Spicy Sushi Shrimp Stacks

Our Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks have all the fixings you would find in a spicy shrimp roll but in a fun and slightly deconstructed format.

Plump, juicy shrimp mixed with a spicy, dynamite sauce gets layered with cucumbers, avocado, and sushi rice. Eat them as a main meal, or serve them as a fun appetizer at your next party.

A shrimp sushi stack with a whole shrimp on top.

Table of Contents

Here is Why This Recipe Works
The Ingredients
How to Make It
More Appetizer Recipes
Tips for Success
Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful Tools
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love

If you have made our Philadelphia rolls or black rice sushi rolls, you know they require a sushi roll mat.

These sushi stacks are not as easy to make as our deconstructed spicy salmon sushi bowls, but they look impressive and they don’t require special equipment.

Serve them with a Japanese cucumber salad and pork yakisoba for a full meal.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

A spicy, creamy sauce binds with the shrimp, so they don’t fall off the sushi stack.
Cucumbers add a crunchy texture, while avocado provides a creamy contrast.
Seasoned sushi rice holds the base together and makes these shrimp stacks taste like authentic shrimp sushi.
You don’t need any special equipment. A ring mold helps construct the perfect sushi stack, but you can also use a standard measuring cup.

A shrimp stack on a sushi plate with wasabi and ginger.

The Ingredients

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for this recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

To Make the Sushi Rice

Short grain sushi rice
Nori sheet (dried seaweed)
Rice wine vinegar
Sugar
Salt

To Make the Shrimp Stacks

Mayonnaise
Sriracha sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Toasted sesame oil
Sugar
Cooked shrimp
English cucumber
Chives
Avocado
Lemon juice
Salt

A shrimp sushi stack garnished with fish roe, seaweed, and sesame seeds.

How to Make It

Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Before you begin, set 5 shrimp aside to use as a garnish on top of each stack. If you use a 1-cup measuring cup, this recipe will make 5 shrimp stacks.

Make the spicy sushi sauce.

Combining chopped shrimp with spicy sushi sauce.

Combine the chopped shrimp and half of the sauce.

Reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the sushi stacks. It is great for dipping and drizzling over the sushi.

Make the cucumber mixture.

Mash the avocado.

If you love avocado, use two! A splash of lemon juice will help keep the avocado from turning brown.

Layer the shrimp mixture on the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup.

Add a layer of the cucumber mixture.

The shrimp stacks are much easier to make if you have a ring mold (affiliate link). We recommend purchasing one if you will be making these shrimp stacks frequently.

If you use a ring mold, stack the layers in reverse order (starting with the rice and ending with the shrimp) because you won’t need to invert the ring mold.

Add a layer of mashed avocado.

Top with sushi rice and pack down gently.

Don’t pack it down too hard or it will be difficult to remove from the cup.

Removing the mold from the shrimp stack.

Invert the cup on a plate and give it several firm taps on the top and sides.

Adding pickled ginger and wasabi to a plate with a shrimp sushi stack.

Garnish the tops of the sushi stacks with a whole shrimp, sesame seeds, dried seaweed, and extra spicy sauce.

Serve the shrimp stacks with your favorite sushi sides. We used soy sauce, fish roe, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

More Appetizer Recipes

Tips for Success

If you don’t have cooked shrimp on hand, you can quickly cook some by sautéing them in a pan as we did with our firecracker shrimp. Just be sure to let them cool before adding them to the sauce.
Spray the inside of your measuring cup with non-stick spray before you stack the sushi ingredients inside.
If you have trouble removing the sushi stack, slide a thin knife around the inside edge of the measuring cup.
Give the measuring cup a firm tap on the top and sides before lifting it off the shrimp stack.

Two shrimp sushi stacks with chopsticks and soy sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is shrimp sushi cooked?

Yes, almost all shrimp sushi uses cooked shrimp. If you go to an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant, you can find Ama Ebi, which is raw shrimp sushi.

This spicy shrimp sushi uses cooked shrimp.

Can I use brown rice to make the sushi rice?

If you use regular brown rice, it will not have a sticky texture like authentic sushi rice. It will still work, but it will be a little fussy, and the stack may fall apart easily.

If you love brown rice sushi, we recommend using sticky brown glutenous rice because it will hold the stack together like sushi rice.

Helpful Tools

Some of the following are affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase something, we may receive a small commission. You don’t pay any extra but it will help us keep the lights on.

All you need is a measuring cup to assemble the shrimp stacks.

If you have a ring mold, it will be even easier.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Our ahi tuna poke bowl is a delicious and healthy option for a quick and easy meal. This dish is perfect for those who are looking for a light yet filling meal.

This easy tuna piccata is a delicious way to serve fresh tuna steak. The piccata sauce has a bold citrus flavor that goes well with the fish.

This Shrimp Diablo is a fiery, smokey dish that’s sure to thrill! If you enjoy hot and spicy foods as well as a simple, quick main course, this dish is for you!

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Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks

These shrimp sushi stacks have all the fixings you would find in a spicy shrimp sushi roll but in a fun layered stack. The shrimp gets tossed with a spicy mayo mixture called dynamite sauce or spicy sushi sauce.

Serve extra sauce with the sushi stacks for dipping. The sushi rice is seasoned with a touch of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt which gives it that signature sushi flavor.

If you can't find sushi rice you can use a short-grain rice like arborio, or Calrose. Don't use long grain rice as it will not be sticky and the stacks will not hold together.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 55

Servings: sushi stacks

Calories: 600kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the Sushi Rice:

2 cups 400g short grain sushi rice
2-¼ cups water
1 nori sheet dried seaweed
⅓ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Spicy Sushi Sauce

¾ cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar

For the Shrimp Stacks

1 pound cooked peeled shrimp (medium in size)
1 English cucumber finely diced
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh scallions or chives
1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon salt
1 avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1-½ cups cooked sushi rice

Garnish and Extras

3 teaspoons sesame seeds or Furikake
2 teaspoons tobiko fish roe
1 sheet dried seaweed sliced into thin strips
Wasabi sauce as much as you like
Soy sauce use for dipping
Pickled ginger as much as you like

Instructions

For the Sushi Rice;

Place rice in a strainer and rinse with cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain well and transfer to a large saucepan with 2-1/4 cups of water and nori. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
Remove from the heat. Do not remove the lid, and leave it undisturbed for another 15 minutes.
Remove the lid from the saucepan and discard the nori. Transfer the hot rice to a large shallow bowl.
Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk until dissolved.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice and gently fold with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. If you have a fan, blow a fan over the rice while you fold and flip the rice to cool it faster. Cover with a kitchen towel and cool to room temperature.

Make the Spicy Sushi Sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a small dish and set aside.

Make the Shrimp Stacks

Set 5 whole shrimp aside for garnish. Chop the remaining shrimp into small cubes and toss them in a bowl. Add half of the spicy shrimp sauce to the shrimp and mix until well coated. Save the rest of the sauce to serve with the shrimp stacks.
Combine the diced cucumber and scallions or chives in a small dish.
Add the avocado, lemon juice, and salt to another dish and mash it but leave some chunks for texture.
Spray a 1 cup measuring cup with non-stick spray (see notes if you have a ring mold). Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture and press down lightly.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cucumber mixture in the bottom of the measuring cup and press down.
Add 2 tablespoons of mashed avocado and press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
Fill the rest of the measuring cup with sushi rice and press down gently.
Lay a plate on top of the measuring cup and invert the plate. Tap the bottom of the measuring cup and slowly lift up. If you have trouble removing the sushi stack, run a thin knife around the inside edge of the cup and try again.
Drizzle with extra spicy sushi sauce, sprinkle with fish roe, sesame seeds (or Furikake), and dried seaweed if used. Garnish with a whole shrimp.
Serve with Wasabi sauce, soy sauce, and pickled ginger.

Notes

A 1-cup measuring cup works to assemble the sushi stack but we had to give it a pretty strong tap to remove the stacks. Occasionally, some of the shrimp stuck to the bottom and we had to spoon them out.

A ring mold makes the shrimp stacks much easier to assemble. If you use a ring mold, assemble the layers in reverse, starting with the rice and ending with the shrimp since you don’t have to invert the mold.