This vegetarian sweet potato sushi roll recipe is so easy and delicious! Filled with sushi rice, roasted sweet potatoes, rolled in a nori seaweed wrap and drizzled with a creamy spicy Sriracha mayo dressing, this is the perfect snack, lunch or easy dinner!
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I have a confession. I absolutely love Japanese sushi rolls, sashimi and pretty much all Asian food! Vegetable Sushi probably ranks in my top 10 favorite foods, along with Salmon Tataki and Yellowtail Sashimi.
Making sushi rolls at home may seem difficult, but it is actually surprisingly easy! Pretty much after the sushi roll, you will be on a roll (pun intended)! You can make sweet potato roll sushi using tempura sweet potato, or you can use roasted sweet potatoes in this recipe which is so much easier and still tastes amazing.
Why this recipe works
- The delicious roasted sweet potatoes pair perfectly with fluffy sushi rice for a healthy and filling vegetarian snack or meal. Don’t forget to drizzle these rolls in delicious spicy Bang Bang Sauce, sweet umami Eel Sauce or bring that heat with my Chili Crisp for an extra kick!
- You can make these sweet potato rolls using white or black rice. I love making Instant Pot Sushi Rice or Instant Pot Black Rice because it is super easy and quick.
- The vegetable sushi rolls are great for vegetarians, vegans or your meat eating friends. Even my toddler loves them! You can also add in different pickled vegetables or avocado if you want to mix it up. Be sure to check out my 8 different Vegetable Sushi Rolls for more sushi ideas!
What is a sweet potato sushi roll?
A sweet potato roll sushi (sweet potato maki) is roasted sweet potato, other vegetables of choice and sushi rice, wrapped in nori (thin sheet of seaweed). Sushi in the form of a roll is called Makizushi. It can often include various sauces such as spicy mayo, eel sauce or even maple syrup mixed with soy sauce!
Ingredients for sweet potato sushi roll
- Sweet Potatoes: I recommend roasting your sweet potatoes for extra flavor. However, if you are short on time, you can pop them in the microwave to cook them and then slice them!
- Sushi Rice: Some excellent brands of sushi rice brands that I have had good luck with are Lundberg Organic California Sushi Rice, Botan Calrose Rice and Nishiki Premium Grade Rice.
- Nori Seaweed Paper: You can buy nori sheets at most grocery stores in the Asian section. You can also find a large variety of roasted nori seaweed sheets on Amazon.
- Sesame Seeds: White or black sesame seeds are both delicious. I like a combo because it’s pretty!
Sushi dipping sauces
- Eel Sauce: This eel sauce recipe is a balance of salty and sweet with deep umami for your favorite sushi roll. It is also great on meat, vegetables and Japanese tempura.
- Chili Crisp: This chili crisp recipe packs crispy crunchy bits of garlic and chili peppers to create a spicy chili oil full of rich umami flavor.
- Bang Bang Sauce: Bang Bang Sauce is sweet, spicy, creamy and the perfect drizzle or dipping sauce for seafood (shrimp!), meat and vegetables.
- Miso Ginger Dressing: This tart, tangy beautiful dressing will lift up any salad for the perfect flavorful bite. It is super easy to make and only 5 ingredients! Delicious on salads or as a dip for veggies – who doesn’t love a healthy snack!? This is delicious for miso sweet potato sushi.
- Black Tahini: Black sesame paste (black tahini) adds a rich nutty flavor (similar to sesame oil) to hummus, salad dressings and even desserts such as ice cream, cupcakes or brownies.
How to make sushi rice
Sushi rice is a necessary ingredient for your sweet potato sushi roll. Sushi rice is most commonly made with medium grain white rice. However, it can also be prepared with brown rice, short grain rice or even black forbidden rice. It is then mixed with rice vinegar.
If you would like to make your sushi rice with the quick and easy instant pot method, check out my Instant Pot Sushi Rice. You can also make in a rice cooker – no problem! If you would like to make black rice for your sweet potato sushi, you can check out How to Make Black Rice for my detailed instructions.
How to make sweet potato sushi roll
For an excellent video on how to make sushi rolls was made by Kikkoman USA, the maker of Kikkoman Soy Sauce. See also sweet potato sushi roll recipe steps below.
- Cover a bamboo sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap.
- Place a sheet of nori on the mat.
- Dip hands in water and clap to remove excess water. It helps to keep small bowl of water near you and a towel.
- Spread a layer of rice across the nori. You will use about 1 cup cooked rice per full nori sheet.
- Spread rice over whole surface of nori (no gap).Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Flip nori over (rice side down, nori up).
- Place 3-4 thin sweet potato strips lengthwise in a strip across the rice. Placement should be aboiut 1 inch or so from the bottom of the rice paper. Be careful not to put too many or sushi roll will not close well.
- Use bamboo mat to lift edges up and over filling. Use fingers to tuck roll.
- Tuck mat tightly into roll shape so only nori with no rice is exposed, pull back and tighten.
- Move mat and shape roll, repeat squeeze and shape.
- Slice and wipe with wet towel after each slice to prevent knife from getting too sticky.
- Cut in half and then each half into 3 segments.
Is sweet potato sushi roll healthy?
Yes! This is a great vegan and vegetarian option. Because the sweet potato is roasted, not fried like a coated tempura style sweet potato (fried sweet potato roll), it is much lower in fat. Sweet potatoes are also packed with nutrients.
FAQ and expert tips
Nigiri is a bite size rectangular/rounded ball of rice topped with a piece of fish (or sashimi) which can be raw or cooked.
A sweet potato sushi roll is widely considered one of the healthiest sushi rolls. However, many different variations such as a California roll, avocado roll or cucumber roll are also very healthy.
A sweet potato tempura roll is sweet potato which is battered and deep fried in a tempura batter combined with sushi rice and wrapped in nori (thin sheet of seaweed).
This varied widely depending on preparation. If the sweet potato is roasted vs. deep fried in tempura batter it will be lower in calories. It will also depend on what other fillings are in the sushi roll and any type of optional sauce such as spicy mayo, bang bang sauce or eel sauce.
Sweet potato roll sushi is a flexible recipe that contains to primary ingredients: sweet potatoes and sushi rice. The ingredients are wrapped in nori seaweed. Variations can include different sweet potato preparations such as oven roasted, tempura battered and fried or even cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave. You can also add pickled or raw vegetables, avocado and other sauces.
Looking for other delicious Asian inspired recipes?
- Vegetable Sushi Rolls: With 8 different varieties to choose from!
- Salmon Tataki: Lightly seared salmon with an umami soy citrus dipping sauce.
- Yellowtail Sashimi: Delicately sliced mild yellowtail hamachi tuna with a delicious garlic ponzu dipping sauce.
- Furikake Salmon: Delicious baked salmon coated in a cruncy umami furikake seasoning that brings the crunch and the flavor!
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Sweet Potato Sushi Roll
Equipment
- Instant pot (sushi rice), bamboo sushi mat, plastic wrap
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 cup small or medium grain white rice
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
Sweet Potato Sushi Roll
- 1 sheet nori (seaweed paper)
- 1/2 tsp white or black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes – cut into match sticks
- pickled ginger (optional)
- wasabi (optional)
Optional Sauces
- spicy sriracha mayo
- bang bang sauce
- eel sauce
Instructions
How to make sushi rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer to remove excess starch (water should run clean). Shake off excess water.
- Add rinsed rice and salt to instant pot. Add water. Add 1 tsp salt.
- Cook on instant pot high pressure setting for 6 minutes (with full natural release).
- Transfer rice to bowl. Add rice vinegar evenly over rice.
- Gently fold rice to incorporate rice vinegar, be careful not to smash rice.
Bake sweet potatoes
- Peel sweet potato and cut lengthwise into approximately 1/2-inch thick strips.
- Coat with olive oil and bake for approximately 15-25 minutes (on 425F). Sweet potatoes should be tender.
- Allow to cool before preparing sweet potato sushi rolls.
How to roll sweet potato sushi rolls
- Cover a bamboo sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap.
- Place a sheet of nori on the mat.
- Dip hands in water and clap to remove excess water. It helps to keep small bowl of water near you and a towel.
- Spread a layer of rice across the nori. You will use about 1 cup cooked rice per full nori sheet.
- Spread rice over whole surface of nori (no gap).Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Flip nori over (rice side down, nori up).
- Place 3-4 thin sweet potato strips lengthwise in a strip across the rice. Placement should be aboiut 1 inch or so from the bottom of the rice paper. Be careful not to put too many or sushi roll will not close well.
- Use bamboo mat to lift edges up and over filling. Use fingers to tuck roll.
- Tuck mat tightly into roll shape so only nori with no rice is exposed, pull back and tighten.
- Move mat and shape roll, repeat squeeze and shape.
- Slice and wipe with wet towel after each slice to prevent knife from getting too sticky.
- Cut in half and then each half into 3 segments.
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