Kani Salad Sushi Bowls with Shrimp and Avocado

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If you’re craving a specialty sushi roll experience at home, this Spicy Crab (Kani) Salad Poke Sushi Bowl recipe with Shrimp and Avocado are just the thing. With a few quick components, these layered sushi bowls super easy and satisfying to make.

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Specialty sushi flavors, from the comfort of your own home!

Anyone who know me knows I have a (perhaps intense) obsession with sushi. Particularly- elaborate and expensive specialty rolls. And while I could probably eat sushi a few times a week, alas- my wallet’s struggle would be all too real.

It’s for this reason that fairly often, I eat sushi and poke bowls I make at home. For a fraction of the price, I can get (close to) the flavor of my favorite sushi rolls, all in one bowl.

Looking for more great recipes?

 Why not try my Shrimp and Mango Poke Bowls, Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Orzo, or Wasabi Shrimp Sushi Tacos!

Prepping the sushi bowl recipe components

While the instructions may seem daunting, each component of the bowls, with the exception of cooking the rice- is ready in mere minutes.

What kind of rice should I use for the deconstructed sushi bowls?

To make the bowls, you’ll start by cooking and seasoning the rice, then allowing it to chill in the fridge. If you’ve got a couple cups of leftover white rice chilling in your fridge, you can go ahead and skip right to the seasoning part. Simply toss the rice with a bit of rice vinegar and sugar to give it a bit more flavor. Often, if I know I’m making these for dinner, I’ll go ahead and make the rice the night before so it’s that much easier the night of.

How to make the Spicy Kani Salad, aka Japanese Crab Salad

My crunchy Japanese crab salad is super easy to make. Just pulse up some imitation crab (kani) in a food processor to break it up, and combine with with a few sauces and some mayo. Right before you serve it- stir in a bit of crisped panko breadcrumbs for texture. This crispy soicy kani salad is reminiscent of a great crunchy crab salad sushi roll, and gives the bowls great flavor and texture. You can find quality kani at most grocery stores. I typically get mine from Aldi.

Cooking the Shrimp

The shrimp for these sushi bowls is super simple. Toss the shrimp with honey and light soy sauce to coat, and cook it in a small frying pan for 2 minutes a side. That’s all she wrote.

How to make the Wasabi Mayo and Cucumber Edamame Slaw

No specialty roll is complete without a delicious sauce and a crunchy veg bite. These 2 items are also super simple to whip up, with simple ingredients you can find in your local supermarket.

For the cucumber slaw, I love to use a spiral veggie cutter to cut the cucumber, but you could also slice the cucumber thinly if you don’t have one. I think it’s a great tool to have on hand, and makes for great texture for salads. I also love using one for veggie noodles!

Assembling the deconstructed sushi bowls

Once you’ve got all the components ready to go, you’re ready to assemble your fancy sushi bowls! Layer the rice first, then the slaw, spicy kani salad, and shrimp. Add some sliced avocado- then sprinkle everything with sesame seeds, and give the bowls a healthy drizzle of the wasabi mayo. Bon appetit!

If you make my Crab Salad Poke Sushi Bowl recipe with Shrimp and Avocado, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

Print Recipe

Crab (Kani) Salad Sushi Bowl with Shrimp and Avocado

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Dinner, lunch

Keyword: avocado, crab salad, rice, sushi bowl

Servings: 2

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Spiral vegetable slicer/spiralizer

Ingredients

• 2 mini avocados or 1 large avocado 
• black and white sesame seeds, for topping
• 1 cup uncooked white or sushi rice*
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar*
• a pinch of cane sugar or granulated sugar

Crab Salad

• 8 oz imitation crab, flake style
• 1/4 cup mayonaise
• 1 tsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar*
• 1/4 cup crispy panko (see notes below)

Honey Glazed Shrimp 

• 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos 

Cucumber Slaw 

• 1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 medium cucumber, spiraled*
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly 
• 1 tsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar* 
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Wasabi Mayonaise 

• 1/4 cup plus I tbsp mayonaise
• 1/2 tbsp prepared wasabi paste
• 1 tsp rice vinegar* 
• 2 tsp honey 

Instructions

• Cooking and seasoning the rice

  If cooking rice, make a few hours in advance, or overnight and allow to cool in the refrigerator with seasonings.

  1. Soak and rinse uncooked rice until water runs clear.

  2. Add to a small saucepan with 3 cups odf water and bring to a boil.

  3. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and cook 15-20 minutes until water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked.

  4. Allow rice to cool to room temperature.

  5. Season with 1 tbsp rice vinegar and a pinch cane sugar and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (If using leftover rice, skip to this step-recipe calls for about 2 cups cooked rice).

  Making the Crab Salad

  1. Pulse the crab a few times in a food processor to break it up,

  2. Remove to a bowl, and add mayonaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha and rice vinegar. Toss well to coat, and refrigerate until ready to eat. Before serving, add crispy panko.

  3. To make the crispy panko for the crab salad, add 1 tbsp canola oil to a small non-stick frying pan and heat over medium until shimmering, about 2 minutes.

  4. Add the panko to the pan, and toss to combine with the oil.

  5. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until light golden brown- about 1 minute.

  6. Remove to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir into crab salad just before assembling your bowls so it retains its crunch.

  Making the Honey Glazed Shrimp

  1. Toss shrimp to coat in the honey and soy sauce, and cook in 1 tbsp canola oil in a small frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes a side.

  Making the Cucumber Slaw

  1. Using a spiralizer, spiral 1 medium cucumber. If you don’t have a spiralizer/spiral vegetable slicer, you could also thinly slice the cucumber.

  2. Add the cucumber to a bowl with the edamame and scallions, and add sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil and toss to coat.

  Making the Wasabi Mayo

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonaise, prepared wasabi paste, rice vinegar and honey until smooth.

  Assembling the bowls

  1. Divide the cooled and seasoned rice into 2 serving bowls.

  2. Divide cucumber slaw, crab salad, shrimp and avocado slices evenly into each bowl, arranging separately.

  3. Drizzle with wasabi mayo, and sprinkle with sesame seeds, and it’s ready to serve!

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*Notes/Substitutions:

If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can sub in apple cider vinegar.

You can get a manual or countertop spiralizer tool inexpensively online!

You can use either freshly cooked and cooled rice, or leftover rice or this recipe (see notes above).

© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.