Some people are not a fan of Crab Sushi…

This post is all about how to make Crab Sushi at home, skip the restaurant, and save a fortune.

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Published on December 14, 2015
Updated on February 23, 2022
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Our family is not one of them! We love it, and eat Crab Sushi maybe 2-3 times a month, but going out for sushi is expensive, although delicious, and we sought out how to still have sushi but cut the cost. At first, I googled recipes and ways to make it at home. Tyler and I once spent $80.00 for sushi at a restaurant. Yikes! We knew I could do better on the cost by making it at home.

Where to get Sushi-grade meat

At Festival Foods, a local grocery store, they sell sushi at their deli. Recently we talked to the sushi maker himself to see where he gets his meat. Here is the thing – Sushi-grade meat is dealt with very specifically and carefully. It cannot be contaminated or cut until prepared, so preparing sushi is a delicate and expensive experience.
Sushi-grade salmon can sell to up to $25.00 a pound! For our inexpensive homemade sushi, we are choosing to make tuna, salmon or crab. We buy our meat raw and fresh, and we do sauté it until it is roughly medium. For the boys – yes, they do eat sushi and LOVE it – we fully cook the meat as to not get sick.

Head to your local grocery store deli and ask the meat counter about their options for salmon and tuna. In no way am I recommending you eat raw fish. Make sure you cook it and then handle it safely. 

Crab Sushi Ingredients Cost

1 package seaweed wraps $2.99
1 1/2 cup rice $0.50 
Sesame oil bottle $2.00
1 carrot $0.25 
2 avocado $0.69 each
2 packs crab meat – leg style $1.89 each
1/2 package cream cheese $0.98
Cucumber $1.00

For $12, roughly, we had five sushi rolls with about ten pieces per roll.
All in all, that is much better than $80 for five rolls going out!! We only made crab rolls today, but in the past, we have bought tuna or salmon fillets for $5.00-$10.00. Doing this does increase the cost but adds a ton of flavor and variety to our Sushi meals.

2022 Update on Crab Sushi for our family of six

Just this last week our family had crab and tuna Sushi for dinner. We made twelve rolls of Sushi and also had fourteen Sashimi and another dozen Nigiri. All in all, this dinner cost our family roughly $50, with the Sushi-Grade Tuna purchased at a local meat supplier for $36+ a pound.

Now, to get Sushi-Grade fish, you do have to call around and do some research before just buying any-old fish. Not all fish is the same! This amazing supplier we found has Sushi-Grade tuna and salmon. Therefore, Tyler picked up two tuna filets on his way home from work on Friday. 

For example, if we were to go out, in spring 2022 for twelve sushi rolls, fourteen Sashimi and a dozen Nigiri, we would spend $175 conservatively.
If you know me, and have read a few of my blogs, you know we have a weekly food budget. If we were to go out for Crab Sushi and spend $175, that would blow the entire weeks grocery budget, however we can completely afford to make Tuna and Crab Sushi at home.

We use many types of sauces with our Crab Sushi

*Siracha Mayo – make your own with equal parts Siracha and mayo. Likewise, this sauce can be made with any type of hot sauce you have on hand.
*Yum-Yum sauce – is not spicy and has a great flavor. Our kids love to use this one with their sushi. 
*Soy sauce
*Wasabi
The seaweed wraps come from most stores, not at ALDI yet, but I buy them at Festival Foods for $2.99 for a pack of ten.
*Eel Sauce

Easy 4 Ingredient Eel Sauce for Sushi

How to get the Perfect Sushi Rice

Making Sushi Rice is tedious, and many Sushi masters have spent a better part of a decade learning to perfect this art. While researching different brands of rice, we noticed that each had its own cooking directions.

One day, while watching a show on PBS, the well-known host was sharing his recipe on how to make the perfect rice. I will write out his directions, but also share this informative video link where you too can watch Simply Ming Tsai share his secrets to the best Sushi rice. Click the link below to watch his four-minute video. 

Simply Ming secrets of perfect rice

*Simply Ming is not a sponsor for this post*

Simply Ming Tsai’s Perfect Sushi Rice

Measure and add desired amount of rice to a bowl. To make Sushi rice, you have to rinse it first, and repeat this rinsing three-to-four times. Fill up the bowl, covering the rice with water and then gently swirl your hands in a circle around the rice.

This helps to remove any impurities, dirt and dust off of the rice. Then, carefully drain the water in the sink. The water should be milky white. If you are unsure of this draining step, place a sink colander under the rice while you drain it to catch any that fall out of your bowl. Make sure to rinse the rice three-to-four times. 

Next, you add the water to cook the rice. Ming Tsai calls this step his “Mount Fuji”, where you place your hand on the rice in the bowl and have the water covering to your middle finger knuckle. This is the amazing part; it does not matter if you have big or small hands as the water will measure perfect being displaced by your hand.

Now, pour the rice and water into a medium pan that has a lid. Bring the pot to the stove with the lid on tight and then bring the contents to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, turn the heat way low and cook an additional twenty minutes on very low heat. Then, turn the heat off and let the pot sit for twenty additional minutes.

Sushi Prep Station

Below is a picture of our Sushi set up station! Rice fully cooked on the left with two spoons, cream cheese with knives, and the crab-avocado-carrot plate on my right. Having all of the ingredients ready to go before you begin is essential to making the Sushi rolling process easier.

Essentially, once you do Sushi once, you pretty much get the hang of it and the process goes much quicker. As a result of making Sushi many times, our prep and processes have been perfected. For example, when we are making Sushi, each of us gets a cutting board to make a roll, and then in the middle of our peninsula we have a cutting board with all of the filling items on it. 

Ingredients for Crab Sushi

2 packages seaweed wraps
3 cups water
1 1/2 cup rice
Sesame oil
1 carrot
2 avocados
Warm water
2 packs crab meat – leg style
1/2 package cream cheese
Cucumber

Crab Sushi Directions

1. Cut the avocado in half and then slice it lengthwise and into thin slices. Then, use a spoon to scoop the avocado out of the shell and remove the pit.

2. For the carrot, I found it best to use a vegetable peeler and then slice it into thin slices that fit lengthwise along your sushi roll. These add a crunch and nice flavor to the sushi. As I cannot eat raw carrot because of an allergy, I omit this from my rolls. 

This Cutco Vegetable Peeler has been my go-to for over a decade. It is still super sharp, dishwasher safe, and easy to hold. Check out the price on Amazon as the price can often change. 

3. If you have purchased imitation crab in let-form, remove them from the package and place on a plate for easy sushi making later.

Consequently, after making sushi the first time, we are able to roll them ourselves without a bamboo roller.

4. Next, place a Sushi wrap on a cutting board and make sure you look at the wrap- the most visible lined side goes up, so you see where to cut. Additionally, we have noticed that there is a shiny and a dull side to the Sushi Wraps. Moreso, the shiny side should go down when preparing your Sushi. 

5. Scoop 2 spoonful of rice onto the wrap and then use the spoons to spread the rice all over most of the seaweed. Then spread cream cheese on the top of the wrap. Leave an inch clean at the top. 

6. Place your desired ingredients on top of the rice. Do not pile it too high or too full as your roll may not close all of the way.

7. Dab warm water, or use a basting brush, on the clean wrap top. This will act as a sealant to close the seaweed wrap.
8. Carefully roll up the bottom edge and roll it tightly like a spiral. Not too tight though or it may split open. 

Ta-Da!! Above all, let your sushi roll rest for a good two minutes once it has been completed. We have found that if you roll it and cut right away it falls apart, but a rested sushi roll can be cut into pieces much easier. Therefore, as you let your Crab Sushi roll rest you can make another one and by the time the second is done, you can then cut the first.

You may also like

To pair with Crab Sushi, Shrimp Fried Rice is the perfect addition to this dinner. Check out the recipe by clicking the link below.

In addition to Crab Sushi, Broccoli Mushroom Stir-Fry is an amazing recipe that takes only a few minutes.

9. Use a sharp and serrated knife to slice your pieces about 3/4 inch thick. Sometimes it is necessary to wipe off your knife between cutting each roll as the cream cheese can cause it to be sticky.

Finally plate your Crab Sushi pieces and enjoy!

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Follow me on Pinterest for so much more inspiration, recipes, DIY and more. New ideas are added daily, and you will always find my most recent blog posts and favorite recipes.

These are so fun and yummy! I hope that you can try Crab Sushi one day, out to eat or homemade, because it is such a delicious and fun experience. However, if you ever feel the desire to try Sushi and are unaware, call me up and let me tag along. I may not be a pro, but I am an avid enjoyer. 
Also, keep reading until the end to see more recipes that pair well with Crab Sushi. 
In conclusion, Crab Sushi is super delicious, and when made well can be a cost-effective way to enjoy a decadent meal. The image below is my plate, no I did not eat it all, and the plate of Nigiri and Sashimi we had to share for our family of six.

This pot was all about how to make Crab Sushi yourself.
~Monica

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