Missing sushi on a Whole30? This keto-friendly and rice-free California Hand Roll is packed with crab and avocado and it’s so easy, even the kids can help you make homemade sushi!
Whole30 & Keto-Friendly Sushi
California Hand Roll (a.k.a. Crab and Avocado Temaki) is my favorite Whole30- and keto-friendly recipe when I’m craving sushi! We’ve been sushi fans since forever, so temaki—seaweed-wrapped hand rolls—with spicy crab salad make regular appearances in our kitchen. I usually have all the ingredients for these rolls in our fridge and pantry, and luckily for us, it’s still Dungeness crab season around here, so even the fresh stuff’s readily available. It’s a breeze to throw together this no-cook recipe. In fact, everyone in the family can assemble their own, which means even less meal prep for me.
What kind of crab do you use?
In this California hand roll recipe, it’s important to source the highest quality crab available. Obviously, the best choice is to use fresh cooked crab meat that you make yourself or buy from a trusted fishmonger. The second best choice is the canned crab jumbo lump meat that is found in the refrigerated section in the seafood department. Don’t use shelf-stable canned crab meat because the texture is dry and mealy and the flavor is off.
If you can’t find high-quality crab, use cooked shrimp or salmon instead!
Toasting the nori is key!
Besides high quality crab meat, toasted nori (a.k.a. edible seaweed sheets) is the small difference between your hand rolls tasting ho-hum and amazing. At the grocery store, you can buy nori (a.k.a. dried edible seaweed sheets) toasted or not, but even if you buy toasted nori, they’ll taste better if you quickly crisp them up over a gas burner or under a broiler.
Eat them as you make them!
The toasted nori softens as soon as it comes in contact with filling, so you should definitely make the California Hand Rolls fresh. At our house, I have all the ingredients ready to go and every one grabs a piece of toasted nori to make their own hand rolls—eating them as they go. This way, the labor is divided and you can gobble up the rolls as quickly as you can make them.
Time to make homemade Whole30 California Hand Rolls!
Makes 16 hand rolls
Ingredients:
- 8 standard-sized nori sheets
- 1 pound cooked lump crab meat
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Paleo Mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- Juice from ½ medium lime
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large Hass avocado pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
- 2 small Japanese or Persian cucumbers cut into matchsticks
- Handful of radish sprouts or micro greens
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
If the nori sheets are already toasted and you are pressed for time, you can skip the toasting part, but even toasted nori can be perked up with a little heat.
Toast each nori sheet over a gas burner on low, by slowly fanning it back and forth until the color turns bright green.
No gas stovetop? You can also toast the nori in the oven. Turn on the broiler with the rack about 6 inches from the heating element. Place two pieces of nori on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for only 10 seconds or until they turn green and smell toasty.
Cut each piece of nori in half width-wise so you have 16 pieces of toasted nori.
In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, scallions, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes (if using), and lime juice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
To assemble each roll, hold a piece of nori shiny-side down, and scoop 2 tablespoons of the crab mixture onto the left side of the rectangle. The filling should be at a diagonal, running from the top left corner to the bottom center of the nori.
Top the crab with a slice of avocado, a couple of cucumber slices, and sprouts.
Fold the bottom left corner of the nori over the filling before wrapping the long part of the nori around the crab and vegetables…
…to form a cone. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Eat immediately!
[Originally posted on January 19, 2015. Updated on February 23, 2020.]
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
California Hand Roll (Whole30 Crab and Avocado Temaki)
Ingredients
- 8 toasted nori sheets
- 1 pound cooked lump crab meat
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons paleo mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large Hass avocado pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
- 2 small Japanese or Persian cucumbers cut into matchsticks
- Handful of radish sprouts or micro greens
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- If the nori sheets are already toasted and you are pressed for time, you can skip the toasting part, but even toasted nori can be perked up with a little heat. Toast each nori sheet over a gas burner on low, by slowly fanning it back and forth until the color turns bright green.No gas stovetop? You can also toast the nori in the oven. Turn on the broiler with the rack about 6 inches from the heating element. Place two pieces of nori on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for only 10 seconds or until they turn green and smell toasty.
- Cut each piece of nori in half width-wise so you have 16 pieces of toasted nori.
- In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, scallions, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes (if using), and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
- To assemble each roll, hold a piece of nori shiny-side down, and scoop 2 tablespoons of the crab mixture onto the left side of the rectangle. The filling should be at a diagonal, running from the top left corner to the bottom center of the nori.
- Top the crab with a slice of avocado, some cucumber, and sprouts. Fold the bottom left corner of the nori over the filling before wrapping the long part of the nori around the crab and vegetables to form a cone.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and erve immediately—don’t let the nori get soft!
Felecia says
This was such a delicious lunch today! Great for my whole30 sushi craving! Thanks for sharing!
Chris says
Great recipe! If you don’t use all of the crab mixture during one meal, how long will this last refrigerated? Does the quality of the crab deteriorate?
Michelle Tam says
Probably only a day at most!
Lindsey says
These flavors. Thank you for giving me something to fill the sushi void during whole 30 without sacrificing any flavor. So gd good.
Kristie says
Oh. My. Goodnessssss. This was CRAZY awesome. I made a huge platter of fixings to go with the crab and my hubby and I scarfed the entire thing! Lol At first we looked at it and thought, “oh well never eat all of this” … And suddenly the plate was empty. So good. We did everything from your recipe plus added some mango slices and jalepenos with a side of kimchi. To die for. Thank you.