Chirashi Sushi Bowl for Kids
This easy chirashi sushi bowl is a deconstructed sushi dinner made with canned salmon, seasoned sushi rice, and colourful toppings your kids can pile on themselves. No rolling, no raw fish, and ready in under 30 minutes.
If your kids love sushi but you’re not about to serve raw fish on a Tuesday night, this chirashi sushi bowl is about to become your summer weeknight staple. Chirashi simply means “scattered” in Japanese. It’s everything your kids love about sushi, deconstructed into a bowl, with seasoned sushi rice at the bottom and fun toppings on top. This version uses canned salmon, keeps things totally customizable, and comes together in about 30 minutes. Let each kid build their own bowl, and dinner practically runs itself.
What Is a Chirashi Bowl?
Chirashi sushi (ちらし寿司) is a traditional Japanese dish of seasoned sushi rice topped with a variety of ingredients, such as fish, vegetables, and garnishes. Unlike maki rolls or nigiri, there’s no shaping or rolling required, which is exactly why it works so brilliantly for home cooking. You’ll sometimes see it called a deconstructed sushi bowl or no-roll sushi bowl, but whatever you call it, it’s all the flavours of sushi with none of the fuss.
Why Kids Love This Recipe
- No raw fish: canned salmon is seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil and tastes genuinely delicious
- Build your own bowl: kids can choose their own toppings, which makes them far more likely to actually eat it
- Familiar flavours: rice, cucumber, carrots, and egg are all things most kids already enjoy
Other Asian Meals For The Family
Easy Sushi Bowl For Kids (Chirashi)
Ingredients
Rice
- 400 g sushi rice
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin *optional
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Canned Salmon
- 200 g canned salmon
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp roasted sesame oil
Toppings
- 2 eggs
- 2 carrots shredded or finely cut
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 150 g edamame cooked (2 minutes in boiling water)
- 1 sheet of nori cut into fine strips
- 2 tbsp salmon pearls (roe) *optional (could also be tobiko or masago)
- black sesame (to decorate) *optional or furikake
Instructions
- Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel and halve or quarter.
- In the same pot, boil the edamame for about 3 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water and set aside.
- Once the rice is cooked, fluff it gently with a fork or rice paddle.
- While the rice is still warm, combine the rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. If the sugar is taking its time, a quick 20-second blast in the microwave will help it along. Fold the seasoning gently into the warm rice until evenly coated.
- Drain the canned salmon and break into flakes. Season with soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss gently and set aside.
- Prepare all toppings: shred carrots, slice cucumber, open edamame, halve eggs and cut nori into strips.
- Divide the seasoned rice among four bowls, then assemble your own bowl.
Video
Notes
- Let the kids build their own bowls for a fun and stress-free dinner. Set the toppings out in small bowls and let them go to town.
- Canned salmon varies in saltiness by brand, so taste before adding the full amount of soy sauce and adjust accordingly.
- This recipe is very flexible. Use whatever toppings you have on hand and don’t stress about having every single ingredient.
- Tobiko, masago, or salmon pearls are optional but make the bowls feel extra special for little ones who love the “fancy sushi” experience.
Nutrition
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Did You Make This Recipe?
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