Curb your sushi craving with this spicy salmon sushi bake recipe. It’s a deconstructed sushi roll meets casserole. Serve the easy-to-make dish with dried seaweed and fresh veggies like cucumber and carrots slices.
What is a Sushi Bake?
A sushi bake (also called a sushi casserole) has many of the same ingredients as a sushi roll combined in one pan for an easy dinner or dip. A TikTok creator, @lizziemwong, shared her recipe for sushi bake using imitation crab. The video has over 2 million views, and I can see why.
And that’s not the first time a recipe like this has gone viral. Many remember when @emilymariko made a salmon rice bowl in 2020 and sent the internet into a frenzy. The easy salmon sushi bake recipe combines the two meals into one delicious dish.
What is a Salmon Sushi Bake Made Of?
A salmon sushi bake recipe typically includes white sticky rice flavored with salt and rice vinegar and topped with cooked salmon or imitation crab tossed in a creamy sauce. Here is everything you need.
- White Rice: Use jasmine rice or sushi rice to make the salmon sushi bake recipe. Brown rice works, but it takes longer to cook.
- Rice Vinegar: Season the rice with kosher salt and rice vinegar.
- Salmon: Broil salmon fillets or substitute with canned salmon, tuna, shredded chicken, or imitation crab.
- Mayonnaise: Kewpie mayonnaise is sweet and creamy Japanese mayo. It’s a perfect complement to the savory salmon and spicy Sriracha. Order it online or visit a local Asian market to explore.
- Sriracha: Sriracha provides a perfect amount of heat for the Sriracha mayo.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add nori. Make nori sheets a part of the sushi bake by arranging the dried seaweed sheets into the bottom of the casserole dish before adding the rice.
- Sweeten the rice. Some recipes call for adding white sugar to the rice. Feel free to add 1-2 teaspoons for sweeter rice.
How to Make a Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Cook the rice with rice vinegar and kosher salt in a saucepan (according to the package) for 15 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, cover with a lid, and set it aside to steam.
Step 2: Set the oven to a low broil and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Arrange the salmon onto it and broil uncovered for 15 minutes until the salmon reaches 145 °F (63°C)
Step 3: Press the cooked rice into the bottom of a prepared baking dish.
Step 4: Transfer the cooked salmon to a mixing bowl and use a fork to shred it. Add three tablespoons of mayonnaise and three tablespoons of Sriracha and combine.
Step 5: Spoon the salmon mixture over the rice, then drizzle with Kewpie mayo and Sriracha. Finish with a sprinkle of furikake seasoning.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and cook for 10 minutes, followed by a high broil for 2-3 minutes until bubbling.
If you enjoy the quick dinner idea, try more salmon recipes!
How Can I Garnish the Casserole?
Finish the meal with your favorite toppings such as green onions, avocado slices, fish roe (tobiko), eel sauce (unagi sauce), or furikake seasoning. Or you can add thinly sliced jalapeños or serrano chiles for more heat.
More Topping Ideas:
- Yum Yum Sauce, Wasabi Aioli, Gochujang Aioli, Kimchi Aioli
- Soy Sauce, Coconut Aminos
- Bonito Flakes
- Sesame Seeds
Serving Suggestions
Spoon the sushi mixture onto a nori sheet and eat it like a hand roll, or you can serve the salmon sushi bake recipe as an appetizer with fresh vegetables, crackers, or chips.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm single servings in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute or in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for 10 minutes.
- Repurpose: Use the leftover sushi bake to make salmon sushi cups. Form nori squares into a muffin tin and top the sheets with the salmon and rice mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the concept of a sushi bake originate from?
Homestyle sushi casseroles have been a staple at Hawaiian potlucks for years – think poke bowls and spam musubi. Social media creators in the Philippines blew up the dish during the 2020 quarantine, but many credit Mimi Qui Reyes. She has been selling ‘The Original Baked California Roll’ on her Instagram since 2015.
More Quick Dinner Ideas:
Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe
- 3 cups white rice, rinse and cook according to the package
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 salmon fillets
- 3 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise, plus more for topping
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, plus more for topping
- 2 teaspoons furikake seasoning
- Cook the rice with rice vinegar and kosher salt in a saucepan (according to the package) for 15 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, cover with a lid, and set it aside to steam.
- Set the oven to a low broil and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Arrange the salmon onto it and broil uncovered for 15 minutes until the salmon reaches 145°F (63°C)
- Press the cooked rice into the bottom of a prepared baking dish.
- Transfer the cooked salmon to a mixing bowl and use a fork to shred it. Add three tablespoons of mayonnaise and three tablespoons of Sriracha and combine.
- Spoon the salmon mixture over the rice, then drizzle with Kewpie mayo and Sriracha. Finish with a sprinkle of furikake seasoning.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and cook for 10 minutes, followed by a high broil for 2-3 minutes until bubbling.
Laura
Monday 13th of February 2023
I made this salmon sushi bake for dinner last night and it was a huge hit with my family! The flavors were so fresh and delicious, and it was so easy to make. We will definitely be making this again soon. Thank you for the great recipe!