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This Sushi Bake Recipe is the easiest way to get all the flavors of sushi without rolling. It’s creamy, savory, a little spicy, and disappears fast every time I make it. Find out for yourself why this recipe went viral on TikTok!
What is a Sushi Bake?
Sushi Bake is a dish that combines all the flavors of your favorite sushi roll – sushi rice, seafood, creamy mayo, and a little spice – into a warm, bubbly casserole. I like to think of it as a deconstructed California roll, but in casserole form. No rolling mats, no fancy presentation, just a simple dish you can scoop onto a piece of nori and eat like a little sushi taco.
To me, it feels like a cozy, family-style version of sushi. It has all the fun of sharing rolls at a restaurant, but in a way that’s easy to make at home. Another bonus? It’s customizable! If I have leftover salmon or shrimp, I use it in place of the imitation crab. So good!
❤️ Kelsey
5-Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I could eat this entire dish in one sitting. SO GOOD! – Dawn M.
“This was so delicious! OMG! I never devoured something so quickly. I did add eel sauce on top for even more sweetness. I will definitely be making this again and thank you so much for this recipe!” – Sarah G.
“Made this for my husband and I since we are big sushi fans and we loved it! Loved that it was a spin on your typical sushi roll!” – Gina
Ingredients
- Sushi Rice: A Japanese short-grain sushi rice or Calrose rice. Long grain rice won’t give the right sticky texture.
- Rice Vinegar, Sugar, and Salt: Used to season the rice for that signature sushi flavor.
- Imitation Crab Meat: Adds a sweet, seafood flavor and is easy to shred and mix. Feel free to substitute real crab, fresh or canned salmon, or shrimp.
- Cream Cheese: Gives the topping a creamy, rich texture, similar to a California roll.
- Kewpie Mayonnaise: A Japanese-style mayo that’s slightly sweet and extra creamy—ideal for sushi-style dishes. We also use kewpie mayo in our Salmon Rice Bowls.
- Sriracha and Wasabi: Adjust these to fit your preferred level of spice.
- Green Onions: This adds fresh flavor and a pop of color.
- Furikake: A Japanese seasoning blend that adds crunch, umami, and a hint of seaweed flavor.
- Seaweed Snacks (Nori Sheets): To scoop or wrap the sushi bake. Buy extra or use leftovers to make our Spam Musubi Bowl.
- Optional Toppings: Sprinkle on diced cucumber or layer with avocado slices after baking.
How to Make Sushi Bake
- Cook rice according to package directions or in a rice cooker.
- Fluff the rice, then stir in the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- Shred the imitation crab meat in a bowl. Slice green onions.
- Combine crab meat, kewpie mayo, green onion, cream cheese, sriracha, and wasabi. Mix well.
- Press the prepared rice into an 8×8 baking dish. Sprinkle furikake seasoning over the rice.
- Spread the crab mixture evenly over the rice.
- Drizzle kewpie mayo and sriracha over the crab mixture. Sprinkle more furikake over all.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. For an extra crispy top, broil for an extra 1-2 minutes after baking.
- To eat, place a scoop of sushi bake on a piece of nori (seaweed sheet).
- Bring the sides of the nori together of the sushi (like a little taco). Dip in soy sauce and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
This is a great, basic sushi bake recipe, but you can change it up! If it can go in a sushi roll, it can go in your sushi bake.
- Salmon Sushi Bake – Use fresh or canned salmon instead of crab. You can also use shrimp. Our Salmon Bowls are another delicious way to use salmon.
- Viral TikTok Version – Serve with spicy mayo (purchased or make your own by mixing sriracha with kewpie mayo) and a unagi sauce drizzle.
- Low Carb – Use cauliflower rice instead of sushi rice.
- Crunchy Topping – You can drizzle some sesame oil on top, then sprinkle on some Panko breadcrumbs before baking in the oven for a little added crunch.
- Fresh Toppings – After baking add fresh cucumber and/or avocado to the top of the casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Assemble the layers, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake just before serving.
Sushi Bake is served warm straight from the oven, but leftovers taste great served cold the next day.
I really encourage you to check out your local Asian supermarket, but if you can’t find it, then you can make a substitute. Mix together regular mayonnaise with a little splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will do in a pinch.
Yes! If you are cooking for a bigger group, then you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan instead.
The best storage option for leftover sushi bake is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for a few days. Reheating is easy in the microwave or you can eat it cold.
I don’t recommend freezing. The rice and seafood will change texture. It tastes best fresh!
More Sushi Recipes
If you’re craving more sushi flavors at home, don’t miss our other sushi-inspired recipes!
I’d love to hear what you think! Did you try this Sushi Bake with crab, salmon, or shrimp? Leave a comment and rating below – your feedback is appreciated!
Easy Sushi Bake (Sushi Casserole)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Calrose rice
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 pound imitation crab meat
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup kewpie mayo
- 1 1/2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon wasabi
- furikake seasoning , to taste
- seaweed snacks for serving
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions or in a rice cooker or saucepan. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- While rice is cooking, finely shred the imitation crab and slice the green onions.
- In a bowl, mix shredded crab, kewpie mayo, green onion, cream cheese, sriracha, and wasabi. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Once rice has cooked, stir in the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar until well combined.
- Press the rice into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Sprinkle with furikake seasoning.
- For the next layer, spread the crab mixture on top of the rice and sprinkle with more furikake. Drizzle with extra sriracha and kewpie mayo if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve with seaweed snacks and soy sauce. Place a scoop of the sushi bake on a seaweed sheet. Bring two opposite sides of the sheet together, dip in soy sauce, and eat it like a little taco.
Notes
- Use sushi rice for best results – Short-grain or Calrose rice is essential for that sticky, chewy texture. Don’t skip seasoning it with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt—it really makes it taste like sushi!
- Press the rice firmly – When layering your sushi bake, press the rice down firmly in the pan to create a solid base that holds together when serving.
- Let the bake cool slightly before serving – Giving it 5–10 minutes to rest helps the layers settle and makes it easier to cut and scoop.
- Customize the spice level – Adjust the amount of sriracha and wasabi to suit your taste. Want it mild? Leave out the wasabi altogether.
- Don’t skip the furikake – This seasoning adds savory, salty flavor and a nice crunch. It really ties everything together and gives it that authentic sushi taste.
- Serve with seaweed sheets or cucumber slices – Seaweed snacks are perfect for scooping, but for a lighter option, try sliced cucumber or even rice crackers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is an awesome dish that I will put in rotation pretty regular. My family loved it! I used canned crab meat and salmon (I cooked fillet and flaked it a part and mixed in with crab. I used a honey Sriracha sauce also. I wish I could show a picture. This was absolutely delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Thank you so much for your comment, and thank you for sharing how you adapted it with salmon and honey Sriracha. It sounds so good!
Very interesting dish i must try! the video had the 2 hard kelp sheets (for flavoring soup) on the dish instead of the thin crunchy seaweed which showed on the photo (if i’m not wrong).
If it’s summer and you don’t have appetite you can prepare the vinegared rice and place raw salmon and or flavored tuna and eat it cold. Rice will get hard in the fridge but if you have to store until the next day, store in container and also wrap with saran wrap to keep rice soft as originally prepared — experiment.
Great tips, thanks!
Cant wait to try this!I want to add salmon would you use cooked or raw?
So easy and delicious – always a winner at any appey party.
First time making sushi bake tonight and this recipe is the absolute best. I skipped on the green onions but I feel like that was my mistake since they really could have added more flavor. Thank you for this recipe!
Regarding sushi rice measure regular cups or rice cooker cups(which is 3/4 cup)?
Linda
Regular cups!
are the nutrition facts for one serving or the entire dish?
It is for one serving – this dish makes 4 large servings.
This is the recipe I use as a base. I love cream cheese so I add a lot more then on recipe. I also don’t like too much spice so I skip the sriracha and wasabi. I love the way the rice tastes after being seasoned, might use it for other things just cause I find it so good, love that it’s slightly sweet but also very flavorful. Cooking one as I write this and decide to add cucumber in the imitation crab mix just to see how it tastes.
Tasty but i think theres a bit too much rice and the cream cheese didnt mix too well with the crab mixture. I would microwave the cream cheese so its easier to mix. for the rice add 2 cups instead of 3, id also save 2 or 3 crab legs, cut them into strips then place on top of rice and crab mixture. add snowfox sushi sauce and cut pickled jalapeños on top of the sushi bake and broil for 11 or 12 minutes.
I could eat this entire dish in one sitting. SO GOOD!
So good… We made for holiday party.
Big hit with the kids.
This was so delicious! OMG! I never devoured something so quickly. I did at eel sauce on top for even more sweetness. I will definitely be making this again and thank you so much for this recipe!
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding eel sauce, yum!
Does it really call for one tablespoon of salt? Or is that an error? Possible one teaspoon?
Thank you so much for catching that! It is one teaspoon!
So easy and really good! The whole family enjoyed it.
Made this sushi for my husband while the kids were over at grannies, and it was a great meal, he loved it, thanks!
Made this for my husband and I since we are big sushi fans and we loved it! Loved that it was a spin on your typical sushi roll!