Shrimp Tempura Roll

5 from 21 votes
21 Comments

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Shrimp Tempura Rolls (Godzilla Rolls) are by far my favorite sushi roll that I can make at home. Cream cheese, avocado, and shrimp all rolled into a fried roll with spicy mayo. Perfection!

Shop sticks holding up a piece of a Shrimp Tempura Roll.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in a Shrimp Tempura Roll
  2. Additions and Substitutions
  3. No Raw Fish in this Sushi
  4. Great Sushi for Beginners
  5. Serving Suggestions
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. More Sushi Inspired Recipes
  8. How to Make a Shrimp Tempura Roll
  9. Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe

These Shrimp Tempura Rolls, also called Godzilla Roll Sushi, are my my favorite sushi rolls to make! They’re basically a combo of several different rolls that I love at sushi restaurants, but so much cheaper than takeout to make right at home. In fact, you can make about ten of these for the price you would pay for one at a restaurant! I realize this isn’t going to be a “family rotation” meal for most of you, but if you have an upcoming anniversary or just feel in the mood to make something different, this is a great one! I love the spicy mayonnaise drizzled over the top. YUM.

Ingredients for a Shrimp Tempura Roll including nori, tempura batter, flour, sushi rice, avocado, shrimp tempura, cream cheese, mayo, Siracha, sesame oil and bamboo mat.


Ingredients in a Shrimp Tempura Roll

  • Sushi Rice – see our post on how to cook sushi rice or, if you have an Instant Pot, our post on Instant Pot sushi rice. Plain white regular rice or short-grain rice won’t work for sushi rolls.
  • Nori seaweed sheets – use a sheet of nori that is dry roasted seaweed
  • Prepared shrimp tempura – I bought frozen pre-cooked tempura shrimp and then baked them on a baking sheet. But you can also fry them yourself using your own tempura batter. If you don’t like shrimp, you can use soft shell crab or any other type of shellfish.
  • Avocado – overripe avocado is a little easier to roll
  • Cream cheese
  • Flour
  • Tempura batter
  • Oil – vegetable oil or any oil for frying
  • Sushi rolling bamboo mat
Ziplock bag covering a bamboo mat with sushi rice, nori, shrimp tempura, cream cheese slices and sliced avocado.

Additions and Substitutions

Once you have a base for this tempura roll recipe, you can switch up the ingredients as much as you like. Try some of these ideas:

  • Ginger
  • Wasabi
  • A sprinkle of Rice Vinegar
  • Drizzle Teriyaki Sauce
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Sea Salt
  • Red Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Scallions
  • Spicy tuna
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Unagi sauce
Shrimp Tempura Roll drizzled with spicy mayo and black sesame seeds.

No Raw Fish in this Sushi

These Shrimp Tempura Rolls don’t contain any raw seafood so I am not afraid to make them at home. I will only eat raw fish if I am at a trusted restaurant, and I am pretty picky about my raw seafood. I don’t dare to prepare it myself unless I know that I am getting it from ocean to my kitchen in less than 12 hours, so as you can probably guess with me living in BOISE, that doesn’t happen too often. The shrimp in these Godzilla Rolls is fully cooked so there are no worries!

Shrimp Tempura Roll on a plate topped with spicy mayo and black sesame seeds.

Great Sushi for Beginners

This recipe seems more complicated than it really is. Don’t be scared. Especially if you have made California Rolls, you will find that these Shrimp Tempura Rolls are easy. Once you get the hang of rolling sushi rolls, it’s really no biggie. Instead of battering my own crispy shrimp tempura, I just bought the pre-made stuff in the freezer section of the grocery store. If you want to be fancy, you can batter your own but that is too much work for me. If you don’t like battered shrimp, feel free to use just regular, cooked shrimp. Do whatever you like best. I also love the creamy avocado and tangy cream cheese in these rolls. So yummy!

shrimp tempura roll on a plate topped with spicy mayo

Serving Suggestions

Provide serving suggestions, like serving the rolls with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a shrimp tempura roll made of?

An easy shrimp tempura roll mostly consists of shrimp, avocado, cucumber, sushi rice and nori. But you can add or substitute ingredients as you like.

Is shrimp tempura cooked?

Yes! Tempura is a Japanese dish in which food is lightly battered and then deep fried.

Can I have a shrimp tempura roll while pregnant?

Yes! The recommendation to not eat sushi while pregnant is referring to raw fish. The fish in this roll is fully cooked!

What sushi doesn’t have raw fish?

If you love sushi, but don’t love raw fish, there are still options for you to enjoy! For example, the California roll features avocado and imitation crab, Spam musubi sushi is made with Spam, rice, and nori to create a flavorful combination, tamago sushi is made with egg, unagi is made using smoked eel, and there’s always a smoked salmon roll. If you want to go full vegetable, you could try an avocado or cucumber roll.

Read more: 35+ Lunch Easy Ideas

Chop sticks picking up a piece of a Shrimp Tempura Roll.

More Sushi Inspired Recipes

We love recipes for sushi and Asian-inspired rolls. They are perfect for when that sushi craving hits. Once you’ve made our Shrimp Tempura Rolls, try some of our other favorites:

How to Make a Shrimp Tempura Roll

Chop sticks picking up a piece of a Shrimp Tempura Roll.

Shrimp Tempura Roll

5 from 21 votes
Shrimp Tempura Rolls (Godzilla Rolls) are by far my favorite sushi roll that I can make at home. Cream cheese, avocado, and shrimp all rolled into a fried roll with spicy mayo.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 1 roll

Video

Equipment

  • Bamboo sushi mat

Ingredients

  • Sushi Rice click HERE
  • 1 sheet Nori, dry roasted seaweed
  • 3 pieces shrimp tempura prepared, I bought mine frozen from the store and baked them
  • 2 slices avocado
  • 3 teaspoons cream cheese (use the block cream cheese and cut into a couple long, rectangular slices)
  • ½ cup flour
  • tempura batter
  • oil for frying

For the Spicy Mayo:

Instructions

  • Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Cover the bamboo with a piece of plastic wrap. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat, shiny side down. Spread cooked rice on top of the seaweed in a thin layer and press firmly.
    Ziplock bag covering a bamboo mat with a sheet of nori covered in sushi rice.
  • Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top. Place shrimp tempura, avocado and cream cheese lengthwise at the top of the sheet on the seaweed, not on top of the rice.
    Ziplock bag covering a bamboo mat with sushi rice, nori, shrimp tempura, cream cheese slices and sliced avocado.
  • Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi (the KEY is to roll it TIGHT). Press the bamboo mat firmly with hands, then remove the rolled sushi. For further rolling instruction, see the video below.
    Rolling a Shrimp Tempura Roll on a bamboo mat.
  • Roll the roll in flour then dip entire rice roll in tempura batter and deep fry (oil heated to 350-degrees) for about 3 minutes or until batter turns crispy and golden brown (you DON'T need to do this in a deep fryer. You can just do about ½ cup – 1 cup of oil in a frying pan and keep turning the roll until it is golden brown on all sides). Remove from oil and let cool on a plate lined with paper towels.
    Flour in a dish and tempura batter in a dish with a Shrimp Tempura Roll covered in flour.
  • With a VERY sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into 4-5 pieces. Top with spicy mayo.
    Cutting board with a Shrimp Tempura Roll sliced with a sharp knife.

For the Spicy Mayo:

  • In a small bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil to create the perfect ratio to your tastes.
    Mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil in a bowl
  • Stir until completely combined. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use.
    Spicy mayo in a bowl

Notes

  • To save time, pick up a bag of frozen shrimp tempura at your local grocery store. 
  • Try garnishing with green onions, masago, and/or eel sauce. 
  • Use extra spicy mayo for dipping, or to spice up your favorite food. 
  • Use extra avocado to make yourself an avocado roll, easy and delicious! 
  • Serve with cucumber slices and soy sauce.
  • Try using the remaining nori sheets as a yummy snack with your sushi roll. Cut with kitchen scissors into your desired size. 
  • Serve with fresh seaweed salad on the side for extra greens and a boost of Vitamin A! 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1298kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 17gFat: 97gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1611mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 275IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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5 from 21 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was so excited to find this recipe! One of our favorites when we get take out! So glad we can make it at home now!

  2. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness! My daughter has recently developed a love of sushi, being able to make this at home was awesome! This is a great recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    No need for me and my husband to go to a restaurant when we are craving for sushi rolls! This recipe is so spot on, we loved that spicy mayo too. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    I feel the same way about sushi! Even going to a regular sushi restaurant I tend to stick with “cooked” or veggie sushi. I do like a good sushi; this recipe of yours here is fantastic! Love that it incorporates a cooked seafood so I can trust it with my family!

  5. 5 stars
    YUM!!! One of my absolute favorites! You did perfect with this recipe. All of the best flavors ever for sushi! Thanks so much for sharing.

  6. 5 stars
    Oh yum!!! This looks fantastic. I love that the sushi is fried too and it is so original! I bet it was super fun to make like sushi is. The avocado combo in the recipe is SPOT on! Cheers

  7. 5 stars
    I love this roll. In addition, I buy eel sauce in a small bottle from my local Asian market. I also top my sushi with wasabi paste and ginger for the full experience. We have the same taste in sushi.

  8. 5 stars
    oh yes! A recipe for one of my fav item! Actually, everything on here is yummy. I am really excited to make these! Thanks Erika!
    ps-congrats on baby #2

      1. 5 stars
        Great recipe! We love making sushi at home and found this recipe easy to use. The only thing I’d add, though, is that you don’t need to use a full sheet of nori for a sushi roll. You can cut the sheet in half so that so much of your roll isn’t rice.