Rice Meals · Japan

How Many Calories in Salmon Nigiri?

Also known as サーモン握り, サーモン寿司, サーモンにぎり, Salmon Sushi, Sake Nigiri.

A slice of raw salmon pressed over a small mound of vinegared sushi rice with a dab of wasabi. The best-selling plate at every kaiten sushi chain in Japan for years running, priced at 110 to 160 yen.

93kcal / 1 plate (2 pieces)
A plate of 2 salmon nigiri is 93 calories at Kura Sushi, so about 47 calories per piece. The rice is about 30 of each piece and the salmon about 17. At a traditional sushi shop with bigger rice balls and thicker cuts, a piece is closer to 65 to 70.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (2 pieces) (60g)AmountPer 100g
Calories93 kcal155 kcal
Protein7 g12 g
Carbs12 g20 g
Fat2.5 g4 g

Where the calories come from

Sushi rice, 2 balls36g
59 kcal
Raw salmon, 2 slices20g
36 kcal
Wasabi and soy sauce4g
2 kcal

The real talk

Nobody gets fat on 2 pieces of salmon sushi. People get fat on 12 plates of it. Kura lists a salmon plate at 93 calories, which sounds like a diet food until you do the kaiten maths. Ten plates is 930 calories and 1,200 yen, and 10 plates is a perfectly normal lunch for an adult man in Japan. Fifteen plates is 1,400. The conveyor belt is the reason the number matters.

The rice is the bigger half. Each nigiri sits on 18 to 20g of sushi rice seasoned with sugar and vinegar, about 30 calories. The salmon slice is 8 to 10g at chain shops, about 17 calories. That is why 'shari half' (half rice) options exist at Kura and Sushiro. Ordering half rice drops the plate to about 65 calories and lets you eat 15 plates for the calories of 10.

The variations are not equal. Plain salmon at 93 is the cheap one. Aburi cheese salmon at Kura is 120 for the plate, salmon with onion mayo is around 130, and anything with 'mayo' or 'cheese' in the name adds 30 to 50 per plate. Ten plates of the fancy salmon is 1,300 instead of 930, and it is the same fish.

How the portions compare

47 kcal
1 piece
93 kcal
1 plate, 2 pieces
930 kcal
10 plates

Salmon Nigiri variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Shari-half salmon, 2 pieces65 kcalHalf rice option at Kura and Sushiro
Plain salmon, 2 pieces93 kcalKura Sushi published figure
Aburi cheese salmon, 2 pieces120 kcalKura Sushi published figure
Salmon onion mayo, 2 pieces130 kcalMayo adds about 40
Traditional sushi-ya salmon, 2 pieces135 kcalBigger rice ball, thicker cut

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in one salmon nigiri?
About 47 calories at a kaiten chain, based on Kura's 93 per 2 piece plate. At a traditional shop with more rice and a thicker slice, about 65 to 70.
Is salmon sushi good for weight loss?
Per piece, yes. It has protein and omega-3 fat for under 50 calories. The problem is volume. Ten plates is over 900 calories, so decide on a plate count first.
How many calories in 10 plates of sushi?
Around 900 to 1,000 for plain fish plates like salmon, tuna and squid. Closer to 1,300 if half the plates are mayo, cheese or tempura toppings.
Salmon nigiri or salmon sashimi?
Sashimi has no rice, so 5 slices is about 90 calories with 15g of protein. Nigiri is 93 for 2 pieces with 7g of protein. Sashimi wins for protein per calorie.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical restaurant, ramen shop or konbini serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on Kura Sushi menu page (サーモン 1皿 93 kcal, あぶりチーズサーモン 120 kcal), Sep 2026. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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