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My viral sushi bake features tangy sushi rice layered with a spicy crab filling and topped with flavor boosters. It’s one of my family’s favorite weeknight dinners!
Love all things sushi? Try my Alaska roll, dragon roll, salmon poke bowl, and tuna poke bowl next.
As much as I love making fresh sushi, it can be a bit time-consuming. Thanks to a recent trend on social media, I’ve been experimenting with baking sushi and it has quickly become a family favorite!
My recipe for baked sushi is perfect if you’re into some fusion Asian food or craving a deconstructed California roll. While it may not be as authentic as the sushi I ate when I traveled to Japan, it’s an easy fix.
What is a sushi bake?
Sushi bake is a relatively recent invention that’s become an internet sensation on TikTok and Instagram. It’s essentially a standard sushi roll but in casserole form. Instead of rolling up the fillings in your nori seaweed, everything is layered in a casserole dish and baked until warm. The finished sushi bake is served atop your nori seaweed.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s easy to customize. You can swap the seafood, add avocado, make it extra spicy, or swap the rice for cauliflower rice instead. There are no rules. It’s your sushi bake!
- No rolling needed. Everything gets assembled and then layered in a single casserole dish, so you save time and have less cleanup.
- Healthy. Imitation crab is just white fish, so it’s rich in protein, low in fat, and has healthy omega-3s.
Ingredients needed
- Sushi rice. I love to make my instant pot sushi rice, but you can also make traditional short grain rice or brown rice if you prefer.
- Vinegar. The most traditional vinegar to use in sushi rice is rice vinegar since it has essential added sugar. I find this at my local grocery store, but Asian grocery stores stock it too.
- Sugar. To add sweetness to the sushi rice.
For the filling
- Sesame seeds. To add texture and a nice toasted flavor. I sometimes also use Japanese sesame seeds aka furikake.
- Nori. To scoop up the finished sushi bake.
- Imitation crab meat. Also known as kani or surimi. It’s basically white fish with a little food coloring and a texture similar to crab. Use any leftovers to make my kani salad.
- Soy sauce. To add necessary savoriness. Can be swapped for gluten-free tamari.
- Sesame oil. To add authentic toasted sesame flavor.
- Cream cheese. To make the creamy crab filling.
- Spicy mayo. For the crab filling and to be drizzled on top of the finished sushi bake. I actually use Japanese mayonnaise in my recipe (kewpie mayo).
- Cucumber. For a fresh topping, you could swap it for avocado.
How to make sushi bake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the sushi rice. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Then, pour the mixture over the rice and mix to combine everything.
Step 2- Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet until golden brown and fragrant. Mix the toasted sesame seeds with one crumbled nori sheet and set aside.
Step 3- Make the crab filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, cream cheese, and spicy mayo. Mix to combine everything, then add the imitation crab.
Step 4- Layer. Spread sushi rice in a baking dish. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds, followed by the creamy crab mixture, then more sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Drizzle with spicy mayo, extra nori, and sesame seeds.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Swap the sauce. Swap the spicy mayo for my eel sauce (unagi sauce) for a more sweet and savory flavor.
- Use real crab. Treat yourself and swap out the imitation crab meat for real crab meat.
- Make it cheesy. Top the sushi bake with shredded cheddar cheese before baking.
- Make a salmon sushi bake by swapping out the crab for cooked, flaked salmon.
- Use other seafood! If you aren’t a fan of crab, tuna (tuna tartare or ahi tuna), calamari, or even smoked salmon are fantastic alternatives. You could also flake some cooked baked halibut or grilled swordfish.
- Add fun toppings. Sprinkle some rice seasoning, green onions, fish roe, masago (egg), tobiko (fish eggs).
Storage instructions
To store: Transfer your cooked sushi bake to an airtight container, or cover the baking dish in foil, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Keep the nori separate until you’re ready to serve.
To reheat: Transfer the sushi casserole back to a baking dish and bake it, covered, at 177°C for 10-12 minutes or until it’s fully reheated. You can also microwave your leftovers in 20-second intervals until warm.
Frequently asked questions
It might taste okay, but if you’ve ever tried eating day-old rice, you probably know it’s hard as a rock. That’s why I recommend reheating your sushi bake covered so some moistness returns to the rice.
Yes, baked sushi is suitable for celiacs, as none of the ingredients are derived from gluten.
More popular Japanese favorites
Sushi Bake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice * see notes
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 5 sheets nori
- 1 cup imitation crab
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1/4 cup spicy mayo
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/440F.
- Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and wait for the sugar and salt to dissolve. Pour the mixture over the cooked rice and mix well.
- In a skillet, toast the sesame seeds until golden, on low heat. Mix it with 1 crumbled seaweed sheet and place aside.
- In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, cream cheese, and mayo. Mix well and add chopped crab. Combine everything and set it aside.
- In a rectangular baking pan spread the sushi rice, pressing it down. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds followed by a cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle more sesame seeds on top.
- Bake the sushi for 10-15 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Remove the baked sushi from the oven and decorate with more spicy mayo and fresh cucumber slices and serve on the rest of the seaweed sheets.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 2023, updated and republished November 2024
This is whole dofferent type of sushi. Good!!
So happy as my shop for grocceries has all of these imgredients. I will make it. Maybe for holidays.
Is this baked? I see the oven temp, but no cooking time.
Thanks, Kim- I’ll fix it!
Hi Arman 🙂
I think you forgot to put this part in the instructions
“Bake this at 220°C for 10 minutes or until the top becomes lightly golden brown.”
Oh thank you!
Quick note for you. Imitation crab is not always gluten free nor safe for Celiac disease. Most of it uses wheat starch unless you specifically look for gluten free imitation crab
This is a great recipe. It has become my sunday favorite. I do add a bit of garlic and ginger to the mix. And top with panko for a little crunch. So good. Thank you.
Thank you, Amanda!