Although the shrimp tempura roll is fun and delicious, check out our other challenging sushi roll recipes here or visit our entire library of sushi rolls sorted alphabetically!

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What is a Spider Roll?

The spider roll is an inside out sushi roll which means the rice is on the outside. Fortunately the main ingredient is not spiders, it is actually lightly fried soft shell crab in tempura batter! The spider roll gets its name from its appearance when served in a restaurant. The soft shell crab legs are made to hang off the end of the rolls which gives it a spider looking appearance. Additional ingredients are carrots and cucumbers sliced into matchsticks. The challenge for this roll is not the fact that you have to fry it, it’s sourcing the softshell crab which would likely only be available in high end grocery stores.

Spider Roll FAQ and Tips

Is a spider roll raw?

A spider roll is completely cooked. The only fish or meat in a spider roll is the soft shell crab which is lightly fried.

What fish is in a spider roll?

The only meat or fish in a spider roll is the fried soft shell crab making it a completely cooked sushi roll!

How many calories are in a spider roll?

The spider roll contains between 300 and 400 calories per roll. This is more than a typical sushi roll as the soft shell crab is breaded and lightly fried!

Is a spider roll spicy?

No, a spider roll does not contain any ingredients that would make it be considered spicy, however we recommend adding spicy mayo sauce to any sushi roll to give it an extra kick! Spicy mayo sauce is just a smooth mixture of mayonaisse and sriracha sauce.

What other sushi rolls are like a spider roll?

ALthough the spider roll is fairly unique (not many rolls call for soft shell crabs!), other rolls that could compare are the Las Vegas Roll and the Shrimp Tempura Roll as both of these are lightly fried as well. Additional rolls in this price range are the Alaska roll, the spicy crab roll, and the shrimp tempura roll.

What is a spider roll made of?

Sushi Rice: Using sushi rice is key to making sushi rolls. The difference between sushi rice and normal white rice is that sushi rice is short grain and has more starch and protiens than traditional long grain rices. The increased levels of starch and protein give sushi rice its stickiness factor which allows you to shape it into a roll. Check out our post about why you should use sushi rice instead of white rice!

Nori Sheets (Seaweed): These sheets of dried seaweed work best for making sushi, are very healthy for you, and have relatively little flavor. Sheets of nori can be found at most grocery stores like Walmart, Kroger, or HEB. You can even order sheets of nori off of Amazon.

Soft Shell Crab: Sourcing the soft shell crab is the hardest part of the spider roll. Soft shell crab is not typically found at most run of the mill grocery stores. Grocery stores with more robust seafood counters such as Central Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, or Kroger should carry soft shell crab. Check out this link for insrtuctions on how to clean the soft shell crabs.

Unagi eel sauce: This sauce is a must! It is a reduced version of a combination of soy sauce, mirin, and white sugar and can be described as sweet and tangy at the same time! Click here for the easiest recipe! This is definitely a staple in a spider roll.

Tempura Batter: Tempura batter is easier to make than you think! Tempura batter is a combination of egg whites, flour, corn starch, and cold water. Just follow our link here for our quick recipe. Alternatively, you can buy pre-mixed tempura batter at a grocery store but where is the fun in that?

Cucumber: Cucumber is found in the majority of sushi rolls, not only in the spider roll. The best cucumbers to use for sushi are what are called “japanese cucumbers” which are known to be straight, thin, and contain less water than a traditional cucumber. Cucumbers are known for numerous health properties.

Carrots: Carrots on sushi? Really? Yes! Carrots are a vegetable that is actually considered a root. Carrots are grown underground and are known for being rich in antioxidants and Vitamin A which is known to promote healthy eye health! Check out all the benefits of adding carrots to your diet.

Spider Roll Ingredients  

• 2 Cups Cooked Sushi Rice (Click link for easy sushi rice instructions)
• 1/4 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
• 4 Half Sheets Nori (Click link for folding instructions)
• 4 Soft Shell Crabs
• 1 Half Cucumber sliced into matchsticks
• 1 Carrot sliced into matchsticks
• 2 Cups Tempura Batter (This can be bought at the store or check out our link for easy instructions)
• Oil for frying

Unagi Eel Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Mirin Japanese sweet wine

Cooking Equipment

INSTRUCTIONS 

Preparation

1. Add the seasoned rice vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and mix together.
2. Place your bamboo rolling mat inside a plastic gallon bag (trust us, this makes clean up much easier, all you have to do is throw out the bag!)

3. Prepare tempura batter (or buy if from the store)
4. Clean the crab thoroughly. This is important if buying fresh crab. Part of the allure of the spider roll is that the legs of the crab make it look like a spider!
5. Pat the crab dry and roll it gently in the batter.
6. Deep fry the crab until it appears golden brown. Once cooked, transfer the crab onto a plate that has paper towels on it to drain the crab from excess oil. Once again, pat the crab dry. This is important, the roll tastes way better if the oil is patted off.

Making the Roll

1. Place one half sheet of nori on the rolling mat (remember we tore the full sheet in half hamburger style) with the rough side facing up.
2. ONLY ONCE THE RICE HAS COOLED, grab a handful of rice and cover the rough side of the nori leaving a 1 inch gap at the top without any rice. If using sesame seeds, sprinkle them over the rice. Grab the nori by the top, and flip it over so the rice is against the bamboo rolling mat and the 1 inch gap is now on the bottom.
3. Starting 1/3 of the way up from the bottom begin to align the “guts” of the sushi roll in a horizontal line beginning with the tempura crab. In true spider roll fashion, the small legs of the crab should be hanging off the ends of the roll with the larger pieces of meat in the middle.
4. Above the crab add the cucumber and carrots sliced into matchsticks.
5. Grab both the sushi mat and the nori and roll the mat over from the bottom until the empty space we left at the bottom is touching the other side, squeezing down on the roll to make it nice and tight and allowing to hold its shape.

Sauces & Presentation

1. To make the Unagi eel sauce, combine the soy sauce, white sugar, and mirin into a small pot and cook and stir until the liquid is reduced down to 3/4 to 1 cup. Unagi sauce can also be found at most grocery stores for cheap if you cannot find mirin.
2. Now it is time to add the Unagi Eel Sauce! There are two ways to do this:1) The easy way is to just spread it across the top of the roll with a fork2) The “Instagram-worthy-way” is to put the sauces in small bags, cut off the corner and then push the sauce out of the bag while doing zig-zags up and down the roll.
3. Place the roll on a cutting board and get a knife and damp paper towel. Cut the roll into 8 equal sizes (easiest if you start by cutting the roll in half). Before you make each cut DAMPEN THE KNIFE WITH THE PAPER TOWEL or else the roll will fall apart when you slice through it.
4. Serve with soy sauce, take some pictures for your friends, and enjoy!

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