Mushroom sushi rolls stuffed with sesame shiitake mushrooms and topped with ginger-garlic crunchies is delicious and satisfying! Don't worry if you're new to making sushi. I'll walk you through all the steps.
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You know that I'm obsessed with sushi, and this crispy mushroom sushi is the latest roll I've been working on. If you love sushi, too, also be sure to check out my tofu teriyaki sushi, air fryer sushi rolls, sushi sandwich, and easy sweet potato sushi!
These rolls are so fun to make! Just make the quick sesame mushrooms and saute the garlic and ginger with some panko until they're crispy-crunchy.
Then, roll the mushrooms up with green onions and top the rolls with spicy mayo and the ginger-garlic crunchies.
Loved making this crispy topping for my sushi night with friends! We were all ooh-ing and aah-ing how great it was. I'm definitely going to make it often for all sorts of rolls.
Thanks for the recipe! Yum.
- Mac
🫚 Ingredients and substitutions
- sushi rice - You can use short grain white rice instead, if needed. If you absolutely can't find short grain or sushi rice, you can use medium grain white rice. The roll won't hold together quite as well, but it will work. I have done it many times in a pinch!
- seasoned rice vinegar - To season the sushi rice.
- agave nectar - To season the sushi rice.
- shiitake mushrooms - For the filling. If you can't find shiitake, you can use more common mushrooms, like white mushrooms, cremini, or baby bella.
- soy sauce and maple syrup - To season the mushrooms
- toasted sesame oil - To sauté the mushrooms and the ginger-garlic crunchies.
- minced ginger and garlic - For the crunchies! I like to pulse them in the blender or food processor to chop them really finely really quickly.
- vegan mayo and sriracha - For the quick sriracha mayo topping.
- nori sheets - To roll the sushi.
- green onions - For umami and crunch inside the roll.
🔪 How to make mushroom sushi
Combine the rinsed sushi rice and water in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine, then lock the lid and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. (See recipe card for stovetop directions!)
Stir in the rice vinegar and agave nectar, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
Slice the shiitake mushrooms, and toss them with the soy sauce and maple syrup. In a pan on medium-high heat, heat the teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the mushrooms and any liquid left in the bowl.
Cook until they are tender and the liquid is clinging to the mushrooms, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
Wipe out the pan, and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Heat on medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, panko, and a pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring constantly just until the garlic and ginger get crisp. This should only take a few minutes. Immediately remove them from the pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo and sriracha and set this aside.
Fill a small bowl with water. Grab your first nori sheet, and place it shiny side down on a dry surface. Wet your fingers in the water, and use them to spread the sushi rice all over the nori sheet, leaving about a 1" strip uncovered along one side. On the side opposite the 1" strip, arrange strips of the mushroom and green onion. You want the ingredients to go all the way to the edge of the roll.
It's time to roll! Start on the side with the filling, and gently roll toward the 1" uncovered strip of nori, pressing gently as you go. If you have a sushi mat, you can use it, but you can roll without one. When you get to that uncovered bit of nori, dip your fingertips into the bowl of water, and sprinkle it onto that part of the nori. Gently finish rolling, pressing lightly as you roll back and forth to make a seal. Use a sharp knife to slice into pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori and fillings.
Drizzle the spicy mayo on top of the mushroom rolls.
Generously sprinkle on the ginger-garlic crunchies. Serve immediately.
💡 Helpful tips
- Your sushi rice will cool more quickly if you transfer it to a bowl after cooking. If you leave it in the pan or Instant Pot, it takes forever to cool!
- When you're making the ginger-garlic crunches, stir very frequently, so they brown evenly and don't burn.
- You can put the crunchies inside the roll or on top, but I prefer them as a topping, because they stay crunchier that way. If you put them inside, you can put the sriracha mayo inside the roll, as well, or serve it as a topping or a dipping sauce.
🫙 Storage directions
Leftover mushroom rolls will keep for a few days in the fridge. Just know that they will taste best the day that you make them. The rice will harden as it chills, changing the texture. The topping will also lose its crispiness.
💬 Frequently asked questions
Sushi rice is ideal. It's a sticky, short-grain rice that helps your rolls stay together. You can use other rices, though.
Short grain white or brown rice both work in sushi rolls, as well. I've even made rolls with medium grain white rice. They don't stay together as well as with short grain or sushi rice, but it works in a pinch.
You can! Sushi actually refers to a style of rice, so as long as you're using sushi rice, you're eating sushi!
You definitely can! I love the way the sriracha mayo and the ginger-garlic crunchies up the flavor ante, but if you want a simpler mushroom sushi roll, skip the toppings and just serve it stuffed with the mushrooms and green onions.
📖 Recipe
🍄🟫 Crispy Mushroom Sushi
Ingredients
For the sushi rice
- 1 ½ cups dry sushi rice rinsed
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
For the shiitake mushrooms
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the ginger-garlic crunchies
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1" piece of ginger minced
- 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
For the spicy mayo
- 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
For the mushroom sushi
- 3 to 4 nori sheets
- 2 to 3 green onions separated into long pieces
Instructions
Make the sushi rice.
- To make the rice in the Instant Pot: Combine the rice and water in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine, then lock the lid and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Stir in the rice vinegar and agave nectar, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
- To make the rice on the stove: Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan on high heat, then add the rice. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, but leave the lid on and let the rice steam for another 10 minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar and agave nectar, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
Meanwhile, make the mushrooms and ginger-garlic.
- Slice the shiitake mushrooms, and toss them with the soy sauce and maple syrup. In a pan on medium-high heat, heat the teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the mushrooms and any liquid left in the bowl, and cook until they are tender and the liquid is clinging to the mushrooms, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
- Wipe out the pan, and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Heat on medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, panko, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly just until the garlic and ginger get crisp. This should only take a few minutes. Immediately remove them from the pan and set aside.
Make the rolls.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo and sriracha and set this aside.
- Fill a small bowl with water. Grab your first nori sheet, and place it shiny side down on a dry surface. Wet your fingers in the water, and use them to spread the sushi rice all over the nori sheet, leaving about a 1" strip uncovered along one side. On the side opposite the 1" strip, arrange strips of the mushroom and green onion. You want the ingredients to go all the way to the edge of the roll.
- It's time to roll! Start on the side with the filling, and gently roll toward the 1" uncovered strip of nori, pressing gently as you go. If you have a sushi mat, you can use it, but you can roll without one. When you get to that uncovered bit of nori, dip your fingertips into the bowl of water, and sprinkle it onto that part of the nori. Gently finish rolling, pressing lightly as you roll back and forth to make a seal. Use a sharp knife to slice into pieces.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of nori and filling ingredients. Drizzle the spicy mayo on top of the mushroom rolls, and generously sprinkle on the ginger-garlic crunchies. Serve immediately.
Mac (@veganinsweden)
Loved making this crispy topping for my sushi night with friends! We were all ooh-ing and aah-ing how great it was. I'm definitely going to make it often for all sorts of rolls.
Thanks for the recipe! Yum.
Becky Striepe
You are so welcome, Mac!