Salmon and avocado are a classic pairing, and serving them together in a sushi roll is always popular. If this is your first time attempting to roll your own maki, remember the golden rule: Don’t overfill with ingredients. It’s tempting to load it up with the good stuff, but the rolls will be more difficult to seal, and they’ll burst when you go to cut them. Remember to make a batch of Sushi Rice before you begin..

See our guide to easy homemade sushi for more tips. And see our guide to types of salmon for more about different varieties of the fish.

  • Yield: 32 pieces
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 25 mins 
  • Active: 25 mins

Ingredients (8)

  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced thinly
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar or lemon juice
  • 4 sheets nori
  • About 3 cups cooked and cooled Sushi Rice (recipe link in intro)
  • 8 ounces sashimi-grade salmon, cut into ½-inch strips
  • Pickled ginger
  • Wasabi
  • Soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle the avocado with vinegar to prevent browning while you work.
  2. Place a bamboo sushi mat on a flat work surface with the slats running horizontally. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat. Place a sheet of nori on the plastic wrap, shiny side down.
  3. With wet hands, spread about 3/4 cup of the rice over the surface of the nori, leaving about a 1/2-inch uncovered on the furthest edge. Press and spread the rice down firmly but gently, wetting your hands again if needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Set the salmon pieces end-to-end across the center of the rice. Top the salmon with a few slices of avocado (it’s okay if they overlap a bit). Begin rolling the edge of the bamboo closest to you over the salmon line, using the mat to press down on the sushi roll firmly but gently. When you get to the raw edge of nori, use your finger to lightly wet the nori, then continue to roll up so it’s sealed. The nori should stick to itself when the roll is complete.
  5. Remove the plastic wrap and set the roll aside, covering with a damp cloth while you work on the remaining rolls. Repeat until all of the rice has been used.
  6. Cut each roll in half, and then half again, and then half again, so each roll is cut into 8 even pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.