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Crunchy Roll Bowls

475 reviews / 4.9 average

A block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, and a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions, buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo. 

This is a fan favorite recipe that’s part of our Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series.


This is one of my most favorite things to eat.

It’s a block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions (seriously, trust me) and buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo.


Watch How To Make This Recipe:

Click here to watch step-by-step stories to make this recipe!


And just like that, you’ve been transported to your favorite strip-mall sushi joint, eating a crunchy roll in bowl form, without the nervousness that accompanies raw fish and / or the work involved in rolling.

Just everything good about a crunchy roll, plus veg-focused and easy to make.

Ingredients in bowls for Crunchy Roll Bowls - rice, cucumber, edamame, tofu, avocado, sauce.

These Bowls Are Easy As 1-2-3

In true SOS fashion, this is going to be a weeknight win.

First, you’ll prep your ingredients: press and cube your tofu, slice your cucumbers, prep/cook your edamame, slice up that avocado.

Then, it’s time to cook! Get your rice going in a rice cooker, and then just fry up your tofu quick in a pan and add the sauce (storebought for ease! more on that below).

Assemble your bowls and that’s literally it. LITERALLY IT.

Make It Your Own

As with any bowl, there are tons of opportunities for customization here: different protein, different sauces, different vegetables.

Teriyaki chicken? Some pan-fried shrimp or salmon? Thinly sliced carrots? A listtle sushi ginger on top? The world is yours.

I used a storebought teriyaki sauce because that’s where I’m at in my life right now. I used the Soy-Vay brand – it’s tasty, sweet and savory, and has a little bit of sesame going on with it. But if you have the time and energy to make your own sauce, please invite me to your house for lunch because that… sounds really yummy.

Close-up image of Crunchy Roll Bowl.

New To Tofu?

If you’re new to tofu, let me introduce you! We have a whoooooole post about how to cook it that will officially make you a tofu-lover.

And from there, you can enter the big wide world of delicious tofu with my favorite recipes:

Common Questions About Crunchy Roll Bowls

How can I make this recipe soy-free?

We’d recommend substituting another favorite protein for the tofu (chicken, salmon, shrimp, mushrooms, etc) and pea pods for the edamame.

Is this recipe meal prep-friendly?

Definitely! We’d just recommend adding the cucumber, jalapeño, spicy mayo, and crunchy fried onions right before eating.

Can I make the crunchy fried onions myself?

Sure! It just takes a little bit more work. Here’s a recipe we like for making homemade crunchy fried onions.

This recipe was inspired from the Crunch Bowl that I had at a little strip mall place called Aloha Poke! Which was inspired from an American fan-favorite – the crunchy roll. Crunchy rolls usually contain tempura shrimp, avocado, and “crunchies” which are fried tempura flakes – in general this is a far cry from traditional Japanese sushi, but they have their own wonderful qualities such as usually containing no raw fish and being just really fun and delicious to eat. Personally… I love them, and I love having the option to now eat them in bowl form at home!

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Crunch Roll Bowls-2

Crunchy Roll Bowls


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 475 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Crunchy Roll Bowls! A block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, and a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions, buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 cup rice, uncooked
  • 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
  • 1 cucumber, finely diced
  • 1 avocado, cut into chunks or slices
  • 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
  • swish of neutral oil
  • 1/2 cup teriyaki or savory-sweet Asian-inspired sauce (I used the store-bought Soy Vay brand – you could also make your own)
  • 1/2 cup crunchy fried onions, crushed (like the kind you put on green bean casserole from the store!)
  • spicy mayo (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Prep the tofu: Press the water out of the tofu.
  2. Make the rice: Cook rice according to package directions.
  3. Prep the edamame: Cook edamame according to package directions.
  4. Cook the tofu: Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat a little oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sauce – just enough to coat the tofu – and stir fry again until golden brown.
  5. Serve: Assemble bowls with rice, tofu, more teriyaki sauce, edamame, cucumber, jalapeño, crunchy onions, and spicy mayo.

Equipment

Notes

To make spicy mayo: Mix 2-3 tablespoons sriracha with 1/4-1/2 cup mayo. Adjust ratios on personal preference!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Bowl
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Japanese-Inspired

Keywords: sushi bowl, tofu bowl, crunch roll bowl, crunch roll, vegetarian sushi


Time To Show You Off!

Crunchy roll bowls with toppings.

One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our collection of delicious rice recipes. Check it out!

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626 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    When I say we’ve made this 100 times… I mean it. I’m obsessed! I never get tired of it. I love the textures, flavors, it’s easy to make! 100/10!!!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I e made it a bunch. Easy and great as written. And if you want to make it even easier, you can just get a pack of imitation crab and flake it in there instead of cooking tofu. Hits that strip mall sushi vibe perfectly!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    We’ve made these several times with shrimp and the entire family loves them. I also made them for a ladies luncheon and everyone asked for the recipe.

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Every recipe of yours is so good! This one is no exception!! I used chicken instead of tofu, and will make it again for sure!

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    We love this one! So good. I’d love to know what the saturated fat is for this recipe, as only the total fat is listed. Trying to watch my saturated fat since my cholesterol is high. 😉

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Our favorite super fast weeknight dinner is a combination of two recipes from Pinch of Yum – Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Salmon, and Crunchy Roll Bowls. We do salmon, rice and leafy greens, diced cucumber and edamame, topped with crispy onions and spicy mayo. It takes less than 20 minutes to put together and the whole family loves it!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    My sushi loving family loved this meal! My 9 year old rated it a 10/10! I didn’t love the crispy onions I grabbed at TJ so I browned some panko in a pan with oil and onion powder and it worked great!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    love this. it’s on rotation at our house. easy to please everyone as they assemble their own bowls & toppings.

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This was fantastic and so easy! I marinated shrimp in the teriyaki while the tofu cooked for my husband. A hit for the entire family, will definitely make again.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This was a household hit! Super easy to make, extra tasty and the kids asked for seconds (with a couple modifications). This will be going on my regular rotation!

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Made this last night and I’m wishing we had leftovers for breakfast! What an excellent recipe! I used ground turkey rather than tofu, a bag of frozen/microwavable rice, and topped with cilantro. From fridge to fork, it was just 21 minutes! Super easy and sooo delicious. Thank you!!

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I have made this recipe probably 50 times now, and I don’t think I’ve ever taken the time to review it. I am eating it RIGHT NOW, in fact. I have to tell you – this is probably my all-time favorite meal. It’s perfect. It’s got everything I want. Thanks for this excellent contribution to our family cookbook! 🙂

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I love this recipe and make it often! It’s so easy and delicious, love that my kids can customize what they want in their bowls too. Love it with some seaweed and I also do a bit of quinoa mixed into my rice for a little extra oomph. Thank you so much for this great recipe.

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These were fantastic! All of my toddlers, and husband loved it as their first time having tofu! So easy to put together too!

  15. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I know this recipe has been posted for a while at this point, but I just had to leave a comment to say this is a staple in our house! So delicious and easy.

  16. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This is the best thing I’ve ever made. From your site, and maybe ever. It’s ridiculously good and so easy. Love all the flavors together!!! Like deconstructed sushi

  17. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Wondering if anyone has tried this with chicken in lieu of tofu? I’m obsessed with this recipe, but my husband heard ‘tofu’ and was out.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Hi Mary! We haven’t tried, but I think it would be a great substitute for the tofu!

  18. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What makes the rice sticky? I keep rereading thinking I am missing more rice instructions. Thanks!

  19. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Incredible flavor, so easy to make and am mad at myself that I didn’t find this recipe sooner. Can’t wait to make again! You should do a feature of older but amazing recipes!

  20. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Another keeper, thank you! Our local place uses mango so I added some to your recipe. I thought it was a great addition 😊

  21. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This looks delicious and it is on my plan for this week. I’m always looking for vegan / vegan modifiable recipes, and I had not found many on this site. So glad to see this one! Thank you!!!

  22. Pinch of Yum Logo

    My family of seven loooooves this and we have it at least once a month! We add in extra chopped veggies and everyone customizes what they like. My littles love helping shell the edamame or chopping the cucumbers. Thank you for such a delicious and adaptable recipe!