Keto Sushi Rolls (Cauliflower Rice)
Smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado rolled in nori with a sticky cream cheese cauliflower “rice.” It slices cleanly and is easier to make than you’d think.
Nutrition per serving
1 roll (8 pieces)- Net carbs
- 4.1g
- Calories
- 136kcal
- Protein
- 8.2g
- Fat
- 9g
- Total carbs
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 2.9 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Spicy tuna: Diced sushi-grade tuna tossed with sriracha mayo replaces the smoked salmon, like the sushi-bar favorite.
- Keep the tuna very cold. Just before rolling, toss it with the mayonnaise and sriracha, then use it as the filling. Eat the rolls right away, and see the raw-fish note in the tips.
California-style (crab): Real lump crab bound with a little mayonnaise, plus cucumber and avocado. It’s a fully cooked roll and a good starting point for sushi beginners.
- Mix the crab with the mayonnaise and use it as the filling. Skip imitation crab, which is bound with starch and sugar.
Vegetarian (veggie roll): A crunchy, colorful roll of avocado, cucumber and red bell pepper with no fish at all.
- Fill each roll with the avocado, cucumber and pepper strips in place of the salmon. Roll and slice as written.
- Cauliflower “rice”
- Rolls
- Nice to have (optional)
- Cauliflower “rice”
- Rolls
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Cauliflower “rice”
- Rolls
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Cauliflower “rice”
- Rolls
-
4 oz smoked salmonleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $10.93 for 4 servings ($2.73 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Cook the riced cauliflower in a covered microwave-safe bowl for 4–5 minutes (or in a dry nonstick skillet for 6–8 minutes) until tender. Spread it on a clean kitchen towel to cool for 5 minutes, then gather the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This step matters most.
-
Mix the warm cauliflower with the cream cheese, rice vinegar, sweetener and salt until it clumps together like sticky rice. Chill 10 minutes.
-
Lay a nori sheet shiny side down on a bamboo mat or a sheet of parchment. With damp fingers, spread a quarter of the rice in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) strip bare along the top edge.
-
Arrange a quarter of the salmon, cucumber and avocado in a line across the bottom third. Using the mat to help, roll away from you firmly, then dab the bare strip with water and press to seal. Rest seam side down while you make the rest.
-
Slice each roll into 8 pieces with a very sharp knife, wiping it with a damp cloth between cuts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with tamari for dipping.
Tips for success
-
The cream cheese is the “glue,” Philadelphia-roll style. Without it, cauliflower won’t hold together the way sushi rice does. - Store-bought pickled ginger is usually sweetened, so a few slices are fine but don’t pile it on.
- If you use raw fish, buy fish sold as sushi- or sashimi-grade from a trusted fishmonger, keep it very cold and eat it the same day. Raw fish isn’t recommended during pregnancy or for anyone with a weakened immune system.
- Prefer a bowl? See the salmon poke bowl with cauliflower rice.
Nice to have, not needed
- A bamboo rolling mat helps make tight rolls — a sheet of parchment works too.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 1 day in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve cold
Prep tip: Cook, squeeze and season the cauliflower rice up to 2 days ahead, then roll on the day — the nori softens once filled.
Best within 2 hours of rolling. Refrigerate leftovers, tightly wrapped, up to 1 day; the nori softens as it sits.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosSpicy tuna
ProteinDiced sushi-grade tuna tossed with sriracha mayo replaces the smoked salmon, like the sushi-bar favorite.
- smoked salmon → sushi-grade tuna
- + 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- + 1 tsp sriracha
4.4 g net · 159 kcal · 10 g protein · 11 g fat · ≈$2.08 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
California-style (crab)
ProteinReal lump crab bound with a little mayonnaise, plus cucumber and avocado. It’s a fully cooked roll and a good starting point for sushi beginners.
- smoked salmon → lump crabmeat
- + 1 tbsp mayonnaise
4.1 g net · 152 kcal · 8.2 g protein · 11 g fat · ≈$2.50 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Vegetarian (veggie roll)
DietA crunchy, colorful roll of avocado, cucumber and red bell pepper with no fish at all.
- + ½ medium extra avocado
- + ⅓ red bell pepper
- no smoked salmon
4.9 g net · 136 kcal · 3.5 g protein · 11 g fat · ≈$1.43 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
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