Spicy Crab Roll Recipe with Video (Kani Roll Sushi) (2024)

This Spicy Crab Roll is creamy, spicy, and absolutely delicious. It’s very easy to make with our simple tips, video tutorial, and step-by-step instructions. The Japanese kani crab stick is shredded and seasoned with sriracha spicy mayo, then wrapped in nori seaweed sheets and seasoned sushi rice.

Watch Me Make Spicy Crab Sushi Rolls

Related: For a crunchy texture, take a look at my crunchy roll sushi recipe. If you like spicy rolls, check out this easy spicy tuna roll recipe.

Why I ❤️ this recipe

• Budget-friendly – You can make this with a fraction of the price you pay at Japanese restaurants. It’s even more affordable if you choose to use imitation crabs as I do in this recipe.
• Quick and easy – Once the sushi rice is ready, it takes about 15 minutes to make these spicy crab rolls. So skip the Japanese restaurant and make your own crab sushi rolls! You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make them at home.
• Delicious – You’ll enjoy sweet and savory crab meat with creamy and spicy mayo in every single bite!

Here is the photo of the few simple ingredients you’ll need:

You’ll also need a sushi rolling bamboo mat for easy rolling.

To make perfect spicy crab rolls, I have a few easy tips:

1. Make Good Sushi Rice

Prepare seasoned sushi rice that’s fluffy and flavorful. It won’t get smashed once squeezed.

• Use high-quality Japanese short-grain sushi rice.
• Use less water when cooking sushi rice for the sushi rolls. The best water-to-rice ratio is 1:1.
• Once cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still warm, stir in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt). Mix well.

2. Adjust the Spicy Level for the Filling

• Simply shred the imitation crab (or kanikama) and add it to a mixing bowl. You can substitute canned crab meat.
• Season the shredded crab with sriracha sauce and mayo. The heat of the spicy crab roll comes from Sriracha sauce. You can start with a small amount of spicy mayo and taste as you go. Huy Fong is my favorite brand. You can use chili sauce as a replacement. You can also use mayo only for a non-spicy version.

3. Roll Spicy Crab Sushi Gently But Tightly

• Cover the bamboo sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from sticking.
• Cut the nori sheet into two halves with kitchen scissors. The fresh nori sheet is crispy enough to easily break into half by folding it.
• Place half of a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat shiny side facing down.
• Spread seasoned sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori evenly. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rice.
• Flip the sheet and add the spicy kani crab salad filling to the middle of the nori sheet.
• Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling. Roll the bamboo mat away from you. Press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet. Tip: When rolling the sushi, you’ll need to squeeze the roll gently but tightly. Once you finish, you can place the mat over the roll and gently squeeze it again. This will prevent the sushi roll from falling apart.

4. Slice the Rolls with a Sharp Knife for Clean Cuts

• Remove the sushi mat, and cut the ends of your rolls with a very SHARP knife. Cut each roll into 8 pieces with a back-and-forth motion. Wipe your knife with a WET paper towel after each cut.
• To Serve: Drizzle more spicy mayo sauce on top of the roll for some extra heat. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Storage

These rolls are best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, I recommend refrigerating them as soon as possible. Wrap the sushi rolls tightly in plastic wrap, and store them for up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Recipe Variations

• You can use real crab or tempura shrimp instead of kani crab.
• Use the whole kani stick and add avocado to the filling for a spicy California roll.
• Add other ingredients such as cucumber, avocado, Oshinko, or Yamagobo to the filling.

More Sushi Roll Recipes

• If you like the inside-out sushi rolls where the rice is on the outside and the seaweed sheet is on the inside, check out my Boston Roll and Philly Roll Sushi.
• For sushi maki rolls where the seaweed is on the outside, try my Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls.
• If you prefer sushi recipes without nori seaweed, check out Salmon Nigiri or Tuna Nigiri recipes.

I hope you like this recipe. If you try it, please comment below and let me know how your Spicy Crab Roll turns out!