Quick 30-Minute Sushi Bake Recipe

This easy crab sushi bake takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is the perfect main dish or appetizer for your next get-together! It's made with imitation crab, sushi rice, kewpie mayo, cream cheese, and furikake but you can customize the ingredients to suit your family's taste!

What is a sushi bake?

As the name implies, it's all your favorite sushi ingredients baked together in a casserole dish!

While this may seem like an interesting concept, I promise it is delicious! The slightly warm, creamy casserole pairs perfectly with sheets of seaweed and fresh sliced avocado and cucumber. It's kind of like deconstructed California roll sushi burrito. So if you've ever had one of those you are certainly going to enjoy this!

This dish is perfect for potlucks or backyard get-togethers! It's super easy to throw together and is filled with all your favorite sushi flavors, with a twist!

If you're from the Midwest like me, you know how much we love a good hotdish and while this is not one that I grew up eating, it's definitely a fun spin on the classic casseroles you might have tried before.

Homemade Sushi Casserole

• It's got all the amazing flavor of your favorite sushi roll but in casserole form! Everything is baked together in a casserole dish, then it's sliced into squares and served with those cute little roasted seaweed sheets! 
• It's a fun party appetizer! This sushi bake recipe is a fun twist on the classic California roll, which makes it a popular potluck dish! It's basically a deconstructed sushi roll. You can slice up the casserole and serve it right on the snack-size sheets of seaweed or you can let guests help themselves. The best part is that it can be enjoyed warm, cool, or at room temp!

How to Make Sushi Rice

I prefer not to cook my sushi rice with sugar. I just like to cook the rice according to the package directions and then drizzle it with seasoned rice vinegar (which already contains sugar). Because of the starch content in sushi rice, it will naturally stick together more than other types of rice once it's cooked. This is what makes it perfect for sushi rolls and this sushi bake!

Sushi Rice

• This is our favorite brand of sushi rice. Be sure to follow the cooking instructions on your package of rice. Short-grain rice like sushi rice is going to work much better for this recipe than long-grain rice.
• Check the cooking instructions on your sushi rice. Different brands call for different amounts of water. If you have a rice cooker, that is the best and most foolproof way to make sushi rice! 1.5 cups of uncooked sushi rice makes about 4 cups of cooked rice.

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

• Seasoned rice vinegar already has the salt and sugar in it so you can just add it right to the rice. However, if you can’t find seasoned rice vinegar, here's a delicious homemade sushi rice recipe using unseasoned rice vinegar.
• To ensure that the rice vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the rice, you can spread the rice in a single layer on a baking sheet and then drizzle it with the seasoned rice vinegar and toss to coat evenly. This will also help your rice to cool more quickly (which is nice when you're making traditional sushi, but isn't a huge deal here since we will be baking the sushi casserole anyway).

Ingredients for Sushi Bake

Furikake

Furikake is a blend of toasted sesame seeds, nori, salt, and sugar. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, try an Asian grocery store. Let me warn you though, once you try Furikake, you will want to put it on everything - it's SO good!

Imitation Crab Meat

I used flake-style imitation crab meat for this recipe because it’s less expensive than real crab, and has a similar enough texture. Plus it is often used in sushi instead of real crab. However, if you can find picked or lump crab meat in your local seafood store, definitely go for that!

Kewpie Mayo

Kewpie mayo has a more custard-like texture and flavor because it uses egg yolks instead of egg whites which are used in American mayo. Kewpie mayo is a MUST for this recipe. And honestly, we don't even buy regular mayo anymore because kewpie is SO good!

Cream Cheese

I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture.

Green Onion

The thinly sliced green onion will give you a bit of fresh flavor that cuts nicely through the rich mayo and cream cheese.

Making the Sesame Soy Mayo Sauce

• What really sets this sushi bake apart from the rest is the sesame soy mayo sauce! It's a mixture of kewpie mayo, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
• I'm not a huge fan of spicy food so I skip the spicy mayo (sriracha + mayo) in favor of this instead!
• I usually buy low-sodium soy sauce to cut down on the saltiness without losing the flavor.

How to Assemble a Sushi Bake

Drizzle rice vinegar over the warm cooked rice and use a rice paddle or large spoon to gently incorporate the rice vinegar into the rice until well combined. Gently press rice into a 9x13 baking dish.

Sprinkle 4 tablespoons furikake in an even layer over the rice.

Combine kewpie mayonnaise, cream cheese, and green onions in a small bowl.

Flake crab meat into bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl.

Stir everything together until well combined.

Spread the crab mixture over the rice.

Sprinkle with remaining furikake.

Bake for 10 minutes or until heated through. In a small bowl combine kewpie mayo, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth and creamy. Drizzle soy sauce mayo over the sushi bake.

Garnish with green onion, cucumber, and avocado slices. Slice into squares and serve with snack-size nori sheets.

How to Serve Sushi Bake

• My favorite way to serve this sushi casserole is family-style. I'll bring it to the table and serve it alongside seaweed sheets with fresh avocado, cucumber, and extra sesame soy mayo.
• If you're serving this as an appetizer, I'd recommend waiting until it's cooled almost to room temperature. Then slice the casserole into small squares and place each square on a snack-size seaweed sheet on a platter.

Sushi Bake Toppings and Variations

You can really add whatever you'd like to this easy sushi bake recipe which is why it's one of our family's favorites. Here are some of our favorite things to add!

Roasted Salmon

Feel free to switch out the imitation crab with roasted salmon. It will be a delicious compliment to the other ingredients and is a great way to repurpose leftover salmon.

Sautéed Shrimp

Feel free to substitute the crab with sauteed shrimp instead. Just chop it up into small pieces like you do with the crab so it mixes easily with other ingredients.

Fresh or Lump Crab Meat

While real crab meat is quite pricey, it will honestly take this sushi casserole to the next level. You could also use canned lump crab meat if you prefer.

Canned Tuna

You can also substitute the imitation crab with your favorite canned tuna!

Tobiko

Another favorite sushi ingredient is tobiko. Tobiko is flying fish roe or eggs from fish. The tiny orange balls have a smoky, salty flavor that pairs well with this sushi bake.

Unagi Sauce (Eel Sauce)

You might be surprised to find out that eel sauce actually doesn't contain any eel! It's made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar so it's got a delicious salty, umami flavor. All my favorite sushi rolls are topped with eel sauce, so it's a very natural addition to this sushi bake.

Bonito Flakes

Bonito flakes are made from dried bonito fish that is grated into flakes. You've probably seen them on some of your favorite sushi rolls and they would taste amazing on top of this casserole!

Avocado

A perfectly ripe avocado might just be the perfect occasion to throw this casserole together!

Sliced Cucumber

Thinly sliced mini cucumbers are one of my favorite things to serve with this sushi bake. Their crunch pairs perfectly with the creamy casserole and salty seaweed.

Soy Sauce

An obvious choice here is soy sauce! My daughter LOVES to smother this sushi bake in soy sauce before making little sushi rolls with the snack-size nori.

Wasabi

Spice up this sushi bake by serving wasabi on the side. Guests can use as much as they like or mix it with the soy sauce.

What is sushi bake made of?

A sushi bake consists of all of the typical sushi elements deconstructed into a casserole dish - sushi rice, crab (or other seafood), kewpie mayo, cream cheese, green onion, and furikake. Top that with a drizzle of sesame soy mayo and dinner is done!

Why is it called sushi bake?

Essentially because it is all your favorite sushi ingredients baked into a delicious casserole!

Who invented sushi bake?

It is widely accepted that the sushi bake was invented by celebrity nail artist, Mimi Qui Reyes, in the Philippines back in 2015. It quickly caught on and has become a staple in many restaurants worldwide since then.

How do you eat baked sushi?

Baked sushi is best enjoyed with those cute little snack-size roasted sheets of seaweed. It's also delicious on its own!

Can you eat sushi bake cold?

Yes! Baked sushi tastes great fresh from the oven, but it's also delicious cold or at room temperature!

Make-Ahead

This is the perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare it up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, just pop it in the oven and bake. Plan to add a few extra minutes of baking time to account for the cold casserole.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheating

You can reheat this sushi bake in the oven at 350 degrees until it is warmed through. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time or until warmed through.

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