Teriyaki sushi stuffed with savory tofu and crunchy veggies is easy to make and so delicious! Don't worry if you've never rolled sushi before. I have detailed directions and a video to help.
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The filling for this easy teriyaki sushi is a modified version of my baked teriyaki tofu. For sushi, your tofu pieces need to be long and skinny, so that impacts the prep and baking time just a little bit.
To make the tofu, you bake it in sweet-salty-tangy teriyaki sauce until it's firm and flavorful. You can use store-bought teriyaki sauce or make your own vegan teriyaki sauce from scratch.
While the tofu bakes, you have plenty of time to make your sushi rice and prep your veggies.
Then, just roll, slice, and devour!
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- teriyaki sauce - You can use store-bought or homemade teriyaki sauce. If you do use store-bought, make sure it's a good, thick sauce like Soy Vey. Some packaged teriyaki sauces are just seasoned soy sauce, and they will make your tofu too salty. Just make sure that you choose a good one that you like the flavor of!
- tofu - Pressed and sliced extra firm tofu is the carrier for the teriyaki flavor in this sushi. For sushi, you want your tofu sliced into long, skinny strips.
- sushi rice - You can use short grain white rice instead, if you can't find sushi rice.
- rice vinegar and agave nectar - To season the sushi rice.
- nori sheets - For rolling the sushi.
- veggies - I'm using red bell pepper, cucumber, and green onions. Feel free to use veggies of choice!
🔪 How to make teriyaki sushi
Preheat the oven to 425° F, and press and slice your tofu.
Spread about ¼ cup of the teriyaki sauce on the bottom of an 8x8" baking pan. Add the tofu, and cover it with about another ⅓ cup of teriyaki sauce. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tofu reaches your desired consistency.
Make the sushi rice while the tofu bakes.
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.
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 tofu, red pepper, cucumber, 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. Serve immediately drizzled with some of the leftover teriyaki sauce from the tofu pan. You can also sprinkle on some sesame seeds, if you like.
💡 Tips for the BEST teriyaki sushi
- It is SO important that you use a good quality teriyaki sauce! Thin ones will make your tofu way too salty and just don't have enough other flavor. You want one that's thick -- closer in consistency to BBQ sauce than to soy sauce.
- When handling the cooked sushi rice, moisten your fingertips to prevent sticking.
- When you're pressing the rice onto your nori sheet, make sure to leave a 1" strip uncovered. You'll moisten this strip to seal your roll.
🫙 Storage directions
Sushi is best served immediately, because the rice will dry out and harden in the fridge. If you do want to make this ahead, I wouldn't make it more than a day ahead of time. You can bake the teriyaki tofu up to 3 days ahead, though!
💬 Frequently asked questions
Sushi rice is idea. 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 preparing rice, so as long as you're using sushi rice, you're eating sushi!
Sure! Who's stopping you? Really, though, if the fillings seem like they'll be delicious dipped in teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce, go for it.
🍱 More vegan sushi recipes
📖 Recipe
Teriyaki Sushi
Ingredients
For the teriyaki tofu
- ¾ cup teriyaki sauce choose a good quality sauce, since this is what you're using to flavor your tofu. You can use an extra tablespoon or two to drizzle on top of the rolls, too, if you want.
- ½ block extra firm tofu pressed and cut into strips
For the sushi rice
- 1 ¼ cups dry sushi rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
For the teriyaki sushi
- 3 nori sheets
- ½ red bell pepper sliced into strips
- ½ cucumber seeded and sliced into strips
- 2 to 3 green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F, and press and slice your tofu.
- Spread about ¼ cup of the teriyaki sauce on the bottom of an 8x8" baking pan. Add the tofu, and cover it with about another ⅓ cup of teriyaki sauce. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tofu reaches your desired consistency.
Make the sushi rice while the tofu bakes.
- 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.
Make the teriyaki sushi
- 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 tofu, red pepper, cucumber, 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. Serve immediately drizzled with some of the leftover teriyaki sauce from the tofu pan. You can also sprinkle on some sesame seeds, if you like.
eileen
Love your ingredients. I can not wait to make this