Anyone can make these delicious, easy peasy, sushi rolls without rice at home. Plus, they taste like no-rice sushi rolls you'd order at a Japanese restaurant!
You won't regret making these low-carb and keto sushi rolls without rice! And since these rolls take less than 15 minutes to make and are easy to prepare, you'll likely make them again and again.
Our no-rice sushi with smoked salmon is very similar to a Philadelphia roll since it's made with roasted nori seaweed sheets, cream cheese, smoked salmon, and thin slices of cucumber and avocado. It's just missing the rice, and you likely won't miss it!
You can likely find all of the ingredients at your local grocer, too. And, no, you don't need any fancy equipment for making these rolls — just a super sharp knife for slicing. We use a bamboo sushi rolling mat for creating the roll, but it's not necessary. These rolls are much easier to roll without rice and the cream cheese helps keep the roll together.
You can make these no-rice sushi rolls however you like, too. You can use sushi-grade salmon and/or tuna, cooked shrimp and/or crab (no imitation crab if you're looking to keep carbs low), or even skip the cream cheese. It's up to you and what you prefer. Just be sure to serve with some soy sauce (or Tamari or coconut aminos)!
You can serve these no-rice sushi rolls as a snack, appetizer or light lunch or dinner. You can make the rolls a day ahead of time, too, so you can quickly serve when needed or pack for work, school, or travel.
Ingredients
- Roasted Nori Seaweed Sheets: Roasted or toasted nori seaweed sheets are thin, dried seaweed wrappers used for maki rolls. Most grocers or specialty grocery stores carry them. Be sure to buy roasted or toasted nori seaweed sheets since unroasted or untoasted nori can be chewy.
- Smoked salmon: You can find smoked salmon at most grocers. Look for smoked salmon that does not include any added sugars. Smoked salmon made from wild salmon will have higher protein than ones made from farmed or Atlantic salmon.
- Sliced cucumber: Cucumber slices are important for adding a crunchy texture. You'll want to slice the cucumber into thin strips that are a few inches long as seen in the picture.
- Sliced avocado: Sliced avocado enhances the filling and taste of the roll. You'll want to use thin slices of avocado.
- Cream cheese: We purchase cream cheese spread in a small container. You want to make sure the cream cheese is soft and spreadable so it doesn't tear the seaweed wrapper. Before doing anything, remove the cream cheese from the fridge to let it soften at room temperature.
- Diced jalepeno: We love the kick that diced jalepeno adds to the roll, but it's an optional ingredient.
How to Make Sushi Without Rice
STEP 1: Slice the cucumber and avocado into thin slices as shown in the picture.
STEP 2: Place the roasted nori sheet shiny-side down on a cutting board. Spread the softened cream cheese over the bottom third of the nori sheet.
STEP 3: Place the salmon, sliced cucumber and sliced avocado in overlapping rows, starting an inch from bottom and filling the bottom third or half of the seaweed sheet. Sprinkle diced jalapeno over the sushi fillings.
STEP 4: With a bamboo sushi rolling mat or your hands, roll up the filled seaweed sheet as tightly as possible. Wet the last inch of the nori sheet with water to seal the wrapper together after rolling. Place the roll seam-side down on the cutting board.
STEP 5: With a super sharp knife, slice the roll in half. Then, slice each of those halves in half until you get 8 pieces. Note: the end pieces won't hold together as well as middle pieces.
STEP 6: Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with soy sauce (or Tamari or coconut aminos) and wasabi if desired.
Recipe FAQ
Generally, most sushi is not keto friendly aside from sashimi (essentially just fish without rice). However, you can make sushi rolls keto-friendly by ditching the rice and any sweet sauces typically used in the rolls.
Nori wrappers are dried sheets of seaweed made from algae. They're the most common type of sushi wrapper and are keto-friendly at roughly 1 gram of net carbs per sheet.
Yes, you can, but the rolls won't hold together as well. We actually prefer the taste of nori seaweed sheets over slices of cucumber as wrappers since the cucumber tends to overtake the flavors in the sushi roll.
No. Imitation crab is made from fish that is turned into a paste and then has high-carb fillers added to it (like cornstarch). According to the USDA, a 3 ounce serving of imitation crab has 2.8 grams of carbs and more than 60% of the calories are from carbohydrates, which makes it high in carbs.
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Recipe
No Rice Sushi with Smoked Salmon (Keto Maki Roll Without Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 roasted/toasted nori seaweed sheet
- 1.5 tablespoons cream cheese spread
- 1.5 ounces smoked salmon, cut into strips
- 1.2 ounces cucumber, cut into 6 thin strips, each a few inches in length
- 1 ounce sliced avocado, about 4 thin slices
- 1 to 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno (optional)
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the roll: Place the roasted nori sheet shiny-side down on a cutting board. Spread the softened cream cheese over the bottom third of the nori sheet. Place the salmon, sliced cucumber and sliced avocado in overlapping rows, starting an inch from bottom and filling the bottom third or half of the sheet. Sprinkle diced jalapeno over the sushi fillings.
- Roll the sushi: With a bamboo sushi rolling mat or your hands, roll up the filled seaweed sheet as tightly as possible. Wet the last inch of the nori sheet with water to seal the wrapper together after rolling. Place the roll seam-side down on the cutting board.
- Slice and serve: With a very sharp knife, slice the roll in half. Then, slice each of those halves in half until you get 8 pieces. Note: the end pieces won't hold together as well as middle pieces. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with soy sauce (or Tamari or coconut aminos) and wasabi if desired.
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