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A square slice of salmon sushi baked casserole topped with sauces and green onions on a beige plate, with part of the casserole dish visible in the background.
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Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe

The sushi roll you love, deconstructed into a bubbling, golden casserole you can make in 40 minutes... and yes, it's worth every bit of the hype. Scoop it onto a seaweed, take a bite, and try not to immediately make another pan. We dare ya.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 596kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Equipment

  • 9×9 baking dish
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • oven with broiler

Ingredients

Rice layer

  • 4 cups freshly cooked sushi rice
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons furikake

Crab and salmon layer

  • 12 ounces imitation crab sticks
  • 8 ounces cooked salmon flaked
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup Kewpie mayo
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced

Toppings and serving

  • Kewpie mayo
  • sriracha
  • eel sauce
  • furikake
  • seaweed sheets or seaweed snacks
  • green onion thinly sliced

Instructions

Make the rice layer

  • Heat the oven to 400°F.
  • Whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
    A black bowl with a metal whisk inside contains a liquid mixture. Green onions and a bowl of seasoning sit nearby on a marble surface.
  • Season the cooked sushi rice by pouring the vinegar mixture over it and folding until the rice is evenly seasoned.
  • Press the rice into a lightly greased 9 x 9 baking dish in an even layer, then sprinkle the furikake over the surface.
    A glass baking dish contains rice with seasoning visible on top. Green onions, seasoning, and salt are in small bowls nearby.

Make the seafood layer

  • Shred the imitation crab into thin strands, then chop it so you have a mix of shreds and small pieces.
    A black bowl filled with shredded imitation crab meat sits on a countertop near green onions, seasoning, and a brown cloth.
  • Mix the crab with the salmon, cream cheese, mayo, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and the green onions until it looks evenly mixed.
    A bowl of sushi bake filling with a spoon rests on a countertop, accompanied by a bunch of green onions, a bowl of seasoning, and a bowl of salt on a wooden tray.
  • Spread the crab and salmon mixture over the rice all the way to the edges.
    • Spread the seafood layer all the way to the edges of the pan.If you leave gaps, the rice along the sides will dry out in the oven. A full edge-to-edge layer keeps the rice steamy underneath and gives you those creamy, bubbly corners that make sushi bake so good.

Bake

  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the topping is hot and the edges start to bubble.
  • Broil for 2 to 4 minutes until the top gets lightly browned, then rest the pan so the layers firm up.
    A baked casserole with visible shredded surimi, salmon and herbs in a glass dish on a marble countertop, next to seasonings and a dark cloth.

Serve

  • Drizzle the Kewpie mayo, sriracha and eel sauce over the bake. Sprinkle the furikake and garnish with green onion.
  • Serve warm by scooping onto seaweed sheets.
    A square glass baking dish filled with a baked sushi rice casserole, topped with drizzles of creamy sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds, surrounded by seasoning dishes and chopsticks.

Notes

  • Best rice for sushi bake: Use short-grain sushi rice. Long-grain rice won’t hold together the same way and the bake will feel loose instead of scoopable.
  • Fresh vs leftover salmon: Leftover grilled, baked, or even canned salmon works here. Just make sure it’s well-flaked so it mixes evenly with the crab.
  • Seaweed matters: The thin roasted seaweed snack packs work better than full nori sheets for scooping because they stay crisp longer.
  • Don’t skip the rest time: Let the pan sit about 5 minutes after broiling. This helps the layers firm up so the rice doesn’t slide apart when scooping.
  • Build-your-own bites: Set the pan in the middle of the table with seaweed snacks, cucumber slices, and extra spicy mayo so everyone can assemble their own sushi bites.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 978mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg