Smoked Salmon Sushi Balls - Made with flavorful smoked salmon, creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, and spicy mayo wrapped in sticky rice and then coated in furikake seasoning. One bite and you may never go back to making sushi the traditional way again!
These smoked salmon sushi balls are an easy no-bake appetizer or on-the-go snack that has both elements of Japanese and Korean cuisine. Of course, if you eat enough of them, they will count as dinner too!
These simple and healthy bites are an easy way to get the flavors of sushi without having to roll any logs or slice them into pieces. This means you can’t mess it up the way you can ruin tightly rolled sushi!
Make these salmon sushi rice balls the next time you need on-the-go eats or when you need a fun new dinner idea the whole family will love. Even the kids love picking them up and dunking them in soy sauce!
Ingredients for Smoked Salmon and Avocado Rice Balls
- Sushi rice: If you can find a package labeled “sushi rice” as I do, you’ll know you’re using the right kind. It’s starchy, sticky, and holds together when shaped. You can use leftover short-grain white rice as a substitute if you’re in a pinch.
- Smoked salmon: Delicious smoked salmon comes pre-cooked (well, smoked) and is prepared in very thin filets. The only thing you need to do to the salmon is cut it up.
- English cucumber: This kind of cucumber has fewer seeds and contains less water.
- Avocado: Use ripe avocado for easy smashing.
- Mayo & Sriracha: An easy way to make spicy mayo! It’s a delicious addition to all kinds of sushi recipes.
- Furikake seasoning: This blend adds a salty, nutty, crunchy, and slight seafood flavor thanks to the nori, to the outside of the sushi rice balls.
How to Make Sushi Balls
Step 1: If you don’t have leftover rice and will be making a fresh batch, an easy way to do this is with your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of water and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Follow this with a quick release of the pressure. Allow the rice to cool and use it as desired.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine the salmon, with both mayo and sriracha. Mix to combine.
Step 3: Lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Add either ¼ cup or ½ cup of cooked rice to the wrap. How much you use will depend on how big you want to make your sushi rice balls. Spread it with a spoon and press down into the center making a little groove.
Step 4: Into the center of the rice, spoon a bit of the spicy smoked salmon, mashed avocado, and cucumber. Again, how much you use will determine the amount of rice you have used. Do not overfill, just use your best judgment. If you mess up on your first one that’s ok!
Step 5: Use the plastic wrap to fold the rice up into a ball. Press it together so that the rice holds and sticks together, the open portion gets covered and the filling is no longer exposed.
Step 6: Remove the plastic wrap and add furikake seasoning to a shallow dish. Roll each ball to coat. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Enjoy served with soy sauce and sriracha mayo for dipping.
Cooking Tips
- Rice needs to be cool. If making rice just beforehand, allow it to cool until it’s safe to touch. It doesn’t need to be cold, just not hot!
- Make double the amount. You can really make an unlimited amount, which is great for feeding large crowds. Make as many as you can with the ingredients you have. Double, triple, or even halve the recipe to make less than directed.
- Stuff it with different fillings. Smoked salmon, avocado, and cucumber is just the start! Omit the salmon and keep it vegetarian with just avocado or cucumber. Swap the salmon with cooked shrimp or tuna instead. Get creative with it!
- Use a medium or large ice cream scoop for even amounts of rice to get the rice balls all the same size.
Recipe FAQs
This smoked salmon sushi recipe is pretty flexible!
We love it with furikake seasoning but if you can’t find it in your local Walmart or grocery store, you can easily replace them with black sesame seeds, regular or toasted sesame seeds, Panko breadcrumbs, crushed nuts, or leave it plain.
You can serve it with anything you’d serve with traditional sushi! Wasabi and pickled ginger are two other popular options.
Other Asian Inspired Dishes
When YOU make these Salmon Sushi Balls please tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this Salmon Sushi Balls Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting! 😀
📖 Recipe
Smoked Salmon Sushi Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice cooked, i like to cook sushi rice in the instant pot 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of water for 10 minutes (quick release the pressure)
- 4 oz smoked salmon cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup english cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup avocado smashed
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- ½ teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
- furikake seasoning
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine salmon with mayo and sriracha sauce, mix.
- Onto a plastic wrap add ¼ or ½ cup of cooked sushi rice (depends on the sushi ball size you want to make), spread it with a wet spoon and press it down. Into the center add salmon, avocado and cucumber mixture.
- Carefully fold the rice into a ball by picking the edges of the plastic wrap and forming a tight ball. Remove the plastic wrap. Roll each ball in furikake seasoning. Serve with soy sauce and spicy may.
- Serve with soy sauce and spicy may.
Notes
- If you're feeding a large group, consider making double the amount of rice. You can even adjust the recipe to make as much or as little as you need.
- Don't be afraid to get creative with your fillings. You can try using smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, or any combination of your favorite ingredients. You can also swap the salmon with shrimp or tuna to mix things up!
- Finally, for perfectly portioned rice balls, try using a medium or large ice cream scoop. This will help ensure that each rice ball is the same size and shape.
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