Grocery store sushi has come a long way. Before, it was so bad you almost wondered why it was presented as an option (and honestly, that remains to be true at gas stations). But now, grocery store sushi isn’t just convenient. Many selections available at retailers like Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Kroger are quite tasty and feature high-quality sushi-grade fish.
Still, let’s be honest with ourselves: the sushi you get the grocery store is usually not the exact same as the restaurant-quality plate you get at a local Japanese spot. But now there’s a fun, new sushi trick that promises to make grocery store sushi taste and look more like a fancy sushi platter. It requires a little effort on your end, but the final result is admittedly really cool. Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Make Grocery Store Sushi Party-Worthy
“Life hack: Turn store-bought salmon nigiri into spicy salmon crispy rice 🍣,” wrote food influencer Sophie Fisher of @coconutandbliss in the caption of a recent Instagram post. “The ultimate time-saver if you’re having people over and want to whip up something easy but a bit boujee.”
Sushi from the grocery store usually can’t match the taste and texture of restaurant-quality sushi. Even if the fish and rice start out fresh, hanging out in the refrigerator case causes the cooked rice to harden, dry out and fall apart, while the fish, toppings and sauce lose some of their flavor the longer they sit. And really cold sushi doesn’t hit the same!
So instead of eating her grocery store salmon nigiri sushi as-is, Fisher grabs a few pantry ingredients and takes things up a notch (or three). She removes the raw salmon from each roll, finely dices the fish and mixes it with Kewpie mayo, sriracha, soy sauce and sesame oil. She then slightly flattens the sushi rice and chucks it into the air fryer, where it becomes super crisp and golden brown.
Once the rice is air-fried, she adds a slice of avocado, followed by a spoonful of the salmon mixture and a slice of fresh jalapeño.
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Why This Grocery Store Sushi Hack Is So Great
Grocery store sushi doesn’t have the best reputation: It’s usually not as fresh as the stuff you’d get at restaurants and that can impact the taste and texture. But adding new ingredients to the mix and preparing it in a special way lets you make a great party dish and save money, too.
The result is a texturally blissful plate of sushi that you can make to impress your dinner guests or to treat yourself when you want a restaurant-quality meal without breaking the bank.
People in the comments had thoughts to share. “Girl, that looks so good,” one person wrote. “You, my friend, are a genius,” another said. Still, some pointed out that the effort required means they won’t be trying this trick. “Looks dope, but I’m buying grocery store sushi to avoid cooking,” someone shared.
Even though some people in the comments pointed out that this isn’t as time-saving as simply putting the sushi on a plate, it does look delicious. And, if your goal is to create a fancy-looking starter from something you can find at your local market, you might want to give this hack a try.
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