Sushi Bake

Sushi Bake is a popular sushi recipe that was made viral on the internet. It’s like a deconstructed sushi roll that’s layered, baked and cut up. You can top the sushi bake with your favorite sauces, toppings like avocados, green onions, sesame seeds and more!  Easy, TASTY and So satisfying when you crave sushi! Full Video and details below!

We can’t resist homemade sushi recipes here. Our VIRAL Sushi Burrito is one of the tastiest and most satisfying burritos. This Sushi Bowl is like the quickest way to ever enjoy some sushi at home. Crab Sushi made into Sushi Stacks is my daughter’s favorite and such a FUN delicious recipe!

So with those, we decided to try the deconstructed, layered sushi casserole that’s taken social media by storm, especially Tiktok. Instead of rolling individual sushi pieces, seasoned sushi rice is layered with creamy seafood, baked until bubbly, and served hot.

Since we’ve made a tutorial on how to make sushi rice here, we won’t go into it today. You can also find the spicy salmon sushi mix in that post. Or you can make the tuna marinade we used in our popular Tuna Tartare.

So What is Sushi Bake

As the name implies, it’s a sushi roll thats baked off. The Sushi bake is a Japanese American inspired dish that is a deconstructed version of sushi rolls into a baked casserole. Typically layered with seasoned sushi rice, seafood like imitation crab, shrimp, or salmon or tuna. Then creamy toppings (mayo, sriracha) and optional crunch (panko, sesame).

Instead of rolling, it’s pressed in a baking dish, baked until bubbly and slightly golden, then sliced into squares. Guests scoop portions onto nori for a hand-held sushi experience.

Think of it as layers of a sushi roll which includes seaweed, sushi rice, a type of fish (crab, tuna, shrimp, salmon etc) all baked. Once ready, you’ll drizzle your favorite sauces like Spicy Mayo, a MUST try recipe!

Finish off with your favorite sushi toppings like avocados, green onions, sesame seeds and MORE Spicy Mayo. Perfection. That’s how easy and simple it is in concept, and below you’ll find all the details and ingredients to make sushi bake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Fish:

• Tuna. You can use Sushi grade salmon or crab meat for this recipe. You can make so many variations and use imitation crab meat, cooked shrimp and much more.

Marinade/Sauce

• Kewpie Mayo. This is Japanese Mayonnaise which is readily available at many grocery stores now. You can substitute it with regular mayo too.
• Sriracha Sauce. All about the spice.
• Soy Sauce. To season and flavor the fish, and add that depth of taste.
• Optional. Depending on the sushi flavor you want, you can use cream cheese (or sour cream), eel sauce, sesame oil,

Assembly Ingredients:

• Seaweed Sheets. You can find those at the asian aisle of most grocery stores or asian markets. It’s also called nori sheets.
• Avocados. typical sushi ingredient.
• Cooked Sushi Rice. here’s how to make sushi rice from scratch.  You’ll need cooked rice that’s short grain rice  flavored with vinegar and salt and maybe furikake seasoning. Use the warm rice. If it’s leftover rice, just warm it slightly. Otherwise make a batch of fresh rice following the guide here.

How to Make Sushi Bake

1. You’ll start by cutting the sushi grade salmon or tuna into half an inch cubes and toss it in a large bowl. Add to it the marinade ingredients which is similar to a spicy mayo sauce. Coat the fish well and set aside.
2. Use an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan or any casserole dish for the sushi bake, and spray the bottom with oil spray. You can likewise just brush it lightly with a layer of oil.
3. Prepare your vinegared rice.
   
4. Now start layering the sushi rice as the first layer for the sushi bake. Press it down evenly at the bottom of your square pan over the oil. You’ll need about 3/4 th of an inch height layer of rice.
   
5. Add the seaweed right on top of the rice and press it down. You may need to adjust for extra seaweed sheets, so cut it up and stick them together over the rice to cover the surface.
   
6. A thin layer of sliced avocados goes on top of the seaweed in an even layer. While you can skip this layer, we love the texture it adds to our sushi bake.
   
7. Then the final layer is the marinated chunks of salmon or tuna. Spoon the seafood evenly over the avocado slices in the baking pan. If using crab, then you’ll add the crab mixture here.
   
8. Now bake the sushi casserole for 16-18 minutes until the salmon or tuna has cooked on the top.
9. At that point the sushi bake is ready! You can serve it and enjoy it as is , or garnish it as we have.
   
10. You’ll flip the sushi bake pan upside down to remove the whole bake from the pan one go. So flip the pan on a large cutting board and then re-flip the whole bake on to the serving plate or board. Now garnish 🙂
11. We added thinly sliced avocados, some of our AWESOME homemade Spicy Mayo, green onions sliced, diced cucumbers  and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. SUSHI PERFECTION!

How to Serve Sushi Bake

Traditionally, some love to eat sushi like a taco. So scooping up the sushi bake with some seaweed chips and enjoying them–SO GOOD! We love simply cutting them into squares and enjoying them as a fancy sushi cake slice!

Pro Tips for Sushi Bake

1. Use Cold or Slightly Chilled Seafood . This prevents overcooking.
2. Press Rice Firmly . This ensures clean slices and structure.
3. Spread Toppings Evenly. This guarantees every bite has balanced flavor.
4. Bake Just Until Bubbly . Over baking dries the seafood.
5. Add Crunch at the End. This prevents burning of panko or sesame seeds.
6. Cut with a Wet, Sharp Knife . This is key to clean, presentation ready slices.
7. Serve Immediately. This is BEST to maintain the contrast between warm rice and creamy topping.

Sushi Bake Variations

• Spicy Crab Sushi Bake. The social media favorite. Crab, Spicy Mayo similar to our Crab Sushi.
• Salmon & Avocado Sushi Bake. Creamy, buttery flavor.
• Shrimp Sushi Bake. Slightly spicy, great for parties.
• Vegetarian Sushi Bake. Roasted veggies, avocado, mushrooms.
• Luxury Sushi Bake. Use lobster, scallops, or uni for upscale entertaining.
• California roll. Use imitation Crab, avocados and cucumbers.
• Seafood Variations. Salmon makes a great substitute here, along with shrimp (cooked), some imitation crab or real crab meat, scallops, and better off: a mix of seafood.
• Filling Variations. Layering the sushi casserole is completely a versatile process. You can add in some green onions, mango, eel, cooked seafood like shrimp, some tempura veggies and more.
• Topping Variations. We love cucumbers, avocados, green onions and sesame along with our viral recipe for Spicy Mayo. Add pickled ginger here, and whatever more or less to your taste.
• Sauces and Toppings. Spicy Mayo is a star sauce which I think is irreplaceable, however you can add in some wasabi for a twsit! Wasabi sauce is fabulous, Thai style Peanut Dressing is great or those Rice Paper Rolls- Two Dipping Sauces.

Can you make Crockpot Sushi Bake?

While I haven’t personally tested this, I can imagine it would work. You would use the crockpot as your baking dish, and assemble directly on it. You will miss out on the golden crunch tops of the oven, but it should cook nonetheless.

Storage & Make Ahead

• Prep Ahead: Assemble rice and protein layers up to 24 hours in advance.
• Reheat: Bake briefly before serving to refresh topping. Avoid microwave to preserve texture.
• Leftovers: Best eaten same day; refrigerate airtight and re-bake topping if needed.

Sushi Inspired Recipes

Sushi Bowl
Poke Bowl
Sushi Burrito
Salmon Bowl
Crab Sushi For Sushi Stacks
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
Crab Claws

5 from 9 votes

Print

Sushi Bake

Sushi Bake is a popular sushi recipe that was made viral on the internet. It's like a deconstructed sushi roll that's layered, baked and cut up. You can top the sushi bake with your favorite sauces, toppings like avocados, green onions, sesame seeds and more!  Easy, TASTY and So satisfying when you crave sushi!

Course main, Main Dish, sushi

Cuisine Asian, Japanese, Sushi

Keyword homemade sushi, Sushi, sushi bake, sushi casserole, sushi recipe, sushi recipes, sushi rice

Prep Time 14 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 394 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

Seafood

• 2 Tuna Steaks Cut into half inch cubes

Marinade

• 3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise Kewpie is best
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Assembly

• 2 cups cooked sushi rice cold or room temperature
• 2-3 seaweed sheets Depending on their size
• 2 avocados sliced

Toppings

• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 green onions minced
• 1 cucumber small cucumber, diced
• 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds toasted or white
• 1/4 cup Spicy Mayo Recipe HERE

Instructions

1. You'll start by cutting the sushi grade salmon or tuna into half an inch cubes and toss it in a large bowl. Add to it the marinade ingredients which is similar to a spicy mayo sauce. Coat the fish well and set aside.
   
2. Use an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan for the sushi bake, and spray the bottom with oil spray. You can likewise just brush it lightly with a layer of oil.
3. Now start layering the sushi rice as the first layer for the sushi bake. Press it down evenly at the bottom of your square pan over the oil. You'll need about 3/4 th of an inch height layer of rice.
   
4. Add the seaweed right over the pressed sushi rice and press it down. You may need to adjust for extra seaweed sheets, so cut it up and stick them together over the rice to cover the surface.
   
5. A thin layer of sliced avocados goes on top of the seaweed. While you can skip this layer, we love the texture it adds to our sushi bake.
   
6. Then the final layer is the marinated chunks of salmon or tuna. Spread that evenly over the avocado slices in the baking pan.
   
7. Now bake the sushi casserole for 16-18 minutes until the salmon or tuna has cooked on the top.
   
8. At that point the sushi bake is ready! You can serve it and enjoy it as is , or garnish it as we have.
9. You'll flip the sushi bake pan upside down to remove the whole bake from the pan one go. So flip the pan on a large cutting board and then re-flip the whole bake on to the serving plate or board. Now garnish 🙂
   
10. We added thinly sliced avocados, some of our AWESOME homemade Spicy Mayo, green onions sliced, diced cucumbers  and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. SUSHI PERFECTION!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

How to Serve Sushi Bake

Traditionally, some love to eat sushi like a taco. So scooping up the sushi bake with some seaweed chips and enjoying them--SO GOOD! We love simply cutting them into squares and enjoying them as a fancy sushi cake slice!

Pro Tips for Sushi Bake

1. Use Cold or Slightly Chilled Seafood . This prevents overcooking.
2. Press Rice Firmly . This ensures clean slices and structure.
3. Spread Toppings Evenly. This guarantees every bite has balanced flavor.
4. Bake Just Until Bubbly . Over baking dries the seafood.
5. Add Crunch at the End. This prevents burning of panko or sesame seeds.
6. Cut with a Wet, Sharp Knife . This is key to clean, presentation ready slices.
7. Serve Immediately. This is BEST to maintain the contrast between warm rice and creamy topping.

Sushi Bake Variations

• Spicy Crab Sushi Bake. The social media favorite. Crab, Spicy Mayo similar to our Crab Sushi.
• Salmon & Avocado Sushi Bake. Creamy, buttery flavor.
• Shrimp Sushi Bake. Slightly spicy, great for parties.
• Vegetarian Sushi Bake. Roasted veggies, avocado, mushrooms.
• Luxury Sushi Bake. Use lobster, scallops, or uni for upscale entertaining.
• California roll. Use imitation Crab, avocados and cucumbers.
• Seafood Variations. Salmon makes a great substitute here, along with shrimp (cooked), some imitation crab or real crab meat, scallops, and better off: a mix of seafood.
• Filling Variations. Layering the sushi casserole is completely a versatile process. You can add in some green onions, mango, eel, cooked seafood like shrimp, some tempura veggies and more. 
• Topping Variations. We love cucumbers, avocados, green onions and sesame along with our viral recipe for Spicy Mayo. Add pickled ginger here, and whatever more or less to your taste.
• Sauces and Toppings. Spicy Mayo is a star sauce which I think is irreplaceable, however you can add in some wasabi for a twsit! Wasabi sauce is fabulous, Thai style Peanut Dressing is great or those Rice Paper Rolls- Two Dipping Sauces.

Can you make Crockpot Sushi Bake?

While I haven't personally tested this, I can imagine it would work. You would use the crockpot as your baking dish, and assemble directly on it. You will miss out on the golden crunch tops of the oven, but it should cook nonetheless. 

Storage & Make Ahead

• Prep Ahead: Assemble rice and protein layers up to 24 hours in advance.
• Reheat: Bake briefly before serving to refresh topping. Avoid microwave to preserve texture.
• Leftovers: Best eaten same day; refrigerate airtight and re-bake topping if needed.

How to Store Leftovers?

Once the sushi bake has cooled to room temperature , you'll put it in a sealed container. Place the container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, you can totally microwave it, or air fry at 350 degrees for 3 minutes. We absolutely prefer the air fryer method.

Can I use raw fish?

Yes, sushi grade seafood is ideal, but avoid over baking.

How long does it take to make?

Preparation time is between 15-20 minutes while bake time is between 10–15 minutes.

Can it be vegetarian?

Absolutely yes! Replace seafood with roasted vegetables or avocado.

Can sushi bake be made ahead?

You can prepare the toppings, fillings and sushi rice 1 day in advance. Assemble the layers up to 24 hours ahead; bake before serving.

Why is it called sushi bake?

It’s a deconstructed, baked version of sushi rolls popularized in Japanese American cuisine.

Is it authentic Japanese?

No, it’s a Japanese American creation inspired by traditional sushi flavors but served warm and deconstructed.

Nutrition Facts

Sushi Bake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 394 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Polyunsaturated Fat 8g

Monounsaturated Fat 13g

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 231mg10%

Potassium 741mg21%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 1490IU30%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 57mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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