Sushi is not typically considered a budget-friendly food. But by learning to make it at home you can save a lot of money – and satisfy your sushi cravings. Keep reading to learn how to make cheap sushi rolls at home using teriyaki chicken instead of more traditional raw seafood.Make your own homemade teriyaki chicken at home for just $1.40 per person! Click through for recipe.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word sushi? Delicious? Special occasion? Expensive?

Chances are, “cheap” isn’t one of them.

But what if I told you that you can make your own homemade sushi rolls at home – for right around $1.40 per person?

Crazy, right?

Delicious, homemade sushi for just $1.40 per person? Believe it! Click through for recipe.

Sushi Rolls With Chicken? Can You Even Do That?

Making sushi at home seems out of reach for many people. Dealing with raw fish and unfamiliar ingredients, using a sushi mat, and rolling maki can be intimidating.

But sushi doesn’t have to be made of raw fish. If you choose to make your sushi rolls with raw fish, be sure to seek out sushi grade fish. But consider experimenting with something different, like I did with these rolls which use teriyaki chicken.

The combination of teriyaki chicken with creamy avocado and crunchy asparagus was just perfect.

I served this at a party I recently attended, and they were a hit. Nobody could really tell that they were eating chicken. One person thought the chicken was tempura shrimp. How’s that for a delicious, non-fish sushi roll?

I’m all for creative sushi fillings and toppings as long as they taste good, authenticity aside. Who can argue with that?

Make your own homemade sushi at home for just $1.40 per person! Repin to save.

Making Your Own Sushi Rolls At Home Is Much, Much Cheaper

Sushi is one of my favorite foods, but I don’t eat it all the often. Mainly because of the price.

Restaurant sushi can cost up to $20.00 a roll. Ready-made sushi at my local grocery store costs between $9.00 and $12.00 for one roll.

This homemade method is by far the cheapest option I have come across. Here’s what I paid:

  • Seaweed: $2.00 for 5 sheets
  • Chicken breast: $2.00
  • Avocado: $1.00
  • Asparagus spears: $1.00
  • Sushi rice: $1.00

For 5 sushi rolls, I paid about $7.00 – which comes out to $1.40 per roll.

One roll is a good amount for 1 person. Additional ingredients added to the cost a bit (rice vinegar, brown sugar, teriyaki sauce, wasabi), but I had all of these ingredients on hand and didn’t count them in the final price.

Tip: You’re going to need a sushi mat and some other supplies to make your own sushi rolls at home:


How to make homemade sushi at home for just $1.40 per person!

How To Make Teriyaki Chicken

The main protein in these sushi rolls is teriyaki chicken.

For the best flavor, you’ll want to marinate the chicken strips in the marinade ingredients listed below (teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar) and let sit for an hour or more.

Then you’ll simply pan fry the chicken strips in a frying pan and set aside to cool until ready to assemble.

Plan a Sushi Party With Your Friends

Once you’ve mastered making sushi in the comfort of your home, why not share your skills and throw a sushi party with your friends? You could assign each guest to bring one appropriate sushi ingredient (see below for ideas), and you supply the rice, seaweed, and fixings.

And sake. Don’t forget the sake.

Get More Cheap Sushi Recipes

How To Roll Sushi Rolls

Rolling sushi rolls isn’t hard – but a little practice makes perfect.

You’ll want to use a sushi mat, which you will cover with a sheet of seaweed and a thin layer of sushi rice. Then you’ll add your ingredients and start rolling from top to bottom.

Visual learners: Check out this video to learn how to roll sushi.

Make your own homemade teriyaki chicken sushi rolls at home for just $1.40 per person! Click through for recipe.

How To Make Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Rolls At Home

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

These sushi rolls taste great with teriyaki chicken, avocado, and fresh asparagus. You can certainly sub other fillings, such as cooked or fried shrimp, fried crab, imitation crab meat, tofu, or sushi grade raw fish. Other fresh filling ideas include carrots, cucumbers, kaiware sprouts, cream cheese, or mango.

Ingredients

For rice:

  • 2 cups sushi rice
  • 4 cups water
  • Rice vinegar

For teriyaki chicken:

  • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Bottled teriyaki sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Brown sugar

For sushi rolls:

  • 5 sheets of seaweed
  • Chicken
  • 1 avocado
  • 5 fresh asparagus spears

On the side:

  • Pickled ginger
  • Wasabi
  • Sriracha mayonnaise
  • Fried onions (I got mine at an Indian grocery store)

Instructions

  1. Prepare sushi rice. Rinse rice with cold water. Place in a heavy-duty saucepan with water. Turn heat on to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once rice is cool, sprinkle with rice vinegar - 1 to 2 tablespoons should do it. Set aside until ready to assemble rolls.
  2. Make teriyaki chicken. Slice chicken breast into thin strips. Place in a plastic bag and sprinkle with a few drops of teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of brown sugar. Mix in bag and place in fridge to marinade for an hour or so. Fry chicken in a bit of olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and slightly crisp on the outside. Remove from frying pan and set aside to cool.
  3. To assemble sushi rolls: Using a sushi mat, lay seaweed shiny side down. Top with sushi rice (enough so that the seaweed is covered, leaving the top inch or so bare) Top with additional ingredients (chicken, avocado slices, and asparagus). See photo above in post for a visual. Start rolling the sushi from top to bottom, making sure that you are keeping the roll tight - you don't want it to fall apart when you slice it. Repeat with remaining rolls. This should be enough to make 5 rolls.
  4. Wrap and cut: Wrap rolls in saran wrap and store in fridge until ready to cut. Use a serrated knife to cut each roll into 8 thin slices. Serve with ginger and wasabi on the side.

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