This chicken tempura roll is sushi for people who don’t even like sushi!
If you can’t get on board with raw fish or even cooked fish, you’ll still love these crispy chicken tenders, rolled up in sticky rice with crunchy cucumber, creamy avocado and spicy mayo.
Making your own sushi at home is a fun activity for the whole family. It’s fun for date night, girls night and beyond.
Let me show you how to make your own sushi in just a few easy steps!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this tempura chicken roll:
- Boneless chicken breast
- Tempura batter
- Sushi rice
- Nori seaweed
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha
- Eel sauce. Don’t worry, it’s not made of actual eels! Eel sauce is a simple condiment used in Japanese cuisine that’s made with mirin, sake and soy sauce. It’s sweet and savory, similar to teriyaki sauce.
- Sesame seeds for garnish
How to Make a Chicken Tempura Roll
Make the Sushi Rice
Using a rice cooker is the easiest way to prepare sushi rice, but I’ve also provided stove top instructions in the recipe card below.
Make the Chicken Tempura
Tempura batter mix is very easy to use. Simply combine it with very cold water and it’s ready to use.
Slice the chicken into strips and dredge them in the tempura batter. Then, fry the chicken strips in vegetable oil.
Since the strips will be thin, they will cook pretty quickly. Once they are golden brown, remove them onto a separate plate lined with paper towels.
Prep the Fillings
Slice the cucumber and avocado into thin strips. Now you’re ready to roll!
Assemble the Sushi Roll
The best way to roll sushi at home is with a bamboo mat.
A bamboo sushi mat can be purchased for about $5 at most grocery stores and on Amazon. If you don’t have one, you can use a small dish towel instead.
Lay the bamboo mat on your work surface and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap.
Then, press the sushi rice down onto the plastic wrap. Cover the rice with another piece of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll it smooth and flat.
Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and put a sheet of nori down over the rice, rough side up.
Now, arrange a few strips of tempura chicken, cucumber and avocado in the center of the nori sheet.
Starting from the bottom, fold the rice up and over the fillings, and press to tuck it in.
Do the same with the other side – fold it up and over the fillings. Then, unwrap the plastic.
Now, slice the roll and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
- To give your chicken tempura rolls the perfect finishing touch, drizzle them with spicy mayo and eel sauce.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for a pretty garnish and dip in your favorite soy sauce.
- Sushi restaurants would serve this roll with a side of pickled ginger and wasabi.
- For a complete sushi restaurant experience, enjoy your tempura chicken roll with a small salad drizzled with yum yum sauce and bowl of miso soup.
Tips for Success
1. Always use sushi rice! Short grain rice is a must for at-home sushi making. It has to be sticky or the rolls will fall apart.
2. Use a sharp knife. A dull knife will drag through the seaweed and ruin your beautiful rolls. Be sure your knife is very sharp.
3. Use a wet knife. Run your knife under water in between each cut. Keeping the knife wet will help you get cleaner cuts.
Storing Leftovers
Because it has no raw fish, this chicken tempura roll will last longer in the refrigerator than a typical sushi roll would.
Store it in an airtight container and consume it within 3-5 days. For the best taste and texture, allow your roll to come to room temperature before enjoying it again.
When you make this chicken tempura roll recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more sushi recipes, try these:
- Crunchy California Roll Recipe
- Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower with Avocado
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll ( with Tempura Shrimp)
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Chicken Tempura Roll
Ingredients
- 8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup tempura batter mix
- 3 cups cooked sushi rice instructions below
- 3 sheets nori
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. sriracha
- vegetable oil for frying
- sesame seeds garnish
- eel sauce garnish
Instructions
Chicken Tempura Instructions
- Heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat in a nonstick pan.
- Whisk the tempura batter with 3/4 cup of ice water in a shallow bowl. Slice the chicken into strips. Dredge the chicken strips in the batter and place into the hot oil. Fry the chicken until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Rice Cooker Instructions
- Place 1 cups of uncooked sushi rice into the rice cooker. Pour in 2 cups of water. Turn on the rice cooker.
- Once the rice cooker turns itself off, let the rice steam for 10-20 minutes.
Stovetop Instructions for Rice
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of sushi rice using a rice paddle or wooden spoon. Cover and reduce heat to low.
- Cook rice, covered, 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Sushi Roll Instructions
- Peel the cucumber and avocado. Slice into long, thin strips. Set aside.
- Make the spicy mayo: combine mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Lay the bamboo mat on a flat surface. Cover the bamboo mat with a layer of plastic wrap. Press 1 cup of cooked rice down into a rectangular shape, leaving a perimeter of bamboo mat showing.
- Cover the rice with another piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to smooth and flatten the rice. Remove the plastic wrap and lay a piece of nori on top of the rice (shiny side down).
- Arrange strips of cucumber, avocado and chicken tempura in a line across the center of the nori sheet.
- Starting from the bottom, holding on to the bamboo roller, fold the roll up and over the fillings. Press it down firmly. Rotate the roll 90 degrees and repeat the same action, folding the roll up and over the fillings. Press firmly.
- Slowly release the bamboo map and unwrap the sushi roll from the plastic wrap. On a cutting board, use a wet knife to gently slice the roll into 8 pieces.
- Drizzle with eel sauce and spicy mayo. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or furikake, if desired.
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