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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Sushi

    Crunchy air fryer sushi rolls

    Last Modified: Apr 25, 2019 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print

    Y'all, I'm obsessed with these air fryer sushi rolls! They're crunchy, filling, and fun to make!

    hand holding a piece of crunchy air fryer sushi with the rest of the roll in the background

    I use white rice to make these rolls, but you can use white, brown, or a mix to make your own favorite version of air fryer sushi rolls.

    Jump To:
    • Variations
    • Sushi rolling tips
    • Air fryer sushi rolls recipe

    Variations

    These rolls are stuffed with toasted sesame kale salad and creamy avocado, then rolled in sriracha mayo and panko breadcrumbs and air fried. You could really make a whole meal of these babies.

    If kale salad and avocado isn't your dream combo, feel free to mix things up! Here are some of my favorite sushi stuffers:

    • roasted sweet potato, sliced into strips, with green onion
    • vegan cream cheese, green onion, cucumber strips, and avocado for a bagel roll
    • air fryer tofu cut into strips
    • sautéed mushrooms

    Truly raid your produce drawer and get creative!

    You can also mix up your sauces. Below are instructions for making sriracha mayo, but you can also dip your sushi in:

    • bang bang sauce
    • sweet chili sauce
    • plain soy sauce/tamari/etc
    • ginger peanut sauce

    This is another chance to raid the fridge and get creative! The ability to mix and match is one of the things I love about making sushi!

    Sushi rolling tips

    The rolls and the sriracha mayo are much easier to make than you'd think. If you're new to making sushi, I recommend that you watch the video, so you can see the technique for making sushi rolls at home.

    Really, there are just a few keys to making good, homemade sushi:

    • Keep your fingertips moist. This helps keep the rice from sticking to your fingers and makes it easier to roll up your sushi. I like to keep a little bowl of water on my work surface, just for my fingertips.
    • Get a nice, even layer of rice. Press that rice down well! It's an important part of the glue that holds your roll together.
    • Leave a little bit of un-riced seaweed on one end of your nori sheet, so you can seal the rolls.
    • Press gently as you roll. Don't press too hard, or your nori will split. You'll see in the video that I pressed too hard on roll #1, and there's a small tear. Luckily, once it's coated and fried, you can't see the little rip in the finished product
    • Use a very sharp knife to slice, and do not press too hard with your knife. Take your time cutting up your sushi rolls! It's more of a sawing than a slicing.
    dipping a piece of air fryer sushi into soy sauce

    If you want to see sushi rolling in action, I recommend checking out the recipe video below to see how to put your roll together. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be cranking out sushi like a pro!

    Guys, I am crazy for these delicious Air Fryer Sushi Rolls! They're crunchy, filling, spicy, and so, so fun to make!

    Air fryer sushi rolls recipe

    Y'all, I'm obsessed with these air fryer sushi rolls! They're crunchy, filling, and fun to make! The prep time includes the time it will take to make a batch of white sushi rice. Stick it into the fridge to cool, so you can get rolling sooner!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: Air Fryer, Vegan
    Keyword: air fryer sushi
    Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 488kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    For the Kale Salad

    • 1 ½ cups chopped kale - ribs removed
    • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
    • ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¾ teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted or not - your call!

    For the Kale Salad Sushi Rolls

    • 1 batch Pressure Cooker Sushi Rice - cooled to room temperature
    • 3 sheets of sushi nori
    • ½ of a Haas avocado - sliced

    Make the Sriracha Mayo

    • ¼ cup of your favorite vegan mayonnaise - I used Vegenaise.
    • sriracha sauce - to taste

    For the Coating

    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

    Instructions

    Make the Kale Salad

    • In a large bowl, combine the kale, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, and soy sauce. With clean hands, massage the kale until it turns bright green and wilted. Stir in the sesame seeds, and set aside.

    Make the Kale Salad Sushi Rolls

    • Lay out a sheet of nori on a dry surface. With slightly damp fingertips, grab a handful of rice, and spread it onto the nori. The idea here is to get a thin layer of rice covering almost the entire sheet. Along one edge, you'll want to leave about ½" of naked seaweed. Think of this as the flap that will seal your roll shut.
    • On the end of the seaweed opposite that naked part, lay out about 2-3 tablespoons of kale salad, and top with a couple of slices of avocado. Starting on the end with the filling, roll up your sushi, pressing gently to get a nice, tight roll. When you get to the end, use that naked bit of seaweed to seal the roll closed. If needed, get your fingertips wet, and moisten that bit of seaweed to make it stick.
    • Repeat steps 2-3 to make 3 more sushi rolls.

    Make the Sriracha Mayo

    • In a shallow bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo with sriracha, until you reach the heat level that you like. Start with 1 teaspoon, and add more, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you have the spicy mayo of your DREAMS!

    Fry and Slice

    • Pour the panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl.
    • Grab your first sushi roll, and coat it as evenly as possible in the Sriracha Mayo, then in the panko. Place the roll into your air fryer basket. Repeat with the rest of your sushi rolls.
    • Air fry at 390F for 10 minutes, shaking gently after 5 minutes.
    • When the rolls are cool enough to handle, grab a good knife, and very gently slice the roll into 6-8 pieces. When you're slicing, think of gently sawing, and don't press hard with your knife. That will just send kale and avocado flying out of the ends of your roll.
    • Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Air fryer sushi rolls recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    488
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    22
    g
    34
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    15
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    9
    mg
    3
    %
    Sodium
     
    327
    mg
    14
    %
    Potassium
     
    325
    mg
    9
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    64
    g
    21
    %
    Fiber
     
    7
    g
    28
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    7
    g
    14
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    3526
    IU
    71
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    36
    mg
    44
    %
    Calcium
     
    121
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Sushi

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    • Tofu Sushi Bowl
    • Instant Pot sushi rice
    • Vegan Sushi Burrito with Air Fryer Tofu

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Vegan Heaven

      May 16, 2017 at 6:08 am

      These look so delicious, Becky! I REALLY need an air fryer!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 16, 2017 at 7:09 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Dreena

      May 13, 2017 at 10:34 am

      Gosh, you are creative with the air fryer! Is there anything that we *can't* do with it? Maybe ice cream. Wait... maybe?? #deepfriedicecream... ??!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 13, 2017 at 10:44 am

        Ooh I've been wondering about that! I should try it, so you don't have to!

        Reply
    3. Sarah

      May 12, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      This sushi is SO creative! I would never have thought to put the sushi in the air fryer! And I love the addition of kale!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 12, 2017 at 7:54 pm

        Is there anything we can't improve with a little kale? Haha

        Reply
    4. Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy

      May 11, 2017 at 2:15 pm

      I saw the video for this!! LOVE IT! I need an air fryer!!

      Reply
    5. Alisa Fleming

      May 10, 2017 at 11:57 pm

      I don't have an air fryer, but these are still an amazing idea. I love that filling.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 11, 2017 at 6:09 am

        Thank you, Alisa!

        Reply
    6. Uma

      May 10, 2017 at 7:08 pm

      Looks creative and delicious:) I like all kind of vegan creative recipes!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 10, 2017 at 8:26 pm

        Thank you, Uma!

        Reply
    7. Sarah, Vegan Chickpea

      May 10, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is so creative and fun! I just got some vegan sushi from Whole Foods, but honestly, this looks waaay better! Wish I could have some now!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 10, 2017 at 8:26 pm

        Aw, thank you, Sarah! Homemade is always so much fun.

        Reply
    8. amy

      May 10, 2017 at 1:24 am

      Oh, that looks good. I really need one of those air fryers.

      Reply
    9. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

      May 09, 2017 at 11:40 pm

      I love sushi rolls! All kinds and all sort of flavors. These look delicious!

      Reply
    10. Hannah

      May 09, 2017 at 6:20 pm

      You're blowing my mind by using sriracha mayo to coat them. Such a good idea, and I'm sure it's delicious!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 09, 2017 at 6:29 pm

        Thank you, Hannah! I was pretty jazzed about that part! :D

        Reply
    11. Jenn

      May 09, 2017 at 9:25 am

      They certainly do look crunchy on the outside - just the way I like them. Bonus that they don't need to be battered and fried! YUM!

      Reply
    12. Mary Ellen | VNutrition

      May 09, 2017 at 8:50 am

      5 stars
      Seriously the coolest recipe I've seen in a long time. Sushi AND air frying? Amazing!!!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 09, 2017 at 9:03 am

        Thank you so much, Mary Ellen!

        Reply
    13. Kristina

      May 08, 2017 at 10:32 pm

      I CANNOT WAIT TO TRY THESE. we make sushi pretty often, and since the air fryer purchase, I've had the tempura sushi (that was always a favorite) in the back of my mind... THIS looks way easier than tempura, and just as tasty if not moreso! :)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 08, 2017 at 10:34 pm

        Thank you! It's so easy. Enjoy it!

        Reply
    14. Dianne

      May 08, 2017 at 9:34 am

      I love how easy you make these look. I was just thinking that I need to start making sushi at home, and now I really need to do it!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 08, 2017 at 9:49 am

        Every time I do, I wish I did it more. It's so easy!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 150 Best Air Fryer Recipes - Prudent Penny Pincher says:
      December 26, 2018 at 11:40 am

      […] Crunchy Air Fryer Sushi Roll from Glue and Glitter […]

      Reply

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    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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