Have you heard of sushi bake? It’s a super popular potluck dish inspired by sushi. Essentially it’s a deconstructed California roll, layered and baked in a casserole. Everything gets warm and creamy and you scoop it up into crispy sheets of roasted seaweed and top it off with cucumber and avocado. It’s SO good. If you love California rolls, you’ll love sushi bake. It’s savory, creamy, and super satisfying.
What is sushi bake?
Sushi bake came around as an alternative to sushi rolls: all the flavors of creative sushi rolls layered and baked into a warm and comforting delicious casserole, meant to be scooped into little sheets of roasted seaweed.
Like most casseroles, it’s a home style dish meant to be shared with friends and family. It’s easier than rolling lots of rolls and the scooping and sharing makes it fun and interactive. It’s infinitely customizable meaning there’s a sushi bake out there for everyone!
How to make sushi bake
- Make: Take the time to make sushi rice. You can just use plain cooked short grain rice, but taking the time to add vinegar, sugar, and salt to make sushi rice will take your sushi bake to a whole other level.
- Spread: Spread the sushi rice into a oven safe dish and sprinkle with some furikake.
- Mix: In a bowl, mix up some shredded chopped crab with cream cheese and Kewpie mayo and then spread it on top of the rice layer. Sprinkle on a bit more furikake.
- Bake: Pop the sushi bake into the oven and bake until it starts to brown and bubble and is heated through.
- Enjoy: Remove from the oven and if desired, drizzle with extra kewpie mayo and sriracha. Enjoy scooped on to roasted seaweed snacks with cucumber and avocado.
Ingredients
- Sushi rice – Koshihikari is the standard variety of rice used for sushi and is very easily found online and in grocery stores. It’s a short and stubby rice that is that is naturally sticky. It cooks up beautifully and is perfect for sushi bake.
- Crab or seafood – You can go with either imitation crab (which is not crab at all but fish!), canned crab, or fresh crab. Since the crab is baked, I suggest just going with whatever is easiest. For me, that means either canned or imitation crab. If you’re not a fan of crab, you can definitely used any sort of seafood that you love – like salmon or tuna or prawns!
- Kewpie mayo and cream cheese – the cream cheese mixed up with the crab gets melty and creamy and is so decadent and addictive. Kewpie mayo adds a subtle rich and sweet mayo flavor that is tangy from the rice vinegar.
- Furikake – Furikake, if you haven’t heard of it, is rice seasoning. Think of it as a mix of seaweed and sesame seeds and other tasty bits that people sprinkle onto bowls of rice to dress them up a bit. It’s super addictive and tastes amazing on everything: rice, noodles, pasta, popcorn, eggs, you name it, furikake makes it better. You can find furikake at Asian grocery stores or online.
How to serve sushi bake
Sushi bakes are eaten kind of like a little taco with roasted seaweed snack being the tortilla and the sushi bake being the filling. Just scoop a bit of sushi bake onto a piece of roasted seaweed snack and pop it in your mouth for the perfect bite.
Typically you just put a dish of warm sushi bake in the center of the table and everyone can scoop a bit onto their plate, wrap it in seaweed and eat it. You can also slice it into little pre-portioned slices that you can easily move onto roasted seaweed.
What kind of seaweed do I need?
Seasoned roasted Korean laver seaweed snacks is the best seaweed to eat with sushi bake. You’ll see them in little foil packs sold in the snack section. They sell them at Asian grocery stores, Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, online, essentially everywhere! Roasted seaweed snacks look a little bit different than the typical seaweed used for sushi – slightly more translucent with a looser weave. You can also just use regular toasted seaweed cut into rectangular strips but I love the crispy crunch of roasted seaweed snacks.
Sushi bake variations
Sushi bake variations are endless! Try these:
- Miso salmon – instead of crab, use the equal amount of drained canned salmon. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of miso.
- Tuna salad – instead of crab, use the equal amount of drained canned tuna. Mix in some sliced scallions.
- Spicy – mix in 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha into the crab mix and top with an extra drizzle of sriracha when eating.
- Cheesy – add an extra layer of shredded cheddar cheese on top before baking.
Spicy salmon roll sushi bake
To make a spicy salmon roll sushi bake, prepare the rice base as below. For the topping, combine 1 lb cooked and flaked salmon with 1 cup kewpie mayo, and 2 tbsp sriracha. Spread the spicy salmon mixture on top of the rice and top with the furikake and bake as directed below. Enjoy warm with seaweed!
Crock pot sushi bake
A reader asked a really good question about making sushi bake in a Crock Pot so they could bring it to a party while keeping it warm. I hadn’t thought of it before, but the more I pondered, the more I thought about how it would absolute work to use the Crock Pot as a warmer. They key to making sushi bake in a Crock Pot is to use the Crock Pot as a warmer after you’ve already made and baked it. Here’s how you do it:
- Make sushi rice by mixing cooked short grain rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Spread the sushi rice into the bottom of the slow cooker insert and top generously with furikake.
- Mix up your toppings of choice with cream cheese and Kewpie mayo and spread it over the rice. Finish with a generous sprinkle of furikake.
- Bake the sushi rice in the crock pot insert in the oven at 350°F. This is a lower temperature than usual because the crock pot insert can’t be heated too high.
- When the top is brown and bubbly and everything is warmed through (about 20 minutes), transfer the crock pot insert to the crock pot and keep warm on low.
- Keep it on low until ready to serve, then top with extra mayo and sriracha, if desired. Serve warm with roasted seaweed snacks to scoop up!
What to serve with sushi bake
Truthfully sushi bake is a full meal within itself but if you’re looking for some extras, try these:
- Tamagoyaki because who doesn’t love sweet and savory rolled eggs
- No Japanese inspired meal is complete without miso soup!
- A lil salad with incredibly addictive Japanese dressing would be a lovely side
- Spicy, creamy, addictive prawn tempura in chili mayo
- Super fluffy, jiggly Japanese cheesecake for dessert
Sushi Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice Koshihikari or other short grain rice preferred
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz imitation crab shredded and chopped
- 1/2 cup cream cheese room temp
- 1/2 cup mayo kewpie mayo preferred
- 1/4 cup furikake
- 1/2 cucumber sliced, to serve
- 1 avocado cubed, to serve
- 3 packages roasted laver aka Korean seaweed snacks, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the sushi rice in a colander, rinse throughly and let drain for 15 minutes. Cook rice according to the package instructions or your preference. While the rice is cooking, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan and warm over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, microwave briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the shredded crab with the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Set aside.
- When the rice is done, transfer to a very large bowl. Sprinkle on the vinegar mixture and use a rice paddle or spatula to mix the vinegar into the rice while using a slicing motion. Fan the rice while mixing to dry it out slightly.
- Spread the sushi rice into an oven safe baking dish and top with 1/2 of the furikake.
- Top with the cream cheese mayo crab mix. Sprinkle on the remaining furikake.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top just begins to brown and bubble and the casserole is warmed through.
- Enjoy warm with roasted seaweed snack, sliced cucumbers, and sliced avocados.
Do you have any suggestions for seasoning alternatives to Furikake that is sesame free? We have a sesame allergy in the family, but love sushi :(
hi jill,
you can just make your own furikake!
just mix up:
2 tablespoons crushed/chopped bonito flakes
1 tablespoon crushed toasted nori
1 teaspoon sugar of choice
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
or you can just use crushed seaweed :)
Awesome thanks so much!!
I didn’t have fuikake once so I just crushed seaweed and panko
I LOVE sushi bake! When I’m craving sushi bake but don’t have cream cheese on hand, I use greek yogurt to make it lighter and healthy….ish. I love the classic with imitation crab and shrimp, but intrigued about all those variations, especially the miso salmon combined with the cheesy sounds bomb!!! Thanks for sharing!
What size baking pan did you use? My rice ended up being spread a little too thin with just a cup. My baking pan was about 9×13. Thanks!
hi monica,
i used a 10.5″ x 7.5″ (2.5 quart) baking dish :)
I used a pie pan and it came out so perfect!!
Hi, if I substitute salmon for crab, do I mix miso, cream cheese, Mayo with the salmon?
Thank you
hi joanna,
yes, just do a straight substitute :)
Thank you for the recipe .
Hi,
The 1cup of rice, is it cooked or uncooked?
Thanks.
hi, it’s uncooked, there are cooking instructions in the recipe :)
Hi. Can I use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese?
you can but it won’t have the same flavor/texture. if you do, i recommend whipping it first so it’s smooth.
Does it reheat good, or do you leave it cold for leftovers?
i’ve never had leftovers but i would probably reheat it :)
I’ve been making sushi bake for 11 years now and it always reheats really well in the microwave. I like to eat it cold sometimes too.
Thanks! I’ve never made anything sushi and this is what my daughter requested for her birthday!
Hi, Thank you for the recipe! Can I use apple cider vinegar rather than rice vinegar?
hi misha, you can but it will have a different flavor. if you can find rice vinegar, that would work better with the flavor profile!
As a substitute for rice vinegar, I add sugar to distilled vinegar in a bowl and whisked it with a fork until the sugar completely dissolved. I eyeball the sugar and taste it to see if it’s sweet enough; if it’s not, add a little more sugar.
Can you replace cream cheese with sour cream?
hi carol, i haven’t tried but my inclination is to say that it wouldn’t be a good swap: cream cheese is much more sturdy compared to sour cream.
Can you use regular mayo instead of Kewpie mayonnaise?
absolutely, it will just taste a touch different :)
Should it be three cups of raw rice?? One cup would not be enough to cover 9 x 12 baking dish.
hi belinda,
i used 1 cup raw rice which cooked up to enough for my pan (10.5″ x 7.5″) if you’re going use a 9×12 baking dish, i’d go for 2 cups of raw rice. hope that helps!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe with the world. It’s the perfect way to get my sushi fix while pregnant. Just made it, tried it, and can’t wait to make it again for friends someday. How long can this be stored in the fridge after originally baking? Again, than you so much!!
it should keep for 1-2 days :)
Sooo yummy!!
It was so yummy & I think even better the next day!!
Hi! Would this be safe to bring to a beach potluck? I’m just worried about the mayonnaise part being left out at room temperature. Thank you!!
hey amy,
i wouldn’t recommend it, unless you do the mayo when you get to the beach. still, i think it’s probably better in a home potluck situation!
I have let this get cold and it cut into nice squares (or you could go fancy and cut out with a small round donut hole cutter). It taste more like sushi from the store that is cold. My kids like it even more.
This is super helpful. I want to take this to a potluck but how do you even keep it warm taking it someplace? I’ll just let it cool in the fridge then take it
In the last 10 months I’ve made this recipe 7 times. It’s a winner in this fam.
After baking, I like to add masago (fish roe) and sliced avocado for a real baked California roll experience.
Could this possibly be done in a crockpot? i would love to bring this to a potluck, but have no way of keeping it warm….
hmm, i haven’t thought about doing it in a crockpot, but i don’t see why it wouldn’t work. i would make the recipe as written in the crockpot insert (baking it in the oven as the insert should be oven safe) then popping it into the crockpot to keep it warm. hope that helps!
No wasabi?
you can definitely add wasabi to this!
I love making sushi bake for potlucks and gatherings with friends. This recipe and guide are easy to follow and customizable, which allows me to get creative with the ingredients. I always use seasoned roasted Korean laver seaweed snacks to add extra flavor and texture to the dish. The different variations of sushi bake, such as miso salmon or spicy, keep things exciting and delicious.
Phenomenal!! I had never tried sushi bake before this recipe and I am so glad I found this one! The crab topping is creamy and delicious and the recipe was very easy to follow. I will definitely make this again!
Do you know of a way to make this dairy and gluten free?
hi jennifer, you can skip the cream cheese and instead use just kewpie mayo which is dairy free. you can also sub in dairy free cream cheese OR use soft tofu blended with kewpie mayo (same amount as the cream cheese). hope that helps!
Love the recipe! Thanks!
I used those small bay scallops mixed in mayo and wasabi and added that last layer in the last 10mins so scallops wouldn’t be overcooked; it was bomb! Also topped with scallions in the end. Thanks for recipe.
I didn’t bother to bake it. The weather’s been so hot and we eat outdoors. It was great!
This is amazing. But can leftovers be frozen?
hi joe,
i haven’t frozen it before so i can’t confidently recommend it
My sister in law brought this to a family meal and it was delicious!! Now I have the recipe! Thank you!
can you use fat-free cream cheese? or have a suggestion on how to reduce the fat?
you can absolutely use fat free cream cheese!