Sushi is always a good option for eating out; it’s also fun to make at home and I like to change things up like in these spicy shrimp sushi stacks. This is a really simple change up on sushi where all of the flavours of a sushi roll are served in a stack, in this case a spicy shrimp sushi with avocado and cucumbers. This recipe starts off with sushi rice which is a short grained rice, which when cooked gets sticky, and it’s seasoned with a touch of vinegar, sugar and salt after cooking. The next layer is a cool and creamy avocado and cucumber layer with diced avocado and cucumbers seasoned with lime juice and salt. The final layer is the spicy shrimp with large chunks of cooked, diced shrimp mixed up with mayo and sriracha chili sauce. The trick to stacking these nicely is to use a circular tube where you place one layer in and pat it down before placing the next layer in. You can buy circular cookie cutter like cylinders specifically designed for this or you could just wing it like I do and use an empty tin can (like a soup can) where you remove the top and bottom. I also like to use a 1 cup measuring cup where I lightly oil it, push each layer down into it and then flip it onto the plate before sliding the cup off. I like to make these with cooked shrimp but feel free to replace it with raw tuna or salmon, etc. This spicy shrimp sushi stacks is sure to impress at you next get-together!
Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks
Spicy shrimp sushi stacks with layers of sushi rice, cucumbers and avocado in addition to the spicy shrimp!
ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked short grained rice, well rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup avocado, mashed
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt to taste
- 1/2 pound cooked shrimp, diced
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 4 teaspoons furikake
For the sushi rice:
For the avocado and cucumber layer:
For the spicy shrimp:
For the stacks:
directions
- Bring the rice and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes, before letting it cool for a bit.
- Gently fold the mixture of the rice vinegar, sugar and salt into the rice.
- Mix everything.
- Mix everything.
- Place the rice into the stack guides, pat down lightly, top with the avocado and cucumber mixture, followed by the shrimp mixture and a sprinkle of furikake.
For the sushi rice:
For the avocado and cucumber layer:
For the spicy shrimp:
For the stacks:
Option: Add a layer of diced mango!
Tip: Use an empty can of soup with both ends removed to stack the layers.
Tip: Use a greased 1 cup measuring cup to stack the layers in and then flip it onto the plate.
Note: Furikake is a Japanese style rice seasoning that typically contains toasted sesame seeds, salt and shredded toasted nori.
OMG, this looks delicious! I wondered if there is anything I can substitute for the Sriracha sauce. I don't mind a little "bite" but I find this sauce to be too hot for my taste… Thank you.
You can put it in a bowl & add a little sugar to it & that should bring down the spice a notch.
Just use less. Or thin out some gochujang and mix with Mayo in the same ratio
Sweet chili sauce would be delicious…. The sweetness helps with the heat it does have a bite but maybe add a Lil tiny dash of fresh mango🥰
These are seriously so stunning!! I want to make extra small ones for little party appetizers 🙂 Pinning!
Sues
We Are Not Martha: Small app sized ones would be amazing!
Anonymous: You could use a milder chili sauce or just use less sriracha for reduced heat. Enjoy!
You had me at sushi! This looks amazing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Great idea! Depending on your stack guide one better pay attention to whether you need to start with rice at the bottom or reverse it.
My steel biscuit cutters work perfectly!! Set goes from a small size (party appetizer size covered!) to a larger biscuit, plus 2 sizes in between but they make perfect guides and slip off very easily.
What a great idea! I have wanted to make these & keep coming back to the recipe. It’s the first time I’ve read the reviews. Going to make them this weekend.
Thanks,
Susie
You explained what
furikake is, but when and how do you use it, I also would like to make this for appetizers, I have a 2in round cookie cutter about inched high, would it work?
Well done, K! So clean and fresh.
Well done, K! So clean and fresh.
Looks so good! I'm making this tonight for my lunch, but I'm going to change the shrimp to chicken.
What can I use besides mayonnaise
Would the rice turn out the same if i cooked it in a rice cooker?
I cooked mine in a rice cooker but used the regular amount of water…just over 1 cup. I used Kiki rose rice. It was perfect.
This was awesome! Proud of myself. I did add some green onion and garlic pepper to the veggie mix. I also served chili sauce on the side for more heat.
Very good but way too much mayo for my taste. Also made it with smoked salmon no mayo tasted great.
Yum! Great idea!
This looks amazing and can’t wait to make it this week! Question-the directions say to mix the shrimp, sriracha and mayo. However one of the pics shown has a drizzle sauce on top. Is that the mayo not mixed in with the shrimp? Or did you make extra for the shrimp and drizzle as well?
Teresa: Mix the shrimp, sriracha and mayo. The drizzle on the one photo was extra sriracha and mayo mixture that I drizzled on for presentation and it is optional. Enjoy!
A+ on presentation, A+ on taste!!!
Looks gourmet and so much fun to make!
Making them for the second time as my
daughter has requested this for her special birthday dinner today #17!
The recipe was easy to follow and your pictures are fantastic!
Who needs to dine out when you can have healthy and delicious meals
like this right at home! Yay! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe Kevin! Christine in VA
How do you eat them without falling apart?
There will be some crumbling as you dig into them but they hold together quite well. The rice will hold its form all by itself (assuming the use of short grained rice) and the mashed avocado layer should hold the cucumbers and shrimp layers together.
Great recipe! Very flavorful. Thank you for sharing it.
Made these for dinner last night. My stack collapsed but probably because I used brown rice. Doesn’t matter, they were delicious. I used minced garlic in the avocado mash and also the shrimp mixture and topped with black sesame seeds since I didn’t have access to furikake, but plan on ordering online for next time.
Just made these and they were awesome. Thank you Kevin.
Can I have a couple suggestions for the stack part? Thank u
One way to do it is to use small yogurt containers that you have cleaned and lightly oiled. Fill them up one layer art a time, packing them down lightly and then flip them over onto a plate before removing the container leaving the stack on the plate. Enjoy!
Could you use this for an appetizer course for a formal dinner? Maybe reduce the layer of rice or substitute something else?
This would be perfect for an appetizer course!
These were delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe!
These look absolutely amazing- and sound quite easy to make! I’ll have to give them a try
This looks delicious! I have an avocado allergy, what can I substitute?
Mango would be nice!
Was so bored with my current recipes…so glad i found your awesome website!
These are inspiring! Your photos and recipes are always amazing.
A question, just to keep me from messing up too bad, but if you stack them and then flip them then should you stack them backwards as if you flip them wouldn’t that put the rice on top? Just curious as it had me a bit confused.
Keep up the great work. I for one would love it if you’d do a whole category on food photography as your photos are always so well done.
Thanks! I’m glad that you have been enjoying my recipes and photos!
If the guides that you are using do not have bottoms then you do not need to flip so the rice goes in first and you simply slide the guide up and off. If you are using something like a measuring cup (I have used them in a pinch!) then you would place the rice in last as you would need to flip them to slide the stacks out! Enjoy!
This turned out so good! A great appetizer, but we had it with our meal and was a great addition. Definitely making it again!
This looks delicious. To those who say that their stack collapsed, try not packing it so tightly next time. If the container is holding in too much food, it will naturally fall apart when the mold is removed.
Making this for a family trip to Lake Tahoe next week and I can’t wait! They look Deeeelish, thank you!
I never leave comments or reviews, but I had to say that these compelled me to do so. They were incredible and extremely easy. Only thing I added was 2 cloves of minced garlic to the shrimp and sauce. These will be a regular thing from now on. Thanks!
I made the Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks tonight and my sushi extraordinaire husband said “these are delicious Dude”. He called me dude (LOL) a word he never uses he was enjoying them so much!!! Too funny, he wondered how many he was going to get out of the recipe! This will be a regular in our meal planning from now on.
Do I need to oil the soup can for easy sliding when the stacking is done?
Oiling the inside of the soup can will help the stacks slide out cleanly. Enjoy!
I love making this, but I spray a cup cake pan with non stick spray. Then put ingredients in up side down and pack it down. Then put cookie sheet on top and flip over and they are all done at once. Makes it so much easier.
I used plain old canned tuna. It was wonderful. I made two stacks. First one fell apart and the second was gorgeous. Either way it tasted great. Thanks for the recipe
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Did mine instead of using sushi rice I use wild red rice
Can cooked frozen (thawed first) shrimp be used in this recipe?
Yes you can!
These were amazing. I cut back on the mayo a wee bit. Such a versatile recipe. I’m going to try a Greek version and a Mexican version.
It was good the presentation was much better than the food not spicy enough for me. I felt it was bland next time I’ll look at the reviews first then tweak the recipe
I will be sure to give this a try!😋
If you have a problem with it “falling apart”…..just use a spoon and eat and enjoy. Some people are never happy.
Could I buy rice from the Chinese food place to save time?
That should work! You could also make the rice a day ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and warm it a little before using it.
A friend of ours made these for us for dinner and we loved them! She was kind enough to share your recipe so we can make them ourselves. Am wondering if these could be made ahead for a lunch? How long would they keep if I stacked them in a mason jar? Many thanks for this tasty recipe, it’s a keeper!
I’m glad you like them! You can make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge! I would keep it within a day or two.
So good! Did appy size – used a small yogurt container – cut the bottom off, made the stack and slid the container up and off. Had to clean the container each time so they looked good, but they were a hit. Made them exactly as written served them with a little soy sauce. Next time we would serve with some sliced ginger!
I love making this, but I spray a cup cake pan with non stick spray. Then put ingredients in up side down and pack it down. Then put cookie sheet on top and flip over and they are all done at once. Makes it so much easier.
What is the dark stuff sprinkled on top of the stack. I don’t see that step in the instructions. They look delicious!
I sprinkled, light and dark sesame seeds and the dark stuff is torn shredded toasted nori.
This recipe is so very flexible. I just made on Sunday with shrimp and seared tuna. I also have used crab. I have also put in a layer of seaweed salad, spicy Asian slaw and a simple grilled pineapple or a mango salsa with red onion. I have made it appetizer size and a big size where you all just dig in. I find my glass Tupperware bowls work perfectly. I put the seafood in 1st so its on top and then layer with the rice last. So easy and impressive and very flexible.
Are Arborio rice and sushi rice the same and interchangeable? Thank you, I’m drooling on my screen this looks SOO GOOD!
Raw rice labeled as ‘sushi’ rice in the grocery store is generally a Japanese short grained rice and arborio rice is an Italian short grained rice. Since sushi rice and arborio rice are both short grained rice, they share many similar characteristics, including stickiness, which helps them form the stacks in this recipe. You can use either sushi rice and arborio rice! Enjoy!
My hubby has been making these for a few years. We absolutely love them!! It helps with my sushi hankerings when I don’t want to spend the money for sushi. Easy to make and delicious!
What size vessel do you use? It says serves 4, so do you use a vessel large enough to make just 4, or a smaller one to make 8?
I often us a 1 cup measuring cup, so each serving is exactly 1 cup in size/volume, and this recipe makes at that size 4. If you use small rings or containers you will get more. Enjoy!
I don’t understand why you have to add sugar in the rice!!! we are all trying to cut down on sugar! so keep it for cakes when it is absolutely required.!
Sushi rice (the rice used in sushi rolls) is generally lightly seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt. You can omit it if desired!
If you use a 1 cup measuring cup would you reverse the layers? If you turn it upside down to release the rice would be on top??