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    Home » Recipes » Asian

    Keto Sushi Rice [Cauliflower]

    Published: Jan 1, 2022

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    Keto Sushi Rice

    A close up view of a philly roll made from low carb sushi rice.

    I make this Keto Sushi Rice out of cauliflower, traditional seasonings, and a bit of gelatin. It's got enough stickiness to work in sushi!

    Before going keto, we LOVED to make sushi at home, whether as sushi rolls, or my Sushi Bake casserole.

    I’d put on a batch of my Sushi Rice, prepare a bunch of fillings, and just have at it!

    Nowadays, I can’t afford all the carbs in sushi rice, so I had to find an alternative.

    My first attempt involved making a “sushi burrito” out of celery root. It was GOOD, but there was definitely room for improvement.

    I wasn’t super fond of the celery taste in that particular setting, and definitely needed to do something about cohesion. While regular sushi rice is somewhat sticky - which makes it work well for rolling sushi - the celery root had none of that.

    I considered using konjac rice, but wasn’t able to make it work as far as stick went. Too bad, as that would have had THE most convincing look!

    A close up view of a philly roll made from keto sushi rice.

    Cauliflower Sushi Rice

    Finally, I settled on using cauliflower for my keto sushi rolls.

    This was the “rice” of choice in the keto diet community, but was generally held together with cream cheese.

    Not super fond of that idea (Cream cheese doesn’t belong in sushi, outside of Philly rolls, IMHO!), I wanted to figure out a way to make the cauliflower itself act more like actual sushi rice.

    The solution?

    Gelatin.

    No, I wasn’t making a full out aspic or anything... but I figured a little gelatin - judiciously applied - could add a little bit of the needed tackiness, to make low carb sushi rolls.

    I decided to use beef gelatin - Great Lakes Unflavoured Beef Gelatin, specifically! - as I find it more robust than other varieties of gelatin.

    ... a necessary trait, given that I’d be blooming it in acid (the vinegar!).

    While the ingredients and technique are a bit different from normal sushi rice, this recipe turns out an acceptable, keto friendly alternative.

    As a note: It’s not sticky enough to make “inside out” rolls with. I’m sure - with much more gelatin - we could get it to that point... but I’m not sure the flavour/texture tradeoff would be worth it.

    It’s no big deal to keep the “rice” on the inside of the nori, though, IMHO.

    A close up view of a bowl of keto sushi rice.

    Keto Sushi Ingredients

    Nori

    Nori are sheets of roasted seaweed, and are naturally low in carbohydrates - about 0.5 gram net carb per sheet.

    Cauliflower Rice Sushi

    There are many different ways to make cauliflower sushi rice. Many involve cream cheese as a binder, I use gelatin - recipe is at the bottom of this post.

    Low Carb Sushi Roll Fillings

    Once nice thing about sushi is that - once you’ve got the rice figured out - MOST sushi fillings are naturally low carb!

    While we went for a fairly basic Philly roll, here are some more options for you:

    Proteins:

    Cooked Shrimp
    Cream cheese
    Sashimi grade salmon
    Sashimi grade tuna
    Smoked Salmon
    “Spicy” fish*
    Tomago - IF made with sugar substitute.
    * I have my Spicy Tuna Maki recipe up on my main blog, Celebration Generation. While I used tuna for that post, you can use the recipe to make spicy salmon, or whatever else you want!

    Vegetables:

    Asparagus
    Avocado
    Bell peppers
    Cucumber
    Green onion
    Jalapeno
    Radishes

    A close up view of a philly roll made from low carb sushi rice.

    How to Make Keto Sushi Rice

    Full recipe follows - at the end of this post - but here is the pictorial overview:

    In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, gelatin, sugar substitute, and salt. Allow to gel up for 5-10 minutes.

    A two part image showing gelatin absorbing into vinegar, in a small bowl.

    In the meantime, melt butter in a large pan.

    Add riced cauliflower, cook until any moisture has cooked off, and cauliflower reaches a consistency that you like.

    Add gelled vinegar mix to the hot cauliflower, stir well to melt the gelatin and combine everything.

    Continue cooking - stirring well until all of the liquid has been absorbed/coated the cauliflower.

    A 5 part image showing the cauliflower sushi rice being cooked, gelatine added, and the liquid cooking off.

    Remove from heat, cool to room temperature.

    Once completely cool, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until you’re ready to use it.

    A close up view of a bowl of low carb sushi rice.

    How to Make Keto Sushi Rolls

    Note: While this cauliflower rice is sticky enough to use when inside of a sushi roll, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for an inside-out (rice on the outside) style maki roll.

    Place a full sheet of nori in front of you, on a parchment-lined work surface.

    Spread ¼ of the cauliflower sushi rice over ⅓- ½ of the nori, on the side closest to you.

    Lay out your desired fillings on the edge closest to you, as pictured.

    Carefully roll your maki tightly, starting from the side with the toppings. Make sure to keep the toppings from spilling out the sides. Also, don’t let your mat/paper get caught in the roll. It may take some practice!

    A 5 part image showing a piece of nori being spread with cauliflower sushi rice, topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber, then rolled up.

    Place your sushi roll on a cutting board, slice into approximately ¾″ – 1″ pieces.

    I find that a dampened sushi knife works best. Anything else, and I make a huge mess of my precious maki!

    This 8" Nonstick Sushi Knife is what I use.

    I actually have a few - including one in my craft room. Not only is the knife fantastic for cutting fish, sushi, and cheese, it's really, really nice for carving foam!

    The more you know...

    A close up view of a philly roll made from keto sushi rice.

    More International Keto Recipes

    Looking to add some international flavour to your menu? Try some of these low-carb versions of my favourites!

    Keto Cabbage Rolls
    Keto Chicken Biryani
    Low Carb Chicken Korma
    Keto Doro Wat
    Keto Gyoza [Potstickers]
    Keto Manakish
    Easy Keto Ramen Recipe
    Keto Orange Chicken
    Keto Pad Thai
    Keto Perogies
    Keto Sauerkraut Buns
    Keto Fried Cauliflower Rice
    Low Carb Shanghai Noodles
    Keto Sesame Chicken
    Low Carb Vietnamese Noodle Salad
    Paleo Stuffed Grape Leaves
    Sugar Free Furikake Seasoning
    Easy Keto Butter Chicken

    ... also, be sure to check out our International Keto Recipes for even more options!

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

    Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    A close up view of a philly roll made from low carb sushi rice.

    Keto Sushi Recipe

    A close up view of a philly roll made from keto sushi rice.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Keto Sushi Rice

    I make this Keto Sushi Rice out of cauliflower, traditional seasonings, and a bit of gelatin. It's got enough stickiness to work in sushi!
    1 batch makes enough for 4 sushi rolls.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Chilling time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose
    Servings: 4 Rolls (3 Cups)
    Calories: 67kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ tablespoon Rice vinegar
    • 3 teaspoon Unflavoured Beef Gelatin I use Great Lakes brand
    • 2 teaspoon Sugar substitute
    • ¾ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Butter
    • 500 grams Frozen riced cauliflower thawed.

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, gelatin, sugar substitute, and salt. Allow to gel up for 5-10 minutes.
    • In the meantime, melt butter in a large pan.
    • Add riced cauliflower, cook until any moisture has cooked off, and cauliflower reaches a consistency that you like.
    • Add gelled vinegar mix to the hot cauliflower, stir well to melt the gelatin and combine everything.
    • Continue cooking - stirring well until all of the liquid has been absorbed/coated the cauliflower.
    • Remove from heat, cool to room temperature.
    • Once completely cool, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until you’re ready to use it.

    Notes

    1 gram of the carb count comes from sugar alcohols in the sweetener.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

    A close up view of a philly roll made from keto sushi rice.

    Related posts:

    A white bowl with singapore mai fun style zoodles.Singapore Mai Fan Style Zoodles A close up view of chirashi - raw fish slices and vegetables arranged on a bowl of rice.Chirashi Bowl A heaping serving of keto cauliflower fried rice, in a white bowl.Keto Fried Cauliflower Rice with Chicken A bowl of keto ramen noodles, with baby bok choy, eggs, and more.Easy Keto Ramen Recipe
    « Keto Raspberry Coconut Bars
    Sugar Free Furikake Seasoning »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tiffany Urteaga

      May 25, 2022 at 12:30 pm

      Thank you! I'm excited to try this.. Quick question, does it have to be a granulated substitute sugar or can it be monk fruit liquid?

      Thank you!
      Best ,

      Tiffany

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        May 26, 2022 at 9:45 am

        I've never made it with monk fruit liquid, but I'm sure it would be fine - you'd just want to adjust the amount if it's not a 1:1 thing.

        Reply
    2. Melanie

      August 14, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      I've been low carb/keto for 7 years and recently went on a month long sushi and musubi splurge 😂🤣 I must find a way to have my new favorite food while maintaining my health goals, because I really do feel my best when I'm in ketosis. I'm going to try this this week! Bookmarked so I can come back and update 🥰 Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Amanda

      October 03, 2022 at 11:02 pm

      I’m so glad to have found your blog! I’m currently combing thru your recipes & making grocery lists. Quick question? I’ve really been loving oat fibre shiritaki rice, and I wondered if you’ve tried this gelatin method with shiritaki rice? I’m kinda cauliflower’d out and looking for an alternative… thank you for your time!

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        October 05, 2022 at 5:43 am

        I did, and it didn't work very well. Have you tried celery root? I haven't used it for sushi rice (I do use it for rice in other dishes), but I bet it would work!

        Reply
    4. Allison

      December 25, 2022 at 6:28 pm

      5 stars
      I'm new to this and so glad I found you. I was wondering can you tell me what the net carbs of this recipe would be? Can't wait to try

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        December 28, 2022 at 4:24 am

        2 grams per serving! Ou add the fiber and sugar alcohols together, subtract it from the full carb count.

        Reply

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