easy as this is to make, my grandkids are going to be asking for this every time they're over. It's our favorite maki.