The “California roll bowl” is a fresh and easy deconstructed take on the classic sushi roll — packed with rice, imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, and nori, then drizzled with spicy mayo and topped with toasted sesame seeds.
If you’re looking for even more easy bowl recipes, don’t miss this popular egg roll in a bowl, this Crock Pot chipotle chicken bowl, and this un-stuffed cabbage roll in a bowl!
This California Roll in a Bowl Will Satisfy Your Sushi Craving
One of my middle son’s favorite foods is sushi; specifically, the California roll. We’ve tried to make our own sushi at home, but that didn’t go too well. Hah! Instead, I created this California bowl recipe for an easier way to satisfy Casey’s never-ending sushi cravings. It’s essentially a deconstructed version of the popular sushi roll, which means you simply assemble the ingredients in a bowl — no actual rolling or special equipment required. In fact, it’s so easy that Casey now makes it for himself!
We’ve now made it several times, and it’s absolutely, 100% approved by the resident sushi critic. In fact, even I love this combination and I don’t really like sushi! I think it’s the spicy mayo sauce that just brings everything together. Don’t skip it, because that creamy, slightly spicy, slightly sweet, umami dressing absolutely makes the dish!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Adding seasoned rice vinegar to cooked short-grain sushi rice gives it a slightly more “authentic” flavor; however, Casey and I both agree — it’s not absolutely necessary. You can use regular long-grain white rice or cooked jasmine rice in this dish. In fact, the microwaveable pouches of rice make prep time even shorter!
- The spicy mayo is a must. It ties all of the ingredients together and adds the perfect creamy, spicy contrast to the cool, crisp, fresh veggies and fish. Please don’t skip this component!
- Nori is a type of edible seaweed that’s commonly used in Japanese cuisine, especially for wrapping sushi rolls. It’s usually sold in thin, dried sheets and adds a slightly salty, umami-rich flavor to dishes like this California roll bowl. I get nori at my local grocery store or at Walmart.
- Imitation crab, also known as surimi, is a seafood product made from white fish (typically pollock) that’s seasoned and shaped to resemble crab meat. It’s a budget-friendly and convenient option that offers a similar taste and texture to real crab. Plus, surimi is fully cooked during the manufacturing process, so it’s ready to eat straight from the package. No need to worry about eating raw seafood here!
- Toss the diced avocado with a little bit of lime juice if you’re prepping the ingredients in advance and you don’t want the avocado to turn brown.
How to Make a California Roll Bowl
There’s very little cooking involved! In fact, if you use microwaveable rice, the California bowl comes together in well under 30 minutes without heating up the kitchen. It’s a light, refreshing, and nourishing meal for the warm weather months. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the sushi rice. Add seasoned rice vinegar and salt at the end, if you like. If you prefer to use regular long-grain white rice or jasmine rice and skip the vinegar, that’s totally fine as well. It will just be less “authentic.”
- While the rice is cooking, whisk together the spicy mayo. Again, it’s so easy, but this sauce totally transforms the dish and brings everything together!
- Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice among four serving bowls, top with imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, nori, and green onions. You don’t really need to measure anything — just eyeball it to taste. Drizzle the spicy sushi sauce and a touch of soy sauce over top; garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
Since you’ve got rice, protein, and veggies in one bowl, you really don’t need much else on the side. If you’d like to round out the meal with a couple of other options, serve the California roll in a bowl alongside steamed and lightly salted edamame, ramen noodle coleslaw, oven-roasted sesame broccoli, miso soup, store-bought or homemade steamed dumplings, or store-bought egg rolls or spring rolls.
California Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
Rice
- 2 cups sushi rice (short-grain white rice)
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoons sriracha (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Toppings
- 12-16 ounces imitation crab, shredded or chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 sheet nori seaweed, cut into thin strips or crumbled
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Optional: less sodium soy sauce
Instructions
Cook the Rice
- Rinse the rice under cold water. In a saucepan, combine the rinsed rice and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. (Note: you can also cook the rice in a rice cooker, as shown). Stir in the rice vinegar and salt. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.
Prepare the Spicy Mayo
- While the rice cooks, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Assemble the Bowls
- Divide the warm rice between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with crab, avocado, cucumber, nori, and green onions. Drizzle with spicy mayo, add a little splash of soy sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Add other veggies to the bowl, such as shredded or julienned carrots, steamed edamame, steamed broccoli, or thawed frozen peas.
- Garnish with pickled ginger for sweet, tangy flavor. The pickled ginger also helps refresh your taste buds so that you can better enjoy the individual flavors in these California roll sushi bowls.
- Swap out the imitation crab meat and use raw, sushi-grade tuna or salmon, grilled salmon, or honey maple glazed salmon.
- Instead of white rice, try cauliflower rice for an even lower calorie sushi bowl recipe.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try
Egg Roll in a Bowl
20 minutes mins
Shrimp Ramen with Peanut Sauce
15 minutes mins
Chicken Bell Pepper Stir Fry
28 minutes mins
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