Ginger Sushi Burrito Recipe

You've had sushi; you've had burritos. But what about a sushi burrito? Recipe developer Kit Hondrum of Kit's Kitchen was inspired when she tried this fusion creation in Washington D.C. five years ago, and not only has she been "hooked ever since," but she was inspired to make her very own ginger sushi burrito recipe at home.

"They're perfect for when you want sushi, but need something portable and quick," she says.

This ginger sushi burrito is filled with a layer of sushi rice and loads of fish: both salmon and tuna are joined by crisp cucumber slices and carrot ribbons, green onion tops, creamy avocado, and a hearty helping of bright pickled ginger. The resulting burrito is seasoned with sriracha mayo and rolled in a nori sheet, making it both tasty and portable.

One burrito, notes Hondrum, "is enough for one person."

"It's about eating two maki sushi rolls," she says. "Some people might want more and for some it would be a sufficient meal."

To make this ginger sushi burrito, you will need sushi rice, which you'll season with a combo of seasoned rice vinegar, sugar, and salt — just like a sushi chef. For the sauce, you'll combine mayo and sriracha.

Nori sheets form the wrapper of this burrito, which is filled with sesame seeds, romaine lettuce, avocado, carrot, pickled ginger, green onion, and Japanese cucumber, which Hondrum notes is similar to an English cucumber. The softer skin and smaller seeds are ideal for the texture of this burrito.

"Plus you want to cut them to fit the exact size of the nori sheet," explains Hondrum, "so you really want to have a longer one."

Of course, the pièce de résistance of this burrito is the fish: sushi-grade salmon and ahi tuna, both thinly sliced across the grain for improved texture.

"I get my tuna fresh from a local fish market," says Hondrum. "And the salmon I buy farmed frozen from the Faroe Islands or Norway. If you're buying tuna frozen, as far as I know you can use any wild-caught ahi tuna that has been flash frozen. And for salmon you want something farmed. Don't use wild-caught salmon for sushi because it can contain parasites."

If you're ever uncertain of your sourcing, she offers a trick:

"You can always order sashimi as takeout from your local sushi restaurant and use that to make your own at home!"

The first step of making this ginger sushi burrito is to make the rice. To do so, Hondrum relies on a rice cooker, where she cooks sushi rice in an equal volume of water.

Despite legendary tales that new sushi chefs can spend years mastering just the rice portion of their trade, Hondrum thinks that "Making sushi rice shouldn't be intimidating." 

"As long as you use the right water to rice ratio and cook it correctly, it's hard to mess up," she says.

The only thing to be cautious of? Mushy or overcooked rice, which will transfer moisture to the nori and ruin the texture.

"Just think almost al dente rice," says Hondrum, "like if you were making pasta."

While the sushi rice is cooking, turn your attention to the seasoning for the ginger sushi burrito.

First, the rice seasoning: a combo of seasoned rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Combine these ingredients in a small bowl, and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.

For the sriracha mayonnaise, simply combine the mayo and sriracha in a small bowl. The sauce is now ready to be used!

When the rice has been cooked, it's time to cool it down. To do this, transfer it to a large mixing bowl — wood or glass works well for this. Pour the vinegar mixture over the top, and gently mix or fold with a rice paddle, fanning all the while.

"In traditional sushi making you want the rice to be sticky and you want the individual grains of rice to be kept intact and be glossy," explains Hondrum. "That's accomplished by cooking it correctly, then cooling and handling it correctly afterward."

But for the home cook, she explains, "it's not really that important to have completely intact rice grains and a glossy look, so if the rice breaks apart some while you're stirring/cooling it after that's totally okay!"

When the rice reaches room temperature, it's ready to use. If you're not using it right away, simply drape a damp cloth over the top to keep it moist.

When you're ready to assemble the ginger sushi burrito, begin by laying a nori sheet out on your sushi mat, shiny side down. Top with half the rice, spreading it out in a thin layer and keeping about an inch and a half uncovered at the top; this will help you seal the roll when you're done.

On top of the rice, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds. Top with the romaine, mayo, fish, avocado, cucumber, carrot, ginger, and green onion, arranging them so that you have an even amount of each ingredient in every bite.

When all of the ingredients have been added to the rice, carefully roll up the ginger sushi burrito, starting with the side closest to you and rolling away from you. Use firm pressure so that the ginger sushi burrito is rolled up nice and tight, tucking and pressing as you go. 

When the ginger sushi burrito is all rolled up, wrap it in parchment paper, sealing the ends, and then slice in half down the middle with a very sharp chef's knife.

Make the second burrito in the same way, and then serve and enjoy!