This inari avocado roll is a vegan sushi using bean curd / tofu skin pockets, stuffed with Japanese rice and creamy avocado filling! No sushi mat is needed!

Eight inari avocado sushi rolls with avocado fillings inside the bean curd sushi, arranged on a white plate.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

🥢 No Rolling Required: Easy steps making it perfect for beginners.
🍙 No Sushi Mat Needed: Perfect for those who don’t have a bamboo mat!
💪 Nutrient-dense: Full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to keep you energized.
🥗 Customizable: Add your favorite veggies to make this recipe your own.
🌿 Vegan-friendly: Completely plant-based, making it perfect for vegan diets.

Close-up of an inari roll with avocado sushi fillings, taken from the right side using chopsticks.

What Is Inari Roll Made Of?

Cooked Sushi Rice: Short-grain rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for the perfect sushi flavor. Follow the instructions in this Brown Sushi Rice recipe to get the perfect sushi rice for any recipe!
Inari age pockets: Inari wrappers are basically seasoned fried tofu pouches / tofu pockets that are slightly sweet but also savory.
- You should be able to get these at your local Asian/Japanese grocery stores, or at Amazon. Sometimes, the labels on the packaging only show the Japanese characters so please ask the shop employee if you’re not sure!

Avocado: Creamy and rich, adding a smooth texture and healthy fats.
Sesame seeds: Nutty and crunchy, adding that extra Asian touch to your inari roll.
Edamame: Protein-packed soybeans that pack a lot of nutrition!
- Using frozen edamame works well. In fact, I always just buy the frozen ones!
Nori sheet: Dried seaweed, cut into small squares to add umami flavor to the rice mixture.

Is Inari Usually Vegan?

Yes, inarizushi is usually vegan, made from tofu pockets seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi. Note that sometimes dashi itself is made with dried fish so double-check the packaging if you want to be sure!

What Does Inari Have Inside?

Inside inari, they are traditionally filled with sushi rice, but in this bean curd roll, I added avocado and edamame for extra flavor and nutrition.

Inari bean curd sushi rolls with avocado and sesame toppings on a white plate with bamboo sushi mat in the background.

How Healthy is Inari?

Inari is made from tofu, which is a good source of protein, and filled with rice and vegetables. However, essentially, it’s still deep-fried aburaage/tofu pouches seasoned with sugar (as explained in this Masterclass article), so enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet!

Close-up of avocado inari sushi roll held by up chopsticks from the sides, with more inari roll in the background.

Step-by-step Instructions

Cook the Sushi Rice: Follow the Brown Sushi Rice recipe to cook your healthy sushi rice. Feel free to use a rice cooker to cook the rice.

Mix Ingredients: Once cooled, mix the rice with edamame, sesame seeds, and nori squares. You can just cut your nori sheet using scissors since that’s way easier than using a knife!

A bowl of cooked brown sushi rice mixed with edamame.

A white bowl of brown sushi rice mixed with edamame and cut up nori sheets.

Prepare Inari Pockets: Squeeze out the inari age to get rid of excess moisture. Then gently open the inari tofu pockets, making sure to also open the bottom corners.

Be careful when working with the inari age since they are quite fragile and can tear apart easily.

Fill the Pockets: Add about 2 Tablespoons of the rice mixture into each inari pocket and lightly pack it down.

I know that the traditional recipes ask that you shape the rice into elongated rice balls. I don’t find it necessary and easier to do it just using a spoon, especially since brown rice is less sticky than regular white sushi rice!

A nori tofu pocket taken right out of the packaging, before doing anything. — This is how your inari age looks like straight out of the package.

Two hands opening up the inari age bean curd tofu pocket, with a white background. — This is how your inari age looks like straight out of the package.

Top and Garnish: Use your fingers to fold in the inari age. Then top each filled pocket with cubed avocado and sprinkle with more sesame seeds. That’s all, and enjoy!

Top Tips

Cool Rice Completely: Allow the rice to cool before mixing with other ingredients to avoid wilting the nori and softening the inari pockets.
Squeeze Your Inari Age: Remove the excess moisture so you get inari sushi that holds up nicely!
Be Gentle with Inari Pockets: Inari pockets are fragile, so open them gently to avoid tearing.
Serve Immediately: Inari avocado rolls taste best when served fresh, so enjoy them right after preparation!

Someone pouring soy sauce into an inari avocado sushi roll that is arranged on a white plate.

What to Put on Top of Inari (Inari Sushi Fillings)?

Some great options for vegan inari sushi fillings are: avocado, wakame (seaweed), chickpea tuna, edamame, mashed marinated tofu, miso-glazed tofu, aubergine teriyaki, or fake crab meat salad. Shiitake mushroom and kimchi are also two flavor-packed options! Just think of savory toppings and you are good!

As for the sauces, the options are endless! Go with the classic soy sauce, or make some flavored mayo like in this Sriracha Mayo, Yuzu Mayo, Kimchi Mayo, or Gochujang Mayo for some Korean infusion!

Is inari sushi cold? Should inari be heated?

Inari sushi is typically served at room temperature, or cold if you get them from convenience stores. There’s no need to heat it, and it’s best enjoyed fresh right after assembly.

Eight pieces of inari bean curd sushi roll, with two pair of chopsticks grabbing two sushi pieces.

Serving Suggestions

The best way to serve any sushi is…with more sushi! For more authentic Japanese sushi, try my Kappa Maki, Natto Maki, or Umeshiso Maki.

If you’d like a more ‘American’ sushi version, my Asparagus Avocado Roll, Shiitake Mushroom Roll, and Kimchi Sushi are great options!

You can also serve these with ‘dessert’ sushi like my Mango Avocado Roll and my Peanut Avocado Roll.

Storage and Meal Prep Instructions

Storage: Store any leftover inari avocado rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. The avocado might brown, so it’s best to eat them fresh. But even if the avocado browns, it is still safe for consumption.

Meal Prep: Prepare the sushi rice mixture (but only add the nori sheet just before serving) up to 3 days in advance. Then cube the avocado and assemble the inari roll just before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Freezing: Do NOT freeze this recipe as it does not work well.

FAQ

Inari sushi is popular for its sweet-savory taste and soft tofu pouch texture, making it versatile and appealing to many. It’s also a great vegetarian and vegan alternative in sushi restaurants!

No, inari sushi is soft because it’s made with tofu pouches that were braised to infuse the flavor.

Bean curd sushi, or inari sushi, consists of seasoned deep-fried tofu pockets/pouches filled with sushi rice. In my inari avocado roll recipe, however, I’ve also added avocado and edamame for more nutrition!

You can either use your hands or use chopsticks to eat inari sushi roll. I personally like using chopsticks better, but note that some sushi rice might fall off but that’s totally okay! Just use a spoon to clean it up so we don’t waste food!😉

Beancurd rolls are made of thin seasoned tofu sheets rolled with sushi rice and sometimes other vegetables too.

Want More Asian Recipes?

If you’d like to make another sushi that doesn’t require rolling, check out my Sushi Roll vs Hand Roll guide.

For Korean recipes, try my Gochujang Ramen Noodle, or my Korean French Fries (Loaded Fries + Gochujang Fries variations). Also whip up my Easy Strawberry Oat Milk for a complete meal!