This spicy salmon sushi bake has all the flavors of sushi baked into one pan. Layers of sushi rice, seaweed, and a delicious creamy salmon mixture broiled to perfection and served with sheets of nori, ripe avocado and spicy mayo.
It is a sushi lovers dream, but without all the fuss of slicing and rolling.
If you are craving sushi at home but don't have the time or patience, then this spicy salmon sushi bake is the perfect meal for you. It basically tastes like a deconstructed Lion King roll.
This sushi bake is warm, creamy, spicy and loaded with amazing flavor.
The best part is it's so easy to make and prepare ahead of time. It makes a great weeknight meal or as an appetizer for your next family gathering.
If you love this recipe, make sure to check out my Birria Nachos and Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make- If you are craving sushi without all the fuss of rolling and slicing, then you need to make this recipe. It's baked in one pan and ready to enjoy in just under an hour.
- Tastes just like a sushi roll- This sushi casserole is basically like a deconstructed sushi roll. All you do is scoop the warm mixture into squares of nori and add your favorite toppings. It has all the components of a Lion King roll and is full of delicious flavor.
- Great for gatherings- Your guests will love this fun twist on sushi. It can be made ahead of time or served right from the oven. It's a great dish to be shared with family and friends.
- Affordable- Sushi can get really expensive. This version is more affordable and also yields more servings.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page for the complete recipe card.
- Sushi rice- This is the one I used here. Make sure to rinse your rice under cold water before cooking. This rice is a short grain rice and is a lot more sticky than other rices. You can also use Calrose Rice.
- Rice vinegar- This is what gives sushi it's classic "tangy taste." I use lite seasoned rice vinegar.
- Mayonnaise- For this recipe I use a Japanese brand mayo, called Kewpie. It's a lot richer than American style mayonnaise because it only uses egg yolks.
- Soy sauce- I use a low sodium soy sauce to make the unagi sauce, which is drizzled on top of the sushi bake. You can also substitute Tamari, which is gluten free.
- Mirin- This is a component of the unagi sauce sauce. It's available in most asian markets.
- Sriracha- Sriracha is a thick, tangy chili pepper sauce with a strong kick of garlic.
- Salmon- I'm using fresh Atlantic salmon in this recipe. I remove the skin and cut the fish into small cubes.
- Crab meat- In this recipe, I used imitation crab meat. They sometimes come in sticks or small chunks, located in the freezer or refrigerated section at the grocery store.
- Cream cheese- I use full fat cream cheese. Make sure to remove it from the refrigerator a couple hours before mixing to allow it to soften at room temperature.
- Toppings- Avocados, green onions, cucumber, and sesame seeds.
- Furikake- This is a Japanese condiment which is made of seaweed, sesame seeds, and fish flakes.
- Nori- You can find seaweed sheets at most grocery stores. You can also use the snack packs as well.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Prepare rice. Place rice inside a fine mesh strainer. Rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Then, add rice to large pot. Cover with water and let soak for 15 minutes.
Next, bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes.
STEP 2: Season the rice. Once the rice is cooked, drizzle rice vinegar over the rice. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold over the rice until the vinegar is evenly mixed into the rice.
Then, cover the rice lightly with a dish towel. Let it cool on the kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature.
STEP 3: Prepare salmon mixture. Remove skin from salmon and slice into small cubes, about ½ inch. In a small bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese, sriracha, soy sauce, and green onions. Then, add diced salmon and imitation crab meat. Gently fold to avoid breaking up the pieces of fish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
STEP 4: Make unagi sauce. Place soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar inside a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and let cool.
STEP 5: Make spicy mayo. In a small bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, lime juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble and Bake
STEP 1 : Prepare baking dish. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper.
Then, take seasoned rice and pour into prepared pan. Dip your hands in cold water and gently press rice into the pan. Next, sprinkle with furikake.
STEP 2: Add salmon on top. Next, pour salmon mixture directly on top of rice. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly over the rice.
STEP 3: Bake sushi bake. Place pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, I like to turn on the broiler to caramelize the top. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
Then, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
STEP 4: Add toppings. You can either serve the salmon sushi bake inside the pan or remove it onto a wooden board. Drizzle with unagi sauce and spicy mayo.
Then, garnish with sliced avocados, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions. Serve with sheets of nori and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Make sure to rinse your rice before cooking. By doing this, you remove the excess starch which will help keep the grains separate as they cook and not become too sticky or gummy.
Add the vinegar mixture to the rice while it is still warm. It will absorb the liquid better while it is hot.
Prepare the ingredients ahead of time. The rice takes the longest to cook and cool, so if you have some extra time, make this earlier in the day. You can also prepare the unagi sauce, spicy mayo and all the toppings the night before.
Use the broiler towards the end of baking. It will help caramelize all the sugars and add great flavor and texture to this sushi bake. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn.
FAQ
The beauty of this dish is you can eat it any way you like. It is best enjoyed while it is hot or at room temperature.
Yes, you can! You can prepare all the sauces, cut up the salmon and slice all the toppings the night before. The rice can be made several hours before assembling.
You absolutely can! You can use shrimp, tuna, or just crab meat. This recipe is so versatile.
Storing and Reheating
Store this salmon sushi bake inside an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Then, reheat in the oven or microwave. You can also serve it cold or at room temperature if you'd like.
Other Savory Recipes To Try
If you decide to try this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR RATING on the recipe card and leave a comment below. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake
Equipment
- 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 ½ cups Sushi rice rinsed
- 2 cups Water
- ¼ cup Lite seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Furikake
Salmon Mixture
- 8 oz Salmon filet skin removed and cut into ½" pieces
- 8 oz Imitation crab meat shredded
- ⅓ cup Kewpie mayo
- 3 oz Cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce or Tamari
- ¼ cup Green onions sliced thin
Unagi Sauce
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- ¼ cup Mirin
- 2 tablespoon Sake
- 1 ½ tablespoon White granulated sugar
Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Toppings
- Avocado sliced thin
- Sesame seeds black and white, toasted
- Green onion sliced thin
- English cucumber sliced thin
- Nori sheets cut into small squares
Instructions
Sushi Rice
- Place rice inside a fine mesh strainer. Rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Then, add rice to large pot. Cover with water and let soak for 15 minutes.
- Next, bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes.
- Once the rice is cooked, drizzle rice vinegar over the rice. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold over the rice until the vinegary is evenly mixed into the rice.
- Then, cover the rice lightly with a dish towel. Let it cool on the kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature.
Salmon Mixture
- Remove skin from salmon and slice into small cubes, about ½ inch. In a small bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese, sriracha, soy sauce, and green onions. Then, add diced salmon and imitation crab meat. Gently fold to avoid breaking up the pieces of fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Unagi Sauce
- Place soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar inside a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and let cool.
Spicy Mayo
- In a small bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, lime juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 425°. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper.
- Then, take seasoned rice and pour into prepared pan. Dip your hands in cold water and gently press rice into the pan. Next, sprinkle with furikake.
- Pour salmon mixture directly on top of rice. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly over the rice.
- Place pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, I like to turn on the broiler to caramelize the top. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Then, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- You can either serve the sushi bake inside the pan or remove it onto a wooden board. Drizzle with unagi sauce and spicy mayo.
- Then, garnish with sliced avocados, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions. Serve with sheets of nori and enjoy!
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