Cucumber Sushi Roll
Updated May 21, 2026
Easy cucumber wrapped sushi with a sriracha cream cheese filling, smoked salmon, and fresh vegetables. Ready in about 15 minutes.
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Cucumber wrapped sushi is soo good!!
No rice, no rolling mat, no nori. These cucumber sushi rolls are just strips of cucumber with a spiced cream cheese filling, smoked salmon, avocado, and a few vegetables, all rolled up tightly. A vegetable peeler handles the slicing, so there’s no special equipment involved. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes.
I started making cucumber roll ups as a snack and they ended up being the thing I bring to gatherings more than almost anything else. They look like they took effort, and they really do not. The cream cheese gets mixed with sriracha and ginger powder, just enough to flavor the filling, and I always put extra sriracha on the side for anyone who wants more heat. The avocado and smoked salmon inside are soo good together.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cucumber Sushi Roll Ingredients
- Cucumbers: English cucumbers are the best choice for cucumber sushi rolls because they have fewer seeds and less water than regular cucumbers, so the strips hold together better when you roll them. Use a wide vegetable peeler. You should get about 8-12 strips per cucumber. Pat the strips dry with a paper towel before filling so the cream cheese grips instead of sliding.
- Cream cheese sauce: Whipped cream cheese, sriracha, and ginger powder. Whipped cream cheese is important here because it spreads without tearing the cucumber strips. If you only have block cream cheese, let it soften completely at room temperature first so it mixes smoothly and spreads without clumping. The recipe uses 1 teaspoon of sriracha, which gives a mild heat. Adjust up if you want more.
- Filling: Smoked salmon, avocado, carrots, and red pepper. Slice the carrots and red pepper into thin matchsticks so the rolls can close evenly. Slice the avocado thin for the same reason. Cold smoked salmon, the pre-sliced silky kind, layers in easily with no prep needed. If you’d rather use shrimp, see the variations section below.
- Finishing: Once my rolls are ready, I like to sprinkle them with toasted sesame seeds before serving. These are so tasty with soy sauce and pickled ginger for dipping! If your rolls are feeling a bit floppy, let them sit in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up before serving.
How to Make Cucumber Sushi Rolls
The photos below walk through how the rolls come together. For the full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card, or skip straight to the → Cucumber Sushi Roll Recipe
1. Peel Cucumbers into Strips
Trim both ends first, then run the peeler along the full length of the cucumber in long, even strokes. Discard the first strip since it’s mostly skin, then keep going until you reach the center. Flip and repeat on the other side. You want strips that are thin enough to flex and roll without tearing.
2. Mix the Cream Cheese Filling
Stir the sriracha and ginger powder into the whipped cream cheese until smooth and evenly combined. Taste it before assembling and add a little more sriracha if you want more heat.
3. Assemble and Roll
Lay the cucumber strips flat and spread the cream cheese mixture along the full length of each one. Arrange the smoked salmon, carrot sticks, red pepper sticks, and avocado along the top half. Starting from the filled end, roll tightly toward the other end. Stand them upright on a plate and add sesame seeds on top if you like.
Full Cucumber Sushi Rolls Recipe
Cucumber Sushi Rolls Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers
- 4 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- 4 ounces smoked salmon
- 2 carrot sticks cut into matchsticks
- 1 red pepper cut into matchsticks
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the cucumbers, then use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber into thin flat strips. Continue until you reach the center of the cucumbers. Then flip it over and repeat.. You can discard the first skin peel and should have about 8-12 strips per cucumber
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the sriracha and ginger powder and stir until well combined and smooth.
- To assemble the rolls, lay the cucumber slices down, spread the cream cheeses mixture on top. Then place the smoked salmon, carrot sticks, red pepper sticks and avocado slices on the top half of the cucumber slice. Starting from the top half, carefully roll the cucumber slices tightly.
- Place them upright on a plate and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top, if desired. Makes about 20-24 rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Double up on the cucumber. Depending on the peeler you have and how much you’re stuffing the cucumbers, it may help to double up on your cucumber. Sometimes, I’ll stack two together before rolling for extra sturdiness!
- Roll as tightly as you can. The tighter the roll, the better it holds its shape. If a roll feels loose, press the end gently to seal it before standing it upright on the plate.
- Keep the fillings thin and even. Too much filling, or a stack that’s uneven, makes the roll hard to close and it will fall apart when you pick it up. Less works better here.
- Assemble in small batches. Peeling all the strips at once is fine, but spread and roll in groups. It’s easier to manage, and the filling goes on right before rolling instead of sitting and softening on the strip.
Serving Ideas
- Add a side salad. I love eating these cucumber sushi rolls with Chinese chicken salad with peanut dressing, red cabbage slaw, or edamame salad.
- Pair with other Asian-inspired favorites. My go-tos are vegetarian pad Thai, Asian noodle salad, teriyaki-beef stir fry, and shrimp lo mein.
Comments
This recipe sounds delicious but I cannot for the life of me slice cucumbers evenly with just a vegetable peeler, so the wraps were impossible unfortunately. Maybe I need a proper slicer.
Oh no! I recommend these OXO Y peelers, that’s what I use: https://amzlink.to/az0lPQBtLoCIe
These are so awesome! love them.
Thank you so much!
This looks amazing! Is it 125 cal for all eight pieces combined, or for only one piece?
Yes it is, I adjusted the calculation to make it more clear. So the recipe makes about 20-24 rolls. Assuming you have about 8, it means there are about 6 servings total and each serving is 125-160 calories. It’s pretty rough estimate though!
Pretty, light and fun to prepare. The kids loved it!