Salmon Nigiri Sushi Recipe

What’s better than the delicious, mouth-watering Japanese sushi, made of a tiny piece of wasabi sandwiched by a fresh sashimi-grade salmon piece and the high quality, fluffy, flavorful, and vinegary Japanese rice.

Some tips to consider when making this recipe

• Using Japanese short-grain rice is highly recommended in this recipe, giving a fluffier outcome. Use the High-quality type with a 1:1 ratio with the water to maintain this fluffiness even after its compression in the roll.
• Make sure you have some Tezu water in a small bowl when rolling the sushi to prevent the rice from sticking to your fingertips. It’s fairly easy to make. You just need to mix 1/4 cup of water and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar together.
• Squeezing the rice into an oval shape and to the salmon slice decreases the chance of the sushi falling apart.
• You can substitute raw salmon with grilled or smoked ones.
• Wasabi can be removed from the recipe. However, it allows the salmon slice to stick to the rice and enhance the overall flavor. It also aids in killing the bacteria in raw salmon.
• When cutting the salmon, adjust the angle to 30 to 45 degrees to cut it into ¼ inch thick slices.
• Choose the farmed Atlantic salmon or Alaskan salmon for this recipe as wild salmon is better not eaten raw.

Salmon Nigiri (How to Make Salmon Sushi)

Learn the detailed steps of cooking the delicious Japanese salmon nigiri in the easiest way ever.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 16 pieces

Calories 64 kcal

Ingredients

  

Sushi rice

• 1 cup of sushi rice
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of sushi vinegar (optional) (Made by mixing 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt).

For the salmon nigiri

• 8 oz of sashimi-grade salmon
• 2 teaspoons of wasabi

Optional for serving

• Soy sauce
• Wasabi
• Pickled ginger

Instructions

 

Sushi rice

• Wash the rice well with cold water many times until the water is clear enough to remove all the excess rice starch. Proceed by adding the washed rice with the water in the rice maker and cook according to the instructions.
• Spread the cooked rice in a plate or a large bowl to cool slightly, but not completely, then mix in the sushi vinegar prepared from the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Leave them aside and start preparing the sushi rolls.

Preparation of the salmon nigiri

• Slice your salmon into ¼-inch thick, 3-inch long, and 1-inch wide slices.
• Take 3 tablespoons of cooked rice with your hands, start shaping them into an oval with a straight bottom and rounded top. Make sure the rice is not completely squeezed, and there is still room for air.
• On the middle of the salmon slice, spread pea-sized wasabi piece, then place the oval-shaped rice on top. Squeeze with your index finger gently to allow them to stick together.
• Flip the sushi made so that the salmon slice facing the top. Serve the sushi pieces with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Julie

Hi, I’m Julie, the passionate foodie and founder of Juliesfamilykitchen.com. I created this blog out of a drive to prove someone wrong, and then I realized how much I truly enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. In my free time, when I’m not running around after my kids or spending quality time with my partner, you can usually find me in the kitchen experimenting with new dishes.