This Easy Sushi Bake is everything you love about sushi in a recipe you can easily follow at home. This dish is flavorful and delicious, with creamy crab topping and spicy mayo.
If you love this recipe, you should try our shrimp tempura California roll and crispy shrimp tempura.
Table Of Contents
Super Easy Sushi Bake
This recipe is so tasty and the perfect way to have homemade sushi whenever you want. A sushi bake is basically a deconstructed sushi roll, with all the elements you love: tangy sushi rice, seasoned crab filling, and spicy mayo to top it off. This easy Sushi Bake is made in a casserole form and great when you have friends over or for a family dinner. They’ll be wowed by how great it looks, as well as the amazing flavor.
What you’ll need
- For the Rice- Calrose sushi rice, Water, and Seasoned rice vinegar (Marukan)
- For the Crab Mixture- Imitation crab, Japanese (or regular) mayonnaise, Cream cheese, Sriracha, Furikake, Nori sheets, and Toasted sesame seeds
- Spicy Mayo- Japanese (or regular) mayonnaise and Sriracha
How to Make Sushi Bake
- Clean the rice. To make the sushi rice, first clean the rice by placing it in a fine-mesh sieve. Then run it under cold water for about a minute, making sure to mix it around with a spoon.
- Cook the rice. Now place the rice in a rice cooker with the water and turn it on. Once it’s done cooking, transfer it to a 13×9-inch rimmed baking sheet that has been buttered (to avoid sticking).
- Cool. Pour the seasoned rice vinegar over the hot rice and fold it in gently with a rice paddle to avoid mashing it. Then set it aside to cool.
- Make the crab mixture. In a bowl, add the finely chopped imitation crab, Japanese mayo, softened cream cheese, and Sriracha. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Assemble the sushi bake. Evenly spread and compress the cooled sushi rice into the baking sheet. Then sprinkle the top with furikake. Next, spread the crab mixture over the rice.
- Bake. Place the sushi bake in a 380-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. If you prefer a more baked flavor, you can broil it for a few minutes. Just be careful that it doesn’t burn.
- Make the spicy mayo. Now add the Japanese mayo to the Sriracha and stir.
- Garnish the sushi bake. When the sushi bake is done, drizzle it with the spicy mayo and Sriracha. Then garnish it with chopped green onion (optional).
- Serve. Cut out squares of nori and place some of the sushi bake on top. Enjoy.
Tips for making the Best Sushi Bake
There are a few things you can do to ensure that your Sushi Bake comes out perfect:
- Wash the rice- Before cooking the rice, you want to make sure to thoroughly wash it to remove surface starch, which can cause the rice to become gummy as it cooks.
- Add the rice vinegar to hot rice- When rice is hot, it is better able to absorb the vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar then breaks down the starch inside the rice, making it even more absorbent and fluffy when cooked.
- Butter the baking sheet- Greasing the baking sheet with butter keeps the rice from sticking and burning. This also makes it easier to scoop out when serving.
- Compress the rice once cooled. After the rice has cooled, the grains will hold their shape better. Compressing it into the baking sheet helps the sushi bake hold together once cooked.
How to Store and Reheat it
Store the Sushi Bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days. Then reheat it in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.
More Tasty Asian recipes to try!
- Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe
- Shrimp Tempura Udon Soup
- Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe
- 30-Minute Shrimp Chow Mein
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Full Recipe Instructions
Easy Sushi Bake
This Easy Sushi Bake is made with creamy crab filling, spicy mayo, and tangy sweet rice. You'll love how easy and delicious it is.
Print Pin Rate Servings: 6
Calories: 434kcal
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1 1/2 cups dry Calrose Sushi Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar Marukan
Crab mixture
- 8 oz imitation crab chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 tablespoon furikake
- 2 nori sheets chopped or crumbled into small pieces (add more if you’d like)
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
For spicy Mayo
- 1/2 cup Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
Instructions
Cook, season, cool the rice
- Start off by making the sushi rice first. To clean the rice, add 1 1/2 cups of dry Calrose Sushi Rice into a fine-mesh sieve. Then run it under cold water for about 1 minute making sure to mix the rice around with a spoon.
- Then place the rice in your rice cooker and add 2 cups of water and turn it on. Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a 13×9 inch rimmed (buttered) baking sheet. The butter will help the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Now pour 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar over the rice and fold it in. You want to use a rice paddle to do this. Make sure to be gentle with the rice and not mash it up. Then set that aside and let it cool.
Make the crab mixture
- Now for the crab mixture: In a bowl, add 8 oz finely chopped imitation crab, 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise (or regular Mayo) 2 oz softened cream cheese, and 1 Tbsp sriracha.
- Mix everything together until all the ingredients are well combined.
Assemble and bake the sushi bake
- Now evenly spread and compress the cooled sushi rice into the baking sheet. Then add 1 tablespoon furikake of your choice over the rice.
- Then spread the spicy crab mixture over the rice and bake in the oven at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. If you want a more baked flavor, you can broil the sushi bake for a few minutes in the oven. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
Make the spicy mayo
- Now make the spicy sushi mayo by combining 1/2 cup Japanese mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of sriracha.
- Once the sushi bake is done, drizzle some sriracha and spicy mayonnaise on top. Then garnish with chopped green onion but that’s optional.
- To serve sushi bake, cut out squares of nori (toasted seaweed) and place your desired amount of the warm sushi bake on top.
Notes
How To Store Sushi Bake Store the Sushi Bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days. Then reheat it in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @simplyhomecooked or use the hashtag #simplyhomecooked so I can see it and feature it!
Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
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Calvin Lam says
If you are using unseasoned rice vinegar, this is what I added to the 1/4 cup:
– 2 tablespoons of sugar
– 1 teaspoon of salt
Amanda says
Can you use jasmine rice instead of sushi rice?
Dina says
Hi Amanda, I would not recommend Jasmine rice since it is not a short-grain rice and is not sticky enough. The texture just won’t be the same.
Kate says
OMG so good! I used real crab meat and doubled it. I also used my muffin tins and silicone cups so they came out like little mini sushi cakes. Threw some avocado on top and it was so tasty and everyone loved it!
Dina says
I am so happy to hear that you loved this sushi bake recipe, Kate! Thanks for taking the time to write your awesome feedback 🙂
Lisa says
Oh my gosh!!! This turned out amazing… even my 8 year old granddaughter loved it. At first I was concerned that the crab minter would be bland but once I added each ingredients it all came together… I’ve got alot of ideas to tweak it… can’t wait to make again
Dina says
Lisa, that’s amazing! I am so happy to hear that you all loved this sushi bake recipe! Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback 🙂
Justeena says
Loved this recipe. I added another 16 Oz of crab along with another 8 Oz of salmon to the recipe. Get that meat into the recipe for my growing teens and husband. Super simple and fast. Thanks
Dina says
I am happy to hear that you all loved this sushi bake Justeena! Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback!
Samantha says
This was very good. Followed NYT recipe for sushi rice. Personally, the ratio of rice was too high for the amt of crab. Next time, I’ll probably double the crab and serve with something lighter like a cucumber salad. Will be making some iteration of this again.
Dina says
Hi Samantha 🙂 Very happy to hear you enjoyed this sushi bake! Thank you for your support and honest feedback! 🙂
Erica says
I’m
Highly allergic to crab… even the imitation kind 🙄 how can I make this with salmon?!?
Dina says
Hi Erica, you can totally replace the imitation crab with cooked salmon 🙂 It will have a pretty prominent salmon flavor though.
Isa says
I have done this recipe once and I loved how delicious, easy, fast and simple it is. Thank you, Dina
Dina says
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Isa! Thank you for the positive feedback 😊
Karly D says
Can you freeze and reheat it?
Dina says
Hi Karly 🙂 I have never tried freezing and reheating this sushi bake but I would not recommend it. I hope that helps and I hope you love this recipe! Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Rose says
Do not freeze because mayo separates in the freezer.
PMAZ says
Planning on trying this.
When I shopped for furikake seasoning there where several combinations/ varieties. Which do you recommend?
Also can I use seaweed snack chips (found at Costco) instead of nori sheets?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 I hope you love this sushi bake! I used the roasted sesame and seaweed flavor of furikake seasoning. However, it is also a personal preference. Some people like the bonito and egg flavor but I don’t like a super strong fishy smell or taste.
I haven’t tried using the seaweed snack chips from costco but I think it should be fine. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Kassandra Albano says
Just made this tonight it’s so delicious !! 🤤☺️
Thank you for the recipe!!
Dina says
Thank you so much, Kassandra! I am so happy that you enjoyed the sushi bake 🙂
Jess says
Found the crab mix to be less flavourful than I had hoped.
Dina says
I am sorry to hear that Jess. Sometimes a little extra saltiness is all you need to bring out the flavor. Some people prefer their food saltier than others.
Anna says
I’m thrilled to find this recipe! We will be making it this week. Can we substitute the crab for salmon? Maybe even smoked? Thanks.
simplyhomecooked says
I hope you love this sushi bake recipe Anna! Technically you can, however, it will give it a different taste. Most sushi recipes don’t use smoked salmon. A lot of the salmon in sushi is seared salmon. If you imagine what you like on your sushi then that could work as a substitute. Hope that helps clarify 🙂