# Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe
This **Shrimp Tempura Roll recipe** is similar to what you would enjoy at a high-end sushi restaurant or a Japanese steakhouse. It boasts crispy fried shrimp tempura and a variety of delicious fillings.
Make sure to try out my straightforward shrimp tempura recipe and sushi rice recipe for the ultimate homemade shrimp tempura roll!
## Recipe Details
We often opt for Shrimp Tempura Roll when dining at our preferred Japanese eatery. Now, this imitation recipe has become a beloved choice in our household.
– **TASTE**: The roll is packed with savory shrimp, fresh vegetables, and a rich crab blend, offering a burst of flavors.
– **TEXTURE**: The crispy coating on the tempura shrimp perfectly complements the creamy crab, avocado, and crisp cucumber.
– **TIME**: The preparation time is just under an hour.
– **EASE**: While sushi-making may seem daunting, this recipe is surprisingly simple to follow. Just follow the steps, and you’ll be impressing your friends with homemade rolls in no time!
## What You’ll Need
## Ingredient Notes
– **Sushi rice**: Blend of seasoned rice vinegar and short-grain rice for a tangy flavor.
– **Tempura batter mix**: Provides a light and crispy layer on the shrimp.
– **Shrimp**: Large, peeled, and deveined.
– **Imitation crab sticks**: Ideal texture for sushi rolls.
– **English cucumber**: Slightly sweeter and thinner-skinned than regular cucumbers.
– **Cream cheese**: Opt for full-fat for extra creaminess.
– **Toasted nori seaweed sheets**: Used for rolling the shrimp and fillings.
– **Black and white sesame seeds**: Offer nutty flavors.
## Add-ins and Substitutions
– **Different wrap**: Try soy paper or thinly sliced cucumber instead of nori seaweed.
– **Add sauces**: Experiment with teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, Unagi eel Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce, or Spicy Mayo.
– **Substitute seafood**: Use salmon, yellowtail, tuna, or spicy crab.
– **Varied vegetables**: Besides cucumber and avocado, consider radish, celery, or carrots.
## How to Make Shrimp Tempura Roll
1. **Make rice**: Rinse and cook the rice.
2. **Prepare shrimp**: Make slits, batter, and fry the shrimp until golden.
3. **Mix crab**: Combine imitation crab with mayonnaise.
4. **Prep fillings**: Slice cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and fried shrimp.
- Add the rice to the nori. Using wet hands, evenly spread the sushi rice over the sheet of nori, and then add black and white sesame seeds.
- Assemble the shrimp tempura roll. Flip the rice-covered nori onto a sushi mat lined with plastic wrap. Then add all the sliced fillings and roll the sushi up tightly. Now you know how to make a shrimp tempura roll!
Pro Tip: Save yourself clean up time by lining the bamboo mat with plastic wrap. This keeps sticky rice from getting squished into it as you roll.
Recipe Tips
- Wash the rice- Doing this removes some of the surface starch so the rice doesn’t become gooey when it cooks.
- Slit the shrimp- Don’t forget to do this because it will prevent them from curling during the frying process. You need them straight in order to add them to the roll.
- Use ice cold water for the tempura- Very cold water keeps gluten from forming, which would keep the tempura batter from getting really crispy.
- Use wet hands- When you’re spreading the rice, make sure your hands are wet to avoid it sticking to your hands instead of the nori.
FAQs
Is shrimp tempura roll cooked or raw?The shrimp and crab in a shrimp tempura roll are fully cooked. Only the vegetables are raw.
Why isn’t my tempura crispy?If your tempura isn’t crispy, it is probably because gluten has formed. If your tempura batter contains corn starch or potato starch already (these help it get crispy) then make sure you are mixing it with ice cold water to keep gluten from forming.
Serving Suggestions
This Shrimp Tempura Roll is a delicious appetizer or meal that can be served with other sushi, sides, or dessert. It has great versatility so you have lots of options.
- Sushi: Serve this roll with others, such as this Salmon Skin Roll, Dynamite Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, or Volcano Roll.
- Proteins: Enjoy this Shrimp Tempura Roll with some Bang Bang Shrimp, Crispy Shrimp Tempura, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, or Mongolian Beef.
- Sides: Pair it with a Shrimp Tempura Udon Soup, Kani Salad, Fried Spring Rolls (VIDEO), or Hibachi Fried Rice.
- Desserts: Finish your meal with something sweet, like this Easy Ube Ice Cream, Easy Dango, Strawberry Tanghulu, or Mochi Donuts (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can fry the shrimp tempura, chop the fillings, and make the sushi rice ahead of time. Just store everything covered in the fridge. You can flash fry the shrimp to get it crispy again.
Storing: Store this Shrimp Tempura Roll in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After that, the rice starts to harden and isn’t as good.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this because the texture will thaw in an unappealing way. And if the shrimp was previously frozen, it can’t be frozen again once thawed.
More Yummy Japanese Dishes!
- Salmon Skin Roll
- Dynamite Roll
- Kani Salad
- Chicken Tempura
Salmon Skin Roll
Dynamite Roll
Kani Salad
Chicken TempuraThis recipe was originally posted on May 18, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
Full Recipe Instructions
The Shrimp Tempura Roll is a recipe that mimics the ones typically found in high-end sushi restaurants or Japanese steakhouses. This roll is filled with crunchy fried shrimp tempura and a medley of delicious ingredients.
Rating: 5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 5 rolls
Calories: 419 kcal
Author: Dina
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Equipment: [List of equipment used in the recipe]
-
1 bamboo sushi mat
Ingredients
-
1 1/2
cup
sushi rice -
2
cups
water -
1/4
cup
seasoned rice vinegar
Marukan -
tempura batter mix -
1
lb
large shrimp
peeled and deveined -
8
oz
imitation crab sticks -
2
Tbsp
mayonnaise -
1
avocado
ripened but not brown -
1
English cucumber -
4
oz
cream cheese -
5
sheets toasted nori seaweed -
black and white sesame seeds -
corn oil for deep frying
Instructions
-
Rinse the sushi rice about 2-3 times and place it in a rice cooker. Cook the 1 1/2 cups sushi rice with 2 cups of water. Once it’s done, transfer it onto a large baking sheet. Using a rice paddle gently cut through the rice. Scoop the rice up and flip it over. Evenly drizzle the rice vinegar into the cooked rice and continue cutting and scooping the rice with the rice paddle until it cools down.
– While the rice is cooling, prepare the tempura batter as per the instructions on the package. Heat oil in a large skillet to a depth of 2 inches. Coat each shrimp in the tempura batter and fry them in batches over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per batch to avoid overcooking.
– Once the shrimp is cooked, set it aside to cool.
– Finely chop the imitation crab, mix it with mayonnaise. Slice the avocado, cut the cucumber into thin julienned pieces, and cut the cream cheese into long strips.
– Cut each tempura battered shrimp in half to create two identical pieces.
– Cover a sushi mat with plastic wrap, place a sheet of toasted nori in the center. Wet your hands with water, take a handful of rice, and spread it thinly over the nori sheet without pressing too hard, ensuring it covers the entire sheet. Rewet your hands as needed as the rice can be sticky.
– Once the rice is evenly spread, sprinkle black and white sesame seeds, flip the nori, and add imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and shrimp halves.
– Roll the sushi tightly with the mat, compressing the ingredients slightly as you go.
– Using a sharp wet knife, slice the sushi roll into 8 equal pieces.Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 7.6mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.9mg
