What is a Sushi Bake?
Sushi bake is a casserole dish that combines sushi ingredients into one large, layered dish. It could also be called a sushi casserole. I like to think of it as a deconstructed California roll in casserole form. I assemble it in a baking dish, topped with a sauce, and then baked until it becomes hot, bubbly, and slightly golden. It has amazing flavor!The term “sushi” is used because it incorporates similar ingredients found in sushi, like rice and seafood, and “bake” is added to describe the cooking method used. A sushi bake offers a convenient way to enjoy the flavors of sushi without the process of rolling and making a complicated presentation. I’m all for making things easy, especially when they still taste great!
How to Make Sushi Bake
Start with the ingredients listed below. I’ve added in some extra information to help you find exactly what you need.
Sushi Rice – You should be able to find sushi rice at any Asian market, and at some grocery stores. Calrose rice also works. A short grain rice works best. Long grain white rice won’t be sticky enough. We have two easy methods for preparing your sushi rice: Sushi rice on the stovetop and Instant Pot Sushi Rice. Both are great recipes to achieve the perfect sushi rice texture. Seasoned Rice Vinegar, Salt, and Sugar – Sushi literally translates to “sour flavor” and this combination of seasonings it what gives sushi rice its signature flavor. Imitation Crab Meat – Yes, you can use real crab meat, but imitation crab is a lot more budget friendly. Most imitation crab meat is made with pollock and white fish. Sriracha – You can adjust the amount of sriracha to your spice preference. Wasabi – Wasabi is Japanese horseradish. Again, you can adjust the amount to your spice preference. This stuff is really spicy! Cream Cheese – The cream cheese helps to balance out the spice and add a creaminess to the mixture. Green Onions – You can use the white and green part of the green onion for this recipe. Kewpie Mayonnaise – This is a special kind of Japanese mayonnaise. Regular mayonnaise won’t work. Kewpie mayo has a sweet and savory taste that is so perfect for this sushi bake. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores or you can also order it online. Furikake Seasoning – Furikake Seasoning is a Japanese condiment. It is made of dried fish, toasted sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Roasted Seaweed Sheet or Nori Sheets – I love to buy the little packages of roasted seaweed for serving, but you can also use nori sheets. The nori sheets just don’t have the crunch that the roasted seaweed does.
Once you have the ingredients together, prepare the rice in a rice cooker or saucepan. While the rice is cooking, finely shred the imitation crab into a bowl and add the sriracha sauce, wasabi, cream cheese, green onions, and Kewpie mayonnaise. Now put it all together by spreading the rice in the bottom of an 8×8 pan. Sprinkle the rice with Furikake seasoning. Then, spread the crab mixture evenly into the dish over the rice. Sprinkle with more Furikake seasoning. At this point, I like to drizzle on more sriracha sauce and kewpie mayonnaise.
Sushi Bake Variations
This is a great, basic sushi bake recipe, but you can change it up! Basically, if it can go in a sushi roll, it can go in your sushi bake.
Try salmon, shrimp, or tuna instead of crab.
Make it fancy and use lobster or scallops!
You can also top your sushi bake with avocado slices or sliced cucumber. Make a miso salmon sushi bake by using salmon and adding a couple tablespoons of miso paste. Combine the kewpie mayo and sriracha to make a spicy mayo sauce. Use eel sauce or unagi sauce. Sprinkle some fish roe like tobiko or masago. You can also drizzle some sesame oil on top, then sprinkle on some Panko breadcrumbs before baking in the oven for a little added crunch.
Recipe Tip
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