How to make a chirashi- a “scattered” sushi bowl with an assortment of fresh fish, veggies and herbs over sushi rice. This celebratory dish is perfect any time of year!
What is Chirashi Sushi?
This Chirashi bowl is clean and simple, highlighting fresh fish and seasonal veggies. Think of it like sushi or sashimi but without the work of rolling. Chirashi means “scattered”; a bowl of scattered sushi with seasoned rice and an assortment of fish and veggies. You can keep the sauce simple and light with a mixture of soy sauce and wasabi, or for extra richness make a spicy mayo.
Origin of Chirashi
Chirashi, a traditional Japanese dish, traces its origins back to the Edo period (1603-1868). During this era, it was customary to scatter various toppings over a bed of sushi rice as a way to utilize leftover ingredients and avoid food waste. This simple yet ingenious method evolved into a beloved and versatile meal, showcasing an assortment of fresh fish, vegetables, and herbs.
Why You’ll Love This
- Easy to assemble. No need to roll sushi here.
- Versatile. Choose any selection of fish and seafood, veggies, and sauces.
- Healthy. Mineral-rich ocean fish and seafood come together with raw, seasonal veggies.
- Customizable flavor. So many options here! Serve with soy sauce and wasabi or sriracha mayo.
- Vegan adaptable! In lieu of fish, serve with crispy fried tofu.
Chirashi Bowl Ingredients
- Sushi Rice: Make a batch of our Sushi Rice recipe, which yields 4 cups. Sweet, tangy, and salty with firm, yet sticky texture!
- Assorted ocean fish and seafood: Use wild salmon (shake), tuna (albacore, ahi, hamachi, toro), red snapper (tai), halibut (hirame), ocean bass, mackerel (saba), escolar, sea urchin (uni), cooked shrimp or octopus, scallops, eel (unagi), or fish roe (salmon roe, tobiko, ikura, masago, caviar). Pick 2-5! Do not consume raw freshwater fish.
- Assorted vegetables: Choose avocado, cucumber, daikon or radish, carrots, snow peas or snap peas, bamboo shoots, cabbage, or cooked shiitake mushrooms, selecting 2-5.
- Fresh herbs: Shiso leaves (particularly lovely), green onions, scallions, or daikon or radish sprouts.
- Serve with: Furikake or toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste, or sriracha mayo for something extra rich!
How to Make Chirashi Sushi
Step 1: Make Sushi Rice. Use our Sushi Rice recipe, then let it cool completely on the counter.
Step 2: Cut and prep fish. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the fish and butterfly-cooked shrimp if using. Make sure the fish is cold!
Step 3: Cut and prep veggies. Thinly slice cucumber and avocado, peel carrots and daikon and grate or make matchsticks, shred cabbage finely, blanch snow peas, and sauté shiitake mushrooms in a saucepan.
Step 4: Assemble Chirashi Bowls. Add rice to the bottom of a bowl, then scatter with fish and veggies. Top with herbs or sprouts and sprinkle with furikake or sesame seeds.
Step 5: Serve. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi paste, along with chopsticks and little bowls for mixing.
FAQs
This is one of those dishes that is best served fresh. Plan to prepare your Chirashi Bowl when you’re ready to eat it.
Yes! Though it tastes best fresh, you can store sushi rice for 2 days. Let it sit for a couple hours to come to room temperature before using.
While you can, sushi rice (a Japanese short-grain rice) is traditional for this recipe and its flavor really enhances the dish. Sushi rice is seasoned with a flavorful rice vinegar mixture that is warmed in a pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
Yes! Fresh fish provides lean protein and the assorted raw vegetables add essential vitamins and minerals. The omega-3 fatty acids from the fish can aid in heart health and brain function.
While all similar, there are different names for chirashi depending on what region you are in. Chirashi Sushi is also called gomoku chirashi, gomoku sushi, or barazushi.
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
More Sushi Recipes You Might Like
Chirashi Sushi Recipe
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: dinner idea, fish and seafood, sushi
- Method: assembled
- Cuisine: japanese
Description
How to make a chirashi- a “scattered” sushi bowl with an assortment of fresh fish, veggies and herbs over sushi rice. This celebratory dish is perfect any time of year!
Ingredients
- Sushi Rice– make a batch of our sushi rice recipe. (Makes 4 cups)
- 1 lb assorted ocean fish and seafood- (pick 2-5) wild salmon (shake), tuna (albacore, ahi, hamachi, toro), red snapper (tai), halibut (hirame), ocean bass, mackerel (saba) escolar, sea urchin (uni), cooked shrimp or octopus, scallops, eel (unagi), Fish roe (salmon roe, tobiko, ikura, masago, caviar). Do not consume raw freshwater fish.
- 2–3 cups vegetables: (pick 2-5) Avocado, cucumber, daikon or radish, carrots, snow peas, bamboo shoots, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms (cooked).
- Herbs: Shiso leaves (particularly lovely) , green onions, scallions, daikon or radish sprouts.
- Serve with: furikake or toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi paste, or for extra richness, sriracha mayo.
Instructions
- Sushi Rice: Make the sushi rice and let it cool on the counter.
- Cut and prep fish. Thinly slice all your fish, butterfly-cooked shrimp if using. Tips: use a sharp knife, cut across the grain, and make sure your fish is cold.
- Cut and prep your veggies. Thinly slice cucumber and avocado, peel carrots and daikon and grate or make matchsticks. Shred cabbage finely, blanch snow peas, saute shiitake mushrooms.
- Assemble Chirashi Bowls. Place rice in the bottom of a bowl. Scatter with fish and veggies. Add any herbs or sprouts. Sprinkle with furikake or ssame seeds.
- Serve: Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste on the side with chopsticks and little bowls for mixing.
Notes
Leftover sushi rice will keep up to 4- 5 days in the refrigerator; fresh fish will keep up to 3 days (always smell for freshness).
Vegan option: instead of fish, add crispy fried tofu and sauteed shiitake mushrooms.
Egg- many versions contain a thinly sliced egg “omelet” or pancake.
Sashimi-grade fish – always opt for wild ocean fish, sushi-grade.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (¾ cup rice, 4 ounces fish, 1 cup veggies)
- Calories: 503
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 687.3 mg
- Fat: 12.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.5 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 32.9 g
- Cholesterol: 51.1 mg
We loved making these Chirashi bowls- just like at our favorite restaurant.
So glad you gave it a try Jan! Thanks so much for the review.