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Learn how to make a Shrimp Tempura Roll at home! This easy recipe is packed with shrimp tempura, avocado, and cream cheese, drizzled with spicy mayo. Perfect for sushi beginners and cheaper than takeout!
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I Love Sushi ❤️
If you’re a sushi lover like me, you’re going to love this Shrimp Tempura Roll! Also known as Godzilla Rolls, they’re a mashup of my favorite sushi restaurant creations, but the best part? You can make them at home for a fraction of the cost! For the price of one roll at a restaurant, you can whip up ten of these beauties right in your own kitchen. Perfect for a date night, a celebration, or just treating yourself to something special. And oh, the spicy mayo drizzle? Absolute perfection. Let’s dive in!
Why You’ll Love These Rolls
No Raw Fish? No Problem!
These rolls don’t require raw seafood, which makes them beginner-friendly and worry-free. I’m pretty picky about raw fish and usually only eat it at trusted sushi spots. Living in Boise, fresh-from-the-ocean seafood isn’t exactly an everyday thing for me. That’s why I love that these rolls use fully cooked shrimp tempura—safe and delicious!
Great for Sushi Beginners
If you’ve tried your hand at California Rolls, you’re ready to take on Shrimp Tempura Rolls. They may seem complicated, but they’re surprisingly easy to assemble once you get the hang of rolling.
Ingredients
- Sushi Rice: Check out our guide on cooking sushi rice or making it in an Instant Pot. Regular white rice or short-grain won’t give you that signature sticky texture.
- Nori Sheets: Dry roasted seaweed is essential for rolling sushi.
- Shrimp Tempura: I like using frozen, pre-cooked tempura shrimp and baking them. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can fry your own with tempura batter.
- Avocado: Choose one that’s slightly overripe for easier rolling.
- Cream Cheese: Adds a deliciously creamy texture.
- Flour: For dredging the shrimp if you’re making them from scratch.
- Tempura Batter: A must-have if frying your own shrimp.
- Oil: Vegetable oil or any neutral oil for frying.
- Bamboo Sushi Mat: Makes rolling a breeze.
How to Assemble a Shrimp Tempura Roll
- Slice avocado and cream cheese into long, rectangular slices.
- Lay your bamboo sushi rolling mat flat on a cutting board with bamboo strips horizontally in front of you. Cover the bamboo mat with a piece of plastic wrap or a ziplock bag. Place a sheet of nori on top, shiny side down. Evenly spread a think layer of cooked sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly.
- Carefully turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top. Place shrimp tempura, avocado, and cream cheese lengthwise at one end of the nori sheet (not on top of rice, as pictured).
- Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi (the KEY is to roll it TIGHT). Press the bamboo mat firmly with hands, then remove the rolled sushi. For further rolling instruction, see the video in the recipe card.
- Coat the outside of the roll in flour, then dip the entire roll in tempera batter. Deep fry for about 3 minutes or until the batter turns crispy and golden brown.
- Slice into bite-sized pieces and drizzle with spicy mayo or your favorite sauces.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftover sushi rolls, don’t worry! Here’s how to keep them fresh:
- Wrap tightly: Use plastic wrap to seal each roll individually to prevent the rice from drying out.
- Store in the refrigerator: Place the wrapped rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Rehydrate the rice: If the rice seems dry, you can place a damp paper towel over the rolls and microwave them for about 10 seconds before eating. This helps restore some of the moisture.
Keep in mind that the texture of the nori and rice might change slightly, so it’s best to enjoy them as soon as possible!
Let’s Roll!
What are you waiting for? Grab your bamboo mat, some shrimp tempura, and your favorite sushi fixings, and let’s roll (pun intended)! Making these at home is not only fun but also incredibly satisfying.
Shrimp Tempura Roll
Equipment
- Bamboo sushi mat
Ingredients
- Sushi Rice click HERE
- 1 sheet Nori, dry roasted seaweed
- 3 pieces shrimp tempura prepared, I bought mine frozen from the store and baked them
- 2 slices avocado
- 3 teaspoons cream cheese (use the block cream cheese and cut into a couple long, rectangular slices)
- ½ cup flour
- tempura batter
- oil for frying
For the Spicy Mayo:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1 dash sesame oil
Instructions
- Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Cover the bamboo with a piece of plastic wrap. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat, shiny side down. Spread cooked rice on top of the seaweed in a thin layer and press firmly.
- Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top. Place shrimp tempura, avocado and cream cheese lengthwise at the top of the sheet on the seaweed, not on top of the rice.
- Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi (the KEY is to roll it TIGHT). Press the bamboo mat firmly with hands, then remove the rolled sushi. For further rolling instruction, see the video below.
- Roll the roll in flour then dip entire rice roll in tempura batter and deep fry (oil heated to 350-degrees) for about 3 minutes or until batter turns crispy and golden brown (you DON'T need to do this in a deep fryer. You can just do about ½ cup – 1 cup of oil in a frying pan and keep turning the roll until it is golden brown on all sides). Remove from oil and let cool on a plate lined with paper towels.
- With a VERY sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into 4-5 pieces. Top with spicy mayo.
For the Spicy Mayo:
- In a small bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil to create the perfect ratio to your tastes.
- Stir until completely combined. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Video
Notes
- To save time, pick up a bag of frozen shrimp tempura at your local grocery store.
- Try garnishing with green onions, masago, and/or eel sauce.
- Use extra spicy mayo for dipping, or to spice up your favorite food.
- Use extra avocado to make yourself an avocado roll, easy and delicious!
- Serve with cucumber slices and soy sauce.
- Try using the remaining nori sheets as a yummy snack with your sushi roll. Cut with kitchen scissors into your desired size.
- Serve with fresh seaweed salad on the side for extra greens and a boost of Vitamin A!
Nutrition Information
Optional Add-Ins and Substitutions
The beauty of these rolls is how customizable they are! Try adding:
- Pickled ginger
- Wasabi
- A sprinkle of rice vinegar
- Drizzles of teriyaki or unagi sauce
- Sesame seeds
- Red pepper or cayenne for heat
- Scallions
- Spicy tuna
- Shredded lettuce
Questions About Shrimp Tempura Rolls
Yes! Tempura refers to lightly battered and fried food, so the shrimp is fully cooked.
Absolutely! Since the shrimp is cooked, these rolls are a pregnancy-safe sushi option.
There are plenty of sushi options without raw fish! California rolls, Spam musubi, tamago sushi (egg), unagi (smoked eel), smoked salmon rolls, avocado rolls, and cucumber rolls are all great choices.
Yes! Use gluten-free soy sauce and ensure that your tempura batter is made with a gluten-free flour blend. Double-check the labels on all your ingredients to ensure they’re gluten-free.
If you don’t have a bamboo sushi mat, you can use a clean kitchen towel wrapped in plastic wrap to help roll your sushi.
Make sure to press firmly but gently when rolling, and don’t overfill the rolls. The bamboo mat will help you create a tight roll.
More Sushi-Inspired Recipes
Once you’ve mastered these Shrimp Tempura Rolls, here are a few other recipes to satisfy your sushi cravings:
- California Rolls
- Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Spam Musubi
- Easy Sushi Bake
- How to make Sushi Rice
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Egg Roll Bowl
We’d love to hear from you!
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and rate the recipe. Your feedback helps us improve and inspires others to give it a try. Happy rolling! 🍣
I was so excited to find this recipe! One of our favorites when we get take out! So glad we can make it at home now!
This looks so delicious and yummy! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe!
Oh my goodness! My daughter has recently developed a love of sushi, being able to make this at home was awesome! This is a great recipe!
No need for me and my husband to go to a restaurant when we are craving for sushi rolls! This recipe is so spot on, we loved that spicy mayo too. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
Looks incredible. Defintely giving these a try! I think the kids will like them.
I feel the same way about sushi! Even going to a regular sushi restaurant I tend to stick with “cooked” or veggie sushi. I do like a good sushi; this recipe of yours here is fantastic! Love that it incorporates a cooked seafood so I can trust it with my family!
YUM!!! One of my absolute favorites! You did perfect with this recipe. All of the best flavors ever for sushi! Thanks so much for sharing.
Oh yum! I am a huge lover of sushi but have never tried it at home. Can’t wait to try this!
Oh yum!!! This looks fantastic. I love that the sushi is fried too and it is so original! I bet it was super fun to make like sushi is. The avocado combo in the recipe is SPOT on! Cheers
Oh I could totally eat all of these. I love making my own sushi.
These have all my favourite ingredients!! I loooove spicy mayo with shrimp. Yum yum!!
I love this roll. In addition, I buy eel sauce in a small bottle from my local Asian market. I also top my sushi with wasabi paste and ginger for the full experience. We have the same taste in sushi.
Ooh I love wasabi, too. great idea!
That’s beautiful! I love the tip of using pre-battered shrimp–that’s a great idea!
I would do this without the cream cheese. I just can’t get used to cream cheese in my sushi.
MY FAVORITE ROLL!! Thank you! Love how easy this is to make!!…I have everything but the avocado!
oh yes! A recipe for one of my fav item! Actually, everything on here is yummy. I am really excited to make these! Thanks Erika!
ps-congrats on baby #2
Thanks Makana! Don’t you miss having sushi in Hawaii? You couldn’t get more fresh than that!
Great recipe! We love making sushi at home and found this recipe easy to use. The only thing I’d add, though, is that you don’t need to use a full sheet of nori for a sushi roll. You can cut the sheet in half so that so much of your roll isn’t rice.