These spicy crab sushi rolls combine TJ’s Surimi, sushi rice, nori, and a Kewpie mayo and Sriracha filling into eight rolls. Nine core ingredients make up the rice and filling, and the whole batch comes together in 40 minutes. No specialty store is required and no restaurant markup.
Kewpie mayo is what separates a flat spicy crab roll from one with real depth. Kewpie uses egg yolks only and rice vinegar instead of white vinegar, making it noticeably richer and more acidic than regular mayo. Trader Joe’s carries it in the international foods aisle, and it lifts the finished roll considerably.
Rinsing sushi rice three or four times before cooking removes the surface starch that makes the cooked grains gummy. Gummy grains tear the nori sheet when spread and collapse the roll when cut. The water runs clear after the final rinse, and the cooked rice fans out evenly and holds through rolling and slicing.
Trader Joe’s Sushi Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: Japanese-AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes20
minutes229
kcalTrader Joe’s Sushi Recipe: spicy crab rolls made with TJ’s Surimi, sushi rice, nori, and Kewpie mayo. Eight rolls in 40 minutes, no restaurant required
Ingredients
- Sushi Rice
1½ cups sushi rice
1¾ cups water
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- Filling
12 ounces surimi (imitation crabmeat)
½ seedless cucumber, julienned
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
4 tablespoons Japanese Kewpie mayo, divided
3 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce, divided
- Assembly
4 nori seaweed sheets
- Optional
Black sesame seeds
Toasted white sesame seeds
Directions
- Rinse the sushi rice in cold water three to four times until the water runs clear. Combine with 1¾ cups water in a medium pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the seasoned rice vinegar. Let cool to room temperature.
- While the rice cools, shred or roughly chop the surimi. Combine with julienned cucumber, scallions, 2 tablespoons of the Kewpie mayo, and 2 tablespoons of the Sriracha. Stir until evenly coated.
- Cover a bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap. Lay a nori sheet on the mat, spread a thin even layer of cooled rice over the nori leaving a 1-inch border at the far edge, then flip the nori sheet so the rice faces down onto the mat.
- Spoon the filling in a line across the near edge of the nori. Lift the mat and roll away from you, pressing firmly as you go. Seal the far edge with a little water and press the finished roll firmly to set its shape.
- Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of Kewpie mayo and 1 tablespoon of Sriracha. Wet a sharp knife, wipe the blade clean, and slice each roll into 8 pieces, rewetting between cuts. Drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds if using.
FAQs
Can I swap surimi for real crab or salmon?
Real crab works but raises the cost substantially compared to a 12-ounce pack of surimi. Salmon needs a sashimi-grade label; standard smoked or pre-cooked salmon is not safe for raw sushi assembly. If TJ’s wild salmon is labeled sashimi-grade, slice it thin and use it in the same proportion as the surimi.
How do I cut the rolls without tearing the rice?
Every clean cut on a sushi roll starts with a wet blade, not just a sharp one. Run the knife under cold water and wipe it clean on a damp towel between each slice. Rice residue on the blade builds up quickly and tears through the nori before the cut finishes.
Can the rolls be assembled ahead of time?
Assembling the rolls up to an hour before serving is workable, but cutting should wait until just before plating. Rice hardens at refrigerator temperature, which makes the nori brittle and the grains difficult to chew. Keep assembled uncut rolls at room temperature wrapped in plastic, then slice and drizzle just before serving.
What other TJ’s dish pairs well alongside these rolls?
A lighter side rounds out a spread built on these rolls without competing with the spicy crab filling. The Trader Joe’s wonton recipe on this site uses TJ’s frozen wontons and takes under 20 minutes. Both work as shareable party bites that pull from the same TJ’s freezer and refrigerator section.
What TJ’s seafood dinner fits the same week as these rolls?
Pairing the rolls with a sit-down seafood main gives the meal a second course without doubling the work. A TJ’s branzino recipe on this site uses TJ’s European sea bass and comes together on the stovetop in under 30 minutes. The two pull from the same TJ’s seafood case and cover two different formats across the same week.
