All of the umami-rich flavors of your favorite sushi shop piled into a casserole dish and baked - it's a deconstructed sushi roll in your very own kitchen! This Baked Sushi with Salmon Recipe is a weeknight winner.
This salmon sushi bake is simply seasoned with one powerhouse secret ingredient. And it's so easy to build and only takes 15 minutes in the oven.
It also tastes sublime with all the same toppings you love with traditional sushi - avocado, cucumber, jalapeños, cilantro and sriracha sauce. So let's get the band back together and make this deconstructed sushi casserole this week!
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Salmon: the recipe calls for cooked, flaked salmon. Substitute canned salmon, canned tuna, imitation crab or even diced shrimp in the creamy topping.
Sriracha - the salmon is tossed in a spicy mayo sauce before baking over sushi rice. If you prefer a mild sushi, skip the sriracha or reduce the amount.
Kewpie mayo - this Japanese mayonnaise is rich and a little sweet. To make your own, combine 1 cup of regular mayonnaise with two tablespoons of rice vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar. Mix well and use for this recipe.
White miso: the recipe calls for shire miso. It adds the perfect umami and richness to the salmon topping. Substitute soy sauce, if needed.
Furikake seasoning: the recipe calls for furikake, which is a dried Japanese seasoning of seaweed, sesame seeds and delicious saltiness. It tastes savory and, like nori, a little like the ocean. If you prefer using nori sheets instead of furikake, just lay them over the seasoned rice layer before adding the salmon.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Prep sushi rice
To begin, prepare the sushi rice. Rinse the rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear. Then transfer the rice and 1 ½ cups of water to a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium-high heat until boiling, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat.
While the rice is still hot, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir well. Pour over the rice and use a plastic or wooden spoon to gently toss the cooked rice in the seasoned sushi vinegar.
Let the rice cool until it can be handled. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Press the seasoned sushi rice into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
2. Prepare creamy salmon layer
Preheat oven to 400℉. Flake the cooked salmon. Combine kewpie mayo, sriracha and white miso in a small bowl. Mix well to ensure the miso is fully incorporated into the mayonnaise dressing.
Pour the seasoned mayonnaise over the flaked salmon. Gently mix to coat the salmon.
3. Layer the sushi casserole
Sprinkle furikake seasoning over the top of the rice in the casserole dish.
Then layer the creamy salmon mixture over the seasoned rice and spread evenly.
4. Bake casserole
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through. I like to turn on the broiler for the last 3 minutes to get the top of the sushi bake golden brown and bubbly.
5. Garnish and serve
To serve, slice avocado, jalapeño, cucumber, chives and cilantro. Cut and serve the baked sushi over sheets of nori with toppings on the side.
Looking for more sushi recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
You can use canned tuna for this recipe (I prefer tuna in olive oil, but you choose what works best for you!) Both are delicious in the spicy mayo sauce. You could also use surimi (imitation crab) for the topping.
Kewpie is a brand of Japanese mayo that is richer and more yellow than American mayo, thanks to the super-orange egg yolk magic famous in Japan. US mayo uses whole eggs to make mayo, Kewpie uses all egg yolks. It also brings a sweeter note due to using sweeter vinegars than regular mayo in the US, which mostly relies on white distilled vinegar. If you can't find it in any of your local grocery stores or your Asian supermarket, you can make a similar mayonnaise substitute by combining 1 cup of regular mayonnaise with two tablespoons of rice vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar. Mix well and use for this recipe.
Furikake is a dried Japanese seasoning of seaweed, sesame seeds and delicious saltiness. It tastes savory and (like nori) a little like the ocean. If you have an Asian market in your community, you should find it there easily. If you prefer using nori sheets instead of furikake, just lay them over the seasoned rice layer before adding the salmon.
When you pair this easy sushi bake recipe with an army of sliced veggie toppings, it really can be a one-dish meal for family dinner. If you're hosting a happy hour or casual dinner party, you could pair the sushi bake with spicy Tuna Crispy Rice Sushi, Spicy Crab Salad Sushi or even Korean Veggie Pancakes with Shrimp. And if you do all three, be sure to send me an invite to that party.
To store the sushi bake, wrap tightly in plastic or transfer to an airtight container and later keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
Homemade Baked Sushi Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
For the sushi rice:
1 ¼ cups sushi rice
1 ½ cups water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the salmon mixture:
2 cups cooked salmon, fresh or canned
¾ cup Kewpie mayo
3 tablespoons sriracha
2 teaspoons white miso
2 teaspoons furikake
For service and garnish:
1 pack nori sheets
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
1 fresh jalapeño, sliced
Cucumber, julienned
Green onions, julienned
Cilantro leaves
Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- For the sushi rice: Rinse the sushi rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice and 1 ½ cups of water to a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium-high heat until boiling, then cover the pan and lower the heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the short-grain white rice is tender. Remove from heat. While the rice is still hot, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice and use a plastic or wooden spoon to gently toss the cooked rice in the seasoned sushi vinegar. Let the rice cool until it can be handled. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Press the seasoned sushi rice into the bottom of the pan.
- For the salmon mixture: Flake the salmon. Combine kewpie mayo, sriracha and white miso. Mix well to ensure the miso is fully incorporated. Pour the seasoned mayonnaise over the flaked salmon. Gently mix to coat the salmon.
- Assembly and baking: Sprinkle the seasoned rice in the casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of furikake seasoning. Layer the creamy salmon mixture over the seasoned rice and spread evenly. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through. I like to turn on the broiler for the last 3 minutes to get the top of the sushi bake golden brown and bubbly.
- For service: Slice avocado, jalapeño, cucumber, chives and cilantro. Cut and serve the baked sushi over sheets of nori with toppings on the side.
Notes
Use cooked and flaked salmon, or substitute canned salmon, canned tuna, surimi (imitation crab meat) or even diced shrimp.
For a milder sushi back, reduce or omit the sriracha.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Oven and Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
[…] I love this sauce on a veggie stir fry over steamed basmati. Throw some shrimp in the veggie mix and you’ve got a takeout quality meal in literal minutes. Of course, it’s delicious on pan seared or baked salmon, or on crispy tofu. (If you’re not doing the pescatarian thing, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, teriyaki chicken wings and teriyaki beef are all classic teriyaki sauce vehicles!) It can be used as a dipping sauce for dumplings and wontons, or as a condiment for baked sushi. […]