This sushi bowl recipe is the easiest way to satisfy a sushi craving at home! Flavorful fixings like sliced avocado, nori and spicy mayo top seasoned rice.
When I like to eat sushi but I don’t like it ready Sushi, I make this sushi bowl recipe instead. It’s easy to put together (no rolling required!), but it still captures all the flavors and textures I love in a good veggie sushi roll. Creamy avocado plays off sticky seasoned rice, which is contrasted with crisp, cool cucumber and crackly nori. I add ripe mango for sweetness, baked tofu for protein, and a big dollop of spicy mayo for richness and heat. I like to prepare the ingredients ahead of time and enjoy this sushi bowl for a midweek lunch, but it also makes a fun, refreshing dinner.
Sushi Bowl Recipe Ingredients
This sushi bowl recipe starts with shortcut sushi rice. Why the shortcut? Well, real sushi rice is made with specific varieties of Japanese short grain rice that is carefully cooked, seasoned and cooled. You can learn more about preparing it here. Because we’re making a sushi bowl and not actual sushi, this recipe is a little more flexible. Cook any type of rice you like (small-grain white and brown rice are my favorites!), and, while it’s still warm, season with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt to add that signature sweet and tangy sushi rice flavor.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the toppings:
- Baked Tofu – It’s delicious, spicy and crispy around the edges. My air fryer tofu is great here too!
- Avocado – A veggie sushi staple!
- mango – The interplay of sweet and savory flavors is one of my favorite parts of eating sushi, so I like to include sliced mango as a sweet, juicy ingredient in this bowl. It contrasts perfectly with the rich avocado and spicy mayo.
- cucumber – for the crunch.
- Scallions – For fresh, onion flavor.
- pickled ginger – It adds a refreshing, peppery note to this bowl. Look for it in Asian markets or the Asian section of well-stocked grocery stores.
- Pickled radish – optional, but delicious! They add a gorgeous pop of pink to this sushi bowl recipe and enhance the sweet and tangy flavors.
- Spicy Mayo – Maybe the best part of this bowl?? This sauce is a simple blend of sriracha, mayonnaise, lime juice, and sesame oil and is very easy to whip together. Make it vegan by using store-bought or homemade vegan mayo.
- and garnishes – Microgreens, sesame seeds and nori of course! Can’t find the Nori sheet? Shred your favorite brand of seaweed snacks!
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
Sushi Bowl Meal Preparation Tips
Many of the ingredients in this sushi bowl are good if you make them ahead, so it’s a great meal prep dish.
- Store both the baked tofu and Sriracha mayo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Pickled radishes keep up to 2 weeks in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
- And you can pre-cut fresh ingredients like mangoes, cucumbers and green onions and store them in the fridge. Just wait until the last minute to slice the avocado!
One ingredient that doesn’t keep well is rice, which dries out in the fridge. You can keep it for about 2 days. Next, I would consider freezing an alternative grain, like quinoa, or some rice and thawing it the day you plan to eat it.
Assemble bowls completely in advance in a meal prep container, or keep ingredients close at hand so you can quickly put together a bowl at mealtime.
Variety of recipes
We love this sushi bowl recipe as written, but there are all kinds of ways to modify it! Feel free to customize it to your liking. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap sauces. Instead of making spicy mayo, top your bowl with a drizzle of tamari or soy sauce and a squirt of sriracha. Or make a tangy tamari dressing from this rice bowl recipe.
- Add additional vegetables. The more the merrier, right?! A little shredded cabbage, julienned carrots or some sauteed mushrooms would be great here.
- Choose another protein. Top off your bowl with baked tempeh or edamame.
Let me know what variations you try!
More favorite cereal bowls
If you like this sushi bowl recipe, try one of these yummy grain bowls:
Or, make your own sushi at home! Try this maki sushi recipe or these vegan sushi rolls.
Sushi bowl
serves 4
- 3 the cup Cook brown or white rice
- 2 tablespoon Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugarcane
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 recipe Baked Tofu
- 2 avocados, to cut
- 2 ripe mango, to cut
- 2 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- pickled ginger
- pickled radish, optional
- Thinly sliced nori or seaweed snacks, For the garnish
- sesame seeds, For the garnish
- Microgreens, For the garnish
- Spicy Mayo, to serve
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While the rice is still hot, toss with the rice vinegar, cane sugar and salt.
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Divide between 4 bowls and top with baked tofu, avocado, mango, cucumber, scallions, pickled ginger and pickled radish, if using. Garnish with nori, sesame and microgreens and serve with spicy mayo.