Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe (2024)

This Shrimp Tempura Roll recipe is just like the kind you would eat at a fancy sushi restaurant or Japanese steakhouse. It’s loaded with crispy fried shrimp tempura and tons of delicious fillings.

Be sure to follow my easy shrimp tempura recipe and sushi rice recipe for the best homemade shrimp tempura roll ever!

Recipe Details

We always order Shrimp Tempura Roll when eating out at our favorite Japanese restaurant. Now, this copycat recipe has become a family favorite.

• TASTE: Savory shrimp, fresh vegetables, and a rich crab mixture give this roll lots of flavor.
• TEXTURE: The crunchy outside of the tempura shrimp is a delicious contrast to the creamy crab and avocado and crisp cucumber.
• TIME: This takes just under an hour to make.
• EASE: Sushi can be a little intimidating, but this recipe is really easy to follow. Follow my lead and you’ll be wowing your friends with homemade rolls in no time!

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Sushi rice– This is a combination of seasoned rice vinegar and short-grain rice. The starch helps hold the roll together and it has a tangy flavor.
• Tempura batter mix– This gives the shrimp a light and crusty layer.
• Shrimp- You’ll want the large ones, peeled and deveined.
• Imitation crab sticks– This ingredient has the best texture for a sushi roll, so don’t substitute fresh crab.
• English cucumber– These are slightly sweeter and have thinner skins that regular slicing cucumbers.
• Cream cheese– Use full-fat for extra creaminess.
• Toasted nori seaweed sheets– These are used to roll the shrimp and fillings up.
• Black and white sesame seeds– These both have variations of a nutty flavor.
• Bamboo sushi mat– This is what we use to roll everything up tight.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Use a different wrap- You can make this Shrimp Tempura Roll with soy paper or wrapped in finely sliced cucumber in place of the nori seaweed.
• Add sauces- Make this roll with teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, Unagi eel Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce, or Spicy Mayo.
• Substitute another seafood- Instead of shrimp, you can make this with salmon, yellowtail, tuna, or spicy crab.
• Add different vegetables- Besides cucumber and avocado, try this roll with radish, celery, or carrots.

How to Make Shrimp Tempura Roll

• Make rice. Rinse the rice about 2-3 times and cook it in a rice cooker.
• Separate the rice. Spread the rice onto a baking sheet and cut through it using a rice paddle.
• Add rice vinegar. Evenly drizzle seasoned rice vinegar over the rice and cut and scoop through the rice some more to mix it.

• Prepare the shrimp. Make shallow slits into the inner part of each shrimp. I usually make 5 slits for each shrimp. Then mix the dry tempura mix with ice cold water. Pat the shrimp dry and dip them into the batter.
• Fry them. Fry the battered shrimp in the hot oil until golden brown.

• Mix the crab. Combine the finely chopped imitation crab with mayonnaise.
• Prep the fillings. Slice the 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

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!

This recipe was originallyposted 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