By

Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 21, 2025

These Gluten-free sushi recipes are so easy to replicate at home and on a budget. We’ll share all the tips and techniques needed to make this loved treat at home. It's perfect as a quick appetizer, a platter for home entertaining, and a protein-packed lunch box addition.

Sushi is such an easy take-out recipe to replicate once you have all the know-how. I used to think it would be impossible to replicate this Japanese dish at home as I was concerned about getting the rice right and I wanted them to look perfect. We've already discussed that sushi is often gluten-free. It's usually just a few fillings and soy sauce you've got to worry about. My recipe, as always, focuses only on making this delicious meal with gluten-free ingredients. 

Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

My daughter is such an avid eater of sushi and can’t walk past a restaurant or take-out place without looking longingly at the sushi. Literally, in minutes, she would usually ask can we get some. I must admit it always looks so enticing with all the colors and perfect symmetry. I knew I just had to get it right for her sake and we did.

One of the reasons I am so happy we got it right is that this recipe has a great amount of protein in it and with her participating in athletics more, it was important for me to get her a good protein source. And, as any parent knows the lunchbox dilemma is real. It was a constant topic until we discovered these and now the variety is amazing and my daughter can add her creative flair too. 

Added to this is the fact that our friends ask for this when we invite them over. Instead of building a burger, we have even ventured out and did build-your-own sushi. It was loads of fun and all of our friends added to the meal by bringing different fillings. Remember, sushi can be safe to eat. Just remember some handy tips like avoiding some soy sauces (except tamari and others with certified gluten-free labels) so you can eat it out safely at a restaurant.

Why You’ll Love These Recipes

Adaptable. Sushi is one of those dishes where you can change up the ingredients and feel like you are eating something completely different just by changing the inside filling. That's why we've shared two of our favorites with you. We love making California rolls, Philadelphia Rolls, Dragon rolls, or Shrimp Tempura Rolls. Don’t worry this gluten-free tempura recipe will help you with those. 

Healthy. In the heat of summer, it's nice to have a dish like this packed with fresh cooked, or raw fish, seafood, and veggies.

Great allrounder. As a family, we love the fact that it makes the perfect snack, appetizer, and fancy main meal for entertaining and on cooler days it debuts in my daughter's lunchbox.

Simple to make. I have to admit that perhaps due to all restaurants having sushi chefs, this always made me think it was impossible to replicate, but it's simple once you have the know-how which I will share with you. Leave the Itamae (master sushi chefs) to the intricate sushi and we’ll enjoy the simple homemade sushi rolls at home.

Main Ingredients In These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

These are typical ingredients you may have if you love Asian food. They are however easily available at your local or online store.

• Sushi rice is the main ingredient that plays an important role in holding Gluten-free sushi together. While rice is gluten free, you'll need to make sure yours hasn't come into contact with glutinous grains.
• Water is used to cook the rice to the sticky perfection needed.
• Rice vinegar is the ingredient used to flavor the rice, it gives it a slight tang of sweetness.
• Sugar is used to offset the rice vinegar, so the rice has the best flavor.
• Tamari sauce is an alternative you can use instead of soy sauce which has gluten in it. You can use a gluten-free soy sauce if your local supermarket has one. But as always check the ingredient labels.
• Nori sheets are basically dried seaweed pressed into sheets to wrap sushi rolls (maki).
• Carrots are added to the rolls to add some veggies and also add to the texture of the sushi rolls.
• Avocado adds a nice creaminess to the rolls. I like to use ripe but firm slices so it does not go mushy.
• Cucumber balances out all the flavors. You can remove the seeds if preparing the sushi rolls in advance as they tend to have additional moisture.
• Toasted tofu is a good protein source or Shrimp tempura is always the best ingredient to add. Sushi needs something with a nice crunch. Let it cool a bit after making it so it does not affect the other ingredients.
• Sesame oil is brushed onto the nori sheets for more flavor.
• Toasted sesame seeds are a great addition for great presentation and add pops of flavor.

Equipment Needed For These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

Due to us making sushi on a more regular basis, I have invested in a rice maker. They are relatively inexpensive to buy. You can also make the rice in a pot. If you're an Instant Pot fanatic, those are also time-savers and super easy to clean up. I buy my rice in bulk, then use my rice maker (or Instant Pot) to have the sushi rice ready by the time I've cut up the rest of my ingredients.

Another item I use is a bamboo mat. I would encourage you to buy one as it makes the process of making sure all the ingredients are firmly in place and nothing falls apart. You can also use plastic wrap or just use your hands and ensure every ingredient is packed in.

If you have any questions about making gluten-free sushi, please leave a comment, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How To Make These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

The images will show you the step-by-step process. It’s pretty simple but the visuals make it easier for you to see the thickness of the sushi log, how much filling to place in, and also the idea of how thick to slice them.

Add the rice to the rice cooker

Using a rice cooker, cook the sushi rice with water. Mix with rice vinegar, sugar, and tamari sauce once the rice is fully cooked. Mix well. Close the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. 

Assemble The Sushi

Prepare to assemble the sushi. This is where the fun begins and you get to decide what filling you'd like to add inside. Here are two of our favorites.

• Vegan sushi - Place a sheet of nori on the bamboo sushi mat. Spread ¼ cup of seasoned sushi rice, spread over ¾ of the nori sheet. Layer the carrot, avocado, cucumber, and toasted tofu. 
• Shrimp sushi - Put a nori sheet on the bamboo sushi mat. Spread ¼ cup of seasoned sushi rice, spread over ¾ of the nori sheet. Layer the carrot, avocado, cucumber, and shrimp tempura.
• Cucumber rolls - Instead of the other ingredients, just slice cucumber into long strips and layer them over the rice.
• Unagi sushi - One of my all-time favorite sushi recipes uses eel instead of shrimp. The key here is to drizzle some gluten-free eel sauce over the top. Delicious!

If you're making this as a family, this is the part where you can invite everybody else into the kitchen. That way the table ends up with a variety of sushi rolls, all made to taste. Just be sure not to overload the ingredients. If the sushi rolls have too much inside them, they don't hold together very well. Check out my photo here to see how much I include for a generous portion.

Roll The Nori

Brush the ends of the nori sheet with water, and with the help of the bamboo mat, tuck and roll the nori. The water helps seal the seaweed in place. And remember to roll these tight. The sushi rolls need to be tight to hold their shape when you cut them.

Slice The Sushi

Once rolled, use the bamboo mat to gently press and shape the roll. Brush with sesame oil and slice into 6 slices. Remember how I mentioned the importance of rolling everything together tightly? Here's where that pays off. If your rolls fall apart, it sometimes means the roll was too loose. That bamboo mat below the sushi also helps you roll it properly.

Serve the Sushi

Sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds if you want to have that delightful look I have going on in my photo below. Put the chopsticks on the table and let everyone know it's time to eat. If you're making this for anyone with a camera, this is also the time for Instagram and Pinterest. The rolls are always such a hit.

Sauce Optional

I like my sushi the way it's prepared, even without sauce. However it's really common in the US to dip sushi rolls in soy sauce. The gluten-free version is tamari sauce. 

Making These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes In Eight Steps

Here is an overview of all the steps in one image. If you like me and like to skip ahead and see the final result.

Tips For Making These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

• Cook the rice correctly. We use sushi rice and a rice cooker which has the correct water to rice ratio. Common problems are too sticky rice, mush or overcooked, so make this an area of focus to perfect your sushi.
• Cut the rolls with a sharp knife. Always use the sharpest knife as the sushi will tear or you will squash the contents out.
• Use good quality ingredients. If you are using any raw ingredients make sure it is sushi-grade fish. This means it has been frozen, so it does not have any parasites. I tend to buy from my trusted fishery but if you’re not sure then rather use cooked or smoked protein options.
• Practice. If I shared photos of my first sushi experience, you would have a good giggle. It is an art form to make but is not difficult to master. I made it a second time and it looked great.
• Check ingredients are gluten-free. If you opt for soya sauce make sure it’s gluten-free. Other things to take into account are things like imitation crab, nori, rice vinegar, wasabi, pickled ginger, and also any marinades and seasonings you may use. These may have gluten, so be extra careful so you’re not caught off guard.

Common Issues and Fixes for These Gluten-Free Sushi Recipes

• Rice is too sticky, mushy, or undercooked. Use the correct rice and consider a rice cooker.
• Rolls fall apart. Use a bamboo mat so you get all the ingredients firmly together. Make sure you don’t overfill them.
• Rolls tear. Use a sharp knife to cut them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few questions to help you get the perfect sushi rolls.

How Do I Store My Gluten-free Sushi Rolls?

I generally don’t recommend storing sushi rolls for an extended period. The rice starts to dry out so I prefer to make it as close to the time we are eating it as possible.

Can I Freeze Gluten-free Sushi?

I don’t recommend freezing it. You can store certain types of sushi, but I prefer fresh.

Can You Make This Gluten-free Sushi Ahead Of Time?

Yes, 6-8 hours is still optimal. But you need to cover it is plastic wrap in an airtight container so the rice does not dry out and then also keep it in the fridge.

What Variations Can I Make To This Sushi Recipe?

Protein - Swap out the tofu or shrimp tempura for another protein option. 

Marinades and Seasonings - Swop out the marinades and seasonings depending on the filling you use.

Toppings – Add toppings like sesame seeds, green onion, or crushed rice crackers.

Vegan - Use a vegan filling. 

What Can You Serve With This GF Sushi?

This is a complete meal on its own but if you want to make it part of an Asian spread this gluten-free teriyaki chicken is so good. It has such a robust flavor and it's also a great topping if you have extra rice. Looking for something else to drizzle on your sushi? You can also use my recipe for gluten-free teriyaki sauce.

Sushi is a firm favorite for lunch, a filling snack, and for a fancy dinner when we entertain guests. Change up the filling and make platters for various occasions. You won’t regret this one! And please take a minute to share what kind of sushi rolls you made. What are your favorite ingredients to use for the insides? I shared mine above, and I'm looking forward to seeing yours in the comments.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 servings

Gluten-Free Sushi

Print

Gluten-free sushi is so easy to replicate at home. We’ll share all the tips and techniques needed to make this loved food at home.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Rice Base:

• 1 cup sushi rice, japanese short grain rice
• 1 ½ cups water
• 3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• ½ tsp superfine sugar
• 2 tsp tamari sauce

Filling:

• 6 nori sheets
• 2 carrots, boiled and cut into long strip
• 1 avocado, cut into thin slices
• 1 cucumber, cut into long strip
• ½ cup toasted tofu or 6 shrimp tempura
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Using a rice cooker, cook the sushi rice with water.
2. Mix with rice vinegar, sugar, and tamari sauce once the rice is fully cooked. Mix well. Close the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. 
3. Prepare to assemble the sushi. Making vegan sushi: Put a nori sheet on the sushi bamboo mat. Spread ¼ cup of seasoned sushi rice, spread over ¾ of the nori sheet. Put the carrot, avocado, cucumber, and toasted tofu. Brush the ends of the nori sheet with water, and with the help of the bamboo mat, tuck and roll the nori. Once rolled, use the bamboo mat to gently press and shape the roll. Brush with sesame oil and slice into 6 slices.
4. Making shrimp sushi: Put a nori sheet on the sushi bamboo mat. Spread ¼ cup of seasoned sushi rice, spread over ¾ of the nori sheet. Put the carrot, avocado, cucumber, and shrimp tempura. Brush the ends of the nori sheet with water, and with the help of the bamboo mat, tuck and roll the nori. Once rolled, use the bamboo mat to gently press and shape the roll. Brush with sesame oil and slice into 6 slices.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with tamari sauce.

Notes

• Cook the rice correctly. We use sushi rice and a rice cooker which has the correct water to rice ratio. Common problems are too sticky rice, mush, or overcooked, so make this an area of focus to perfect your sushi.
• Cut the rolls with a sharp knife. Always use the sharpest knife as the sushi will tear or you will squash the contents out.
• Use good quality ingredients. If you are using any raw ingredients make sure it is sushi grade. This means it has been frozen, so it does not have any parasites. I tend to buy from my trusted fishery but if you’re not sure then rather use cooked or smoked protein options.
• Practice. If I shared photos of my first sushi experience, you would have a good giggle. It is an art form to make but is not difficult to master. I made it a second time and it looked great.
• Check ingredients are gluten-free. If you opt for soya sauce make sure it’s gluten-free. Other things to take into account are things like imitation crab, nori, rice vinegar, wasabi, pickled ginger, and also any marinades and seasonings you may use. These may have gluten, so be extra careful so you’re not caught off guard. I also have a guide on whether soy sauce is gluten free.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. They never cost you extra.

• 
  Instant Pot Duo
• 
  Sushi and Sashimi Knife
• 
  Digital Rice Cooker

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 527mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands used at the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.

Did you make these Gluten-Free Sushi recipes? If so, please leave a comment and a starred review and let me know what you think.

And as always, you can find all my recipes on GlutenFreePalate.com. That's where I list all the steps and ingredients in detail. My YouTube channel shows videos of all my latest gluten-free recipes.