Spicy Dynamite Rolls
This Spicy Salmon Dynamite Roll is an inside-out sushi roll filled with krab salad, avocado, and cucumber. Each roll is sliced, then topped with spicy salmon, tempura crunch, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
Spicy Salmon Dynamite Roll
When I make a big bowl of spicy salmon for sushi night, I always make extra. This roll was inspired by my favorite roll from my favorite sushi spot, with a few adjustments for what I had on hand.
A classic dynamite roll usually has shrimp tempura or yellowtail with a spicy mayo. This version keeps the spicy and crunchy parts, but the filling is krab salad and the salmon goes on top. The krab salad is the same one from my California Roll Bowl, and the rice and spicy salmon come from my Spicy Salmon Rolls.
If you have never rolled sushi before, this is a good one to start with. It is an inside-out roll, so the rice is on the outside and the nori stays tucked in the middle. You need a bamboo mat and some plastic wrap, and that's about it. Keep your hands damp, don't press the rice too hard, and the roll will behave.
What's "Sushi-Grade" Fish?
"Sushi grade" is not a regulated label in the U.S. What matters is how the fish was handled after it was caught: how fast it was chilled, how it was stored, and whether it was frozen to control parasites. Buy from a fishmonger you trust, tell them it is going into raw sushi, and keep it cold until you dice it. Use your best judgment with raw fish and go with what you are comfortable with.
We catch our own fish around here, and have definitely played a little fast and loose with the freezing recommendations, but we're more adventurous than most in that regard so make sure to do your research. You know why there's a disclaimer on every menu that serves raw or undercooked food, right? Same applies here. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Eating raw fish comes with risk.
Tempura Crunch: Buy It Or Make It
Tempura crunch is also sold as tempura flakes or tenkasu. It is just crispy bits of fried tempura batter. Most Asian grocery stores carry it, but Amazon is spotty, at best. If you want to make your own, the small batch in the recipe card is adapted from Sudachi. It takes about 10 minutes and a little oil. You can also use a pre-made tempura mix, and fry it fresh.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Sushi Bar Flavor At Home: Creamy krab salad inside, spicy salmon on top, and a sauce drizzle. It looks like something you would order, and it costs a lot less.
- Crunch In Every Bite: The tempura crunch adds texture against the soft rice, avocado, and salmon.
- Easy To Prep Ahead: The rice, krab salad, spicy salmon, and sriracha mayo can all be made before you roll.
- Adjustable Heat: Use more or less sriracha in the salmon and in the drizzle.
- Easy To Customize: Swap the raw salmon for extra krab salad or cooked shrimp if you want a no-raw-fish version.
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sushi Rice: Short-grain rice is sticky enough to hold the roll together. Don't swap in long-grain rice. Here's what I use.
- Sushi Rice Seasoning: I like the powdered kind because it keeps the rice from getting too sticky. Seasoned rice vinegar works if that's what you have.
- Krab Sticks: Imitation crab, which is actually fish. It is what most sushi restaurants use in their rolls.
- Kewpie Mayo: Richer and creamier than regular mayo. It goes in the krab salad, the spicy salmon, and the sriracha mayo. Regular mayo works, but it is less tangy and creamy.
- Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is my pick, but regular works too.
- Rice Vinegar: Don't sub another vinegar. Rice vinegar has a milder, slightly sweet flavor.
- King Salmon: Buy it from a source you trust and keep it cold. Tuna also works.
- Sriracha: Adds the heat. Use more or less to match your spice level.
- Avocado: Find one that is ripe but still holds its shape when sliced.
- English Cucumber: Adds crunch. Small Japanese cucumbers work too.
- Nori Sheets: Use the full-size sheets made for sushi rolls.
- Tempura Crunch: Store-bought tenkasu or the homemade version in the recipe card.
- Eel Sauce: Optional. It adds a sweet, savory glaze and is usually sold near the sushi ingredients.
- Soy Sauce, Pickled Ginger, And Wasabi: For serving.
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Cook And Season The Rice - Rinse the sushi rice until the water runs clear, then cook it with water. Fold in the sushi rice seasoning while the rice is still warm, then let it cool to room temperature under a damp towel.
- Make The Krab Salad - Shred or chop the krab sticks and mix with Kewpie mayo, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Keep it in the fridge until you roll.
- Make The Spicy Salmon - Dice the salmon into small cubes and stir with Kewpie mayo and sriracha. Keep it cold.
- Mix The Sriracha Mayo - Stir Kewpie mayo and sriracha together and put it in a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.
- Roll The Sushi - Wrap your bamboo mat in plastic wrap. Spread rice over a full sheet of nori, flip it so the nori faces up, add the krab salad, avocado, and cucumber, and roll tightly.
- Slice The Rolls - Use a sharp, wet knife and wipe the blade between cuts. Cut each roll into 6 pieces and place them cut-side up on a plate.
- Top And Serve - Spoon spicy salmon over each piece, sprinkle on the tempura crunch, and drizzle with sriracha mayo and eel sauce. Serve right away.
Also try this Hawaiian Salmon Poke
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Leave out the spicy salmon and top the rolls with extra krab salad instead. You can also toss diced cooked shrimp or cooked salmon in the same Kewpie and sriracha mixture.
Add it right before serving. It softens quickly once it touches the spicy salmon and the sauces. Homemade crunch keeps best in a bag in the freezer, and you can use it straight from the freezer.
You can make the rice, krab salad, spicy salmon, and sriracha mayo ahead of time. Roll and slice right before serving, since pre-rolled sushi gets soggy. Slice the avocado last so it doesn't brown.
Leftovers can go in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The rice will firm up, the avocado may brown, and the crunch will soften, so these are best eaten fresh.
A mat gives you a tighter, more even roll, and wrapping it in plastic wrap keeps the rice from sticking to it. You can roll with plastic wrap and your hands if that's all you have.
Regular mayo works, but it is less tangy and creamy. A little rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar stirred in gets it closer.
Yes. Raw tuna works well in the spicy mix, and the rest of the recipe stays the same.
Serving Suggestions
More Salmon Recipes
Spicy Salmon Dynamite Roll
This spicy salmon dynamite roll is an inside-out sushi roll filled with krab salad, avocado, and cucumber, then heaped with spicy salmon, tempura crunch, and sriracha mayo.
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 ½ cups sushi rice
- 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 packet sushi rice seasoning powder, or enough for 1 ½ cups rice per package directions
Krab Salad
- 8 ounces krab sticks
- 4 tablespoons Kewpie mayo
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Spicy Salmon
- 2 pounds sashimi-grade king salmon, diced
- ½ cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sriracha, adjust to taste
Sriracha Mayo
- 3 tablespoons Kewpie mayo
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Rolls
- 4 sheets nori
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ English cucumber, julienned
- ½ cup tempura crunch, store-bought or homemade (below)
- 2 tablespoons eel sauce, optional
For Serving
- Soy sauce
- Pickled ginger
- Wasabi, optional
Homemade Tempura Crunch (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cold carbonated water
- ½ teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ice cube
- Neutral oil, for frying
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Instructions
Make The Rice
- Rinse the sushi rice in cold water until the water runs clear.
- Cook the rice with the water in a rice cooker or covered pot until tender.
- While the rice is still warm, move it to a wide bowl. Sprinkle the sushi rice seasoning powder evenly over the top and fold it in with a slicing motion, being careful not to mash the grains.
- Let the rice cool to room temperature, covered with a damp towel.
Make The Fillings And Toppings
- Shred or chop the krab sticks. Gently mix with the Kewpie, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Refrigerate until ready to roll.
- Dice the salmon into small bite-sized cubes. In a large bowl, stir with the Kewpie and sriracha until well coated. Refrigerate until ready to top the rolls.
- Stir the Kewpie and sriracha for the sriracha mayo. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.
- If making the tempura crunch, chill all ingredients first (except the baking powder).
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 340°F to 350°F. Mix the cold water, carbonated water, and rice vinegar in a bowl. Whisk the cake flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together, sift into the wet mixture, and stir lightly with chopsticks, leaving a few lumps. Add the ice cube.
- Dip a whisk in the batter and shake it over the hot oil so small drops fall in and puff up. Work in small batches. Fry about 2 minutes, until light golden. Scoop out with a mesh spoon and drain on paper towels.
Roll The Sushi
- Wrap a bamboo mat in plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down.
- With damp hands, spread about 1 cup of rice in a thin, even layer over the entire sheet. Don't press hard.
- Flip the nori over so the rice faces down on the mat. Across the lower third of the nori, line up one quarter of the krab salad, avocado, and cucumber.
- Roll the mat up and over the filling, tucking as you go, and press gently to seal and shape. Repeat with the remaining nori.
Slice, Top, And Serve
- Use a sharp, wet knife to cut each roll into 6 pieces, wiping the blade between cuts. Stand the pieces upright on a platter.
- Heap one quarter of the spicy salmon over the pieces from each roll. Sprinkle with the tempura crunch, then drizzle with the sriracha mayo and eel sauce.
- Serve right away with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Notes
- Add the tempura crunch right before serving so it stays crisp.
- Keep your hands damp while handling the rice so it doesn't stick.
- Press the rice gently. Packing it tight makes the roll dense.
- Keep the salmon cold until you are ready to dice it, and dice it close to serving time.
- Thin the sriracha mayo with a teaspoon of water if it is too thick to drizzle.
- Leftover homemade tempura crunch keeps best in the freezer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 458Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 725mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 26gNutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
