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These bang bang shrimp sushi hand rolls are crispy, creamy, and beginner-friendly! Crunchy pan-fried shrimp, creamy avocado, cool cucumber, seasoned rice, and a sweet-spicy bang bang sauce—all wrapped in crisp seaweed. They’re perfect for date night or a DIY sushi bar.
I’ll show you how to prep everything ahead and roll them up like a pro, plus tips to keep the seaweed crisp, the rice soft and flavorful, and the shrimp golden and juicy. For a rice-free option, try my low-carb tuna temaki hand roll!
Table of Contents
Quick look at the recipe
Growing up in Taiwan, hand-rolled sushi—called temaki in Japanese—were always a treat. They’re cone-shaped rolls made with a sheet of nori, sushi rice, and fresh fillings. No bamboo mat, no slicing, no stress. Just roll and eat with your hands. It’s one of those fun, interactive meals we’d enjoy at Japanese restaurants, and they’re much easier to make at home than cut sushi rolls like maki.
This version is especially beginner-friendly. You get crispy shrimp, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, and a bold bang bang sauce that ties everything together. It’s flavorful, fun to eat, and hard to mess up. And with a few simple tips, you’ll get that perfect balance of texture and flavor on your first try.
Main Ingredient Notes
The ingredients are simple and easy to find at Western or Asian grocery stores, but a few key details make these hand rolls taste extra fresh and authentic—just like the ones at your favorite sushi spot.
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Short-grain white rice
This is the classic rice for sushi. It’s sticky enough to hold the roll together and has a chewy, tender texture that pairs perfectly with crisp veggies and a creamy sauce. The rice is seasoned with vinegar, a bit of sugar, and salt, which is traditional for sushi.
Nori sheets
These are easy to find in most grocery stores. They are usually 8 inches by 7 inches in size. Use unseasoned nori, and keep the pack sealed in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it. Once opened, only take out one sheet at a time—nori softens fast when exposed to air.
Shrimp (16/20 count per pound)
Slightly larger shrimp are perfect for the size of the wrap, plus they’re juicy and flavorful at this size. I recommend using white shrimp, peeled and deveined to save time.
Persian cucumbers
They’re crunchier and less watery than regular cucumbers. Japanese cucumbers are another great option if you can find them.
Bang bang sauce
This creamy sauce is sweet, tangy, and a little bit spicy. It’s made with Kewpie mayo, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and a bit of ketchup and honey for sweetness.
How to Make Hand Rolls That Stay Crisp and Don’t Fall Apart
Prepping your ingredients in advance is key to avoiding soggy seaweed or temaki sushi that falls apart. Follow these tips for flavorful rice, crunchy veggies, and golden, juicy shrimp.
Season the rice so it’s flavorful
- Sushi rice is the foundation of your roll—it should taste slightly tangy, a little sweet, and well-seasoned.
- Prepare your seasonings while the rice cooks. Gently heat the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves, but don’t let it boil.
- Fold the seasoning mix into the rice while it is still hot so it can absorb the flavors.
📌 Tip: Let the seasoned rice cool to room temp before assembling the hand rolls. It should be sticky but not wet. Read my post on how to make sushi rice for more tips.
Slice the veggies for crunch and easy rolling
Crisp, dry vegetables make rolling easier and prevent soggy nori.
- For the cucumbers, slice them into planks first. Cut each plank along the seedline to make two thin strips, removing the seeds so they don’t release moisture into the wraps.
- Use a ripe but firm avocado, sliced thin so it doesn’t squish when rolled.
Make a bold, tangy bang bang sauce
- The sauce can be made ahead, and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. Simply mix the sauce and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to roll.
Fry the shrimp until golden and crispy
Shallow-frying in batches gives you a crisp texture with minimal oil. If you prefer air frying, try my air fryer bang bang shrimp.
- Once peeled and deveined, make a few shallow cuts along the belly to keep the shrimp from curling. This will make rolling easier.
- Coat each shrimp in an egg white wash and starch. This will help them puff up nicely and turn crispy, golden brown.
How to Roll Hand Rolls That Don’t Fall Apart
It may take you a couple of tries, but rolling a sushi cone is easy once you get the hang of it! Pay attention to the order and placement of the filling ingredients.
- Cut each nori sheet in half to make a long rectangle. Be sure you’re rolling with the shiny side down.
- Spread a thin layer of rice over one half of the sheet—don’t cover the whole thing. Add the cucumber strips at a diagonal from the top left corner. Then add avocado, a piece of shrimp, and sauce.
- Start rolling from the bottom left corner, using your right hand to tuck in the edge and form the temaki cone shape as you roll. Use a piece of rice or two to seal the wrap.
📌 Don’t overfill! Less is more—overstuffed rolls won’t seal or hold their shape.
Serve right away for crisp nori
- Nori softens quickly when it touches rice or moisture. Roll just before serving for the perfect crispy bite.
How to serve it and more filling ideas
These rolls are surprisingly filling—aim for 2 per person. If you’re serving a crowd or making for a sushi bar, prep all the ingredients, including the rice, in advance. It’s a great hands-on activity for a party! Make a single roll and eat it before making another so the nori stays crisp.
- Dipping sauce: Japanese hand rolls are typically served with soy sauce. Extra bang bang sauce or this honey sriracha sauce are great on the side.
- Variations: Try a California hand roll, a salmon hand roll, or even a spicy tuna hand roll. Always use sushi-grade raw fish.
- More filling ideas: Add Asian pickled cucumbers, pickled daikon, or pickled garlic for crunch.
- Pairings: Serve with soup for a full meal. Tomato egg drop soup, shrimp wonton soup, or daikon soup are all great options.
ChihYu’s helpful notes
After testing this recipe several times, here are the key things I think will help you the most, especially if it’s your first time making hand roll sushi at home:
- Prep everything before opening the nori. Nori softens fast once exposed to air, so have your rice, veggies, shrimp, and sauce ready to go before you even touch the seaweed.
- Use short-grain rice and keep it warm. Warm rice gives you the right sticky texture for hand rolls. If it’s too hot, it’ll steam the nori. If it’s cold, it won’t stick, and the roll might fall apart.
- Slice the cucumber and avocado into thin, even strips. Removing the cucumber seeds helps keep the rolls crunchy and prevents soggy bites.
- Don’t overfill the roll. It might be tempting, but too much filling makes it hard to roll and seal. A little goes a long way when the sauce and texture are on point.
- Eat right after rolling. These are best fresh, when the nori is still crisp and the shrimp is hot. If you wait too long, the seaweed turns chewy.
FAQs
You can prepare the rice, veggies, sauce, and even get the shrimp ready by peeling and deveining them ahead of time. But don’t fry the shrimp until you’re ready to eat—hot, crispy shrimp makes all the difference. It still saves you a lot of time, and the rolls will taste way better freshly cooked.
Don’t open the nori until everything else is ready. Moisture in the air softens it fast. Once you add the rice and fillings, serve and eat right away for the best crunch..
Use half a sheet of nori, shiny side down. Spread a thin layer of rice over one half of the sheet—don’t cover the whole thing. Add just a few strips of filling and place them on a diagonal, not straight across. That way, when you roll the nori into a cone, the fillings stay tucked in instead of spilling out. Use a grain of rice to seal the edge.
While fresh hand rolls taste the best, here’s a little trick—place leftover rolls in an air fryer basket with a liner. No need to preheat or spray oil. Air fry at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes. The rice softens up, the avocado stays intact, and the nori actually crisps up again. It’s not perfect, but surprisingly good!
Try these nori-wrapped sushi recipes next!
Now that you’re a nori expert, try your hand and these tasty and easy sushi variations. They’re great summer meals, low carb, and gluten-free!
Bang bang shrimp sushi hand roll recipe
Ingredients
Hand roll fillings:
- 1.5 cups cooked short grain white rice about 2.5 tbsp rice per roll
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sugar use ½ tsp if using coconut sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt just a small pinch
- 4 whole persian cucumbers
- 1 large avocado
For the crispy shrimp:
- 8 pieces large white shrimp 16/20 count per pound, deveined and shelled
- 1 large egg white whisk until frothy
- 4 tbsp potato starch or tapioca starch
- ¼-⅓ cup avocado oil
For the nori wraps:
- 4 large piece nori sheets about 7×8 inches
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds
Bang bang sauce (makes about 1 cup):
- ½ cup kewpie mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½-1 tsp hot sauce or Sriracha, sweet chili sauce
- 0.2 oz garlic clove grated or crushed, about 1 large clove
- 0..5 tbsp light soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 tbsp ketchup
- 2 pinches coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp honey or to taste, optional
Instructions
Rice, Vegetable, and Sauce prep:
- Rice: Start with freshly cooked short grain rice. While the rice is still hot, prepare the seasoning: In a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat it over low to medium-low, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. The mixture should be lukewarm, not boiling.
- Transfer the hot rice to a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the seasoning while gently fluffing the rice with a rice paddle. Use a folding motion—scoop from the bottom and turn it over—being careful not to smash the grains.
- Let the rice cool slightly at room temperature. It should stay a little sticky and soft, but not hot or wet. Cover with a damp towel if needed to keep it from drying out.
- See how to make sushi rice in a rice cooker for more info.
- Cucumber: Trim both ends. Slice lengthwise into planks, about 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thick—you should get 4 to 5 slices per cucumber. For each plank, make two cuts along the seedline to remove the center with seeds. You’ll end up with 2 seedless sticks per plank. Discard the seedy centers to keep the cucumber sticks crunchy. Repeat for the rest.
- Avocado: Remove skin and pit. Slice lengthwise into thin pieces, about 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thick.
- Arrange the cucumbers and avocado on a plate, cover loosely, and store in the fridge while you prepare the shrimp.
- Bang Bang Sauce: In a mixing cup, whisk all the ingredients together (from mayo to honey). Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Make crispy shrimp:
- Prep Shrimp: Peel and devein. To prevent curling, make a few shallow diagonal cuts along the belly to relax the muscle.
- Egg White & Starch: Whisk egg white until frothy in a small bowl. In another larger bowl, add the starch.
- Heat Oil: In a heavy-bottom 12-inch wok or pan with high walls, add oil and preheat over medium-low. Test the temperature by dipping a dry chopstick into the oil—if small bubbles form immediately, it’s ready.
- Coat Shrimp: Dip shrimp in the egg white, then coat with starch. Shake off excess.
- Shallow Fry: Add shrimp to the pan, belly side down, leaving space between each. Raise heat to medium. Fry about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Drain: Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil and keep the shrimp crispy.
Assemble temaki hand rolls
- Cut Nori Sheets: Most nori sheets are rectangular (about 7 x 8 inches). Fold each sheet in half across the long side, so the shorter edges meet. Use kitchen shears to cut along the folded line—this gives you 2 long rectangular pieces, perfect for hand rolls.
- Add Rice: Place one half-sheet shiny side down. Add about 2 to 2½ tbsp cooked rice to the left side and gently spread it out to cover half the sheet. Leave the right side empty.
- Add Fillings: Sprinkle rice with toasted sesame seeds. Add 2 to 3 cucumber sticks, 2 slices of avocado, and 1 shrimp (on a slight diagonal). Drizzle 1 to 2 tsp bang bang sauce on top.
- Roll into Cone: With one hand, fold the bottom left corner of the nori over the filling and roll it into a cone shape. Use your other hand to help tuck in the filling as you roll.
- Seal the Cone: Use a few grains of rice to "glue" the edge of the nori closed.
To serve:
- Place the hand rolls on a large serving plate. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and drizzle with a little more sauce over the filling.
- Eat immediately while the nori is still firm and crisp.
Notes
- Smaller portion: You can easily cut the recipe in half for a smaller serving size.
- Don’t overload the filling: If there’s too much inside, it’ll be harder to roll and seal the hand rolls.
- Eat right away: Nori sheets turn soft and limp quickly once they’re exposed to moisture in the air, so it’s best to enjoy the rolls immediately.
- Prep tip: Prepare all the fillings—vegetables, rice, shrimp, and sauce—before you open the nori packaging. Once exposed to air, the sheets soften fast.
- Leftovers: Here’s a little hack: Place leftover rolls in an air fryer basket lined with a liner. No need to preheat or spray oil. Air fry at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes. The rice softens and warms back up, the avocado holds its shape, and the nori actually gets crisper, not soggy. It won’t be as perfect as freshly rolled temaki, but it’s a great save if you made more than you can eat!
- Should you season the rice? If you’re in a hurry and not too picky, you can skip it and use freshly cooked rice. The rolls will still taste great thanks to the bang bang sauce!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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