Sushi Bake
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- ½cup (4 ounces) cream cheese
- 1½cups sushi or Calrose rice
- ¼cup rice vinegar
- 1½tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Toasted sesame oil, for greasing
- ⅓cup furikake rice seasoning
- 1pound imitation crab, thawed if frozen, finely chopped
- ½cup plus ⅓ cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise
- Sriracha, to taste (optional)
- Chopped scallions, for topping (optional)
- Diced avocado, sliced cucumber, nori sheets (cut into 3-inch squares) and unagi sauce, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
599 calories; 36 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 17 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 647 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and set aside to come to room temperature.
- Step 2
Prepare the rice: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and transfer to a medium pot or saucepan with a lid. Cover with 2 cups of water and soak for 15 minutes. Bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the rice, until tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use a rice cooker.)
- Step 3
Meanwhile, add the vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture evenly on top and fold it into the rice.
- Step 4
Heat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Grease the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with sesame oil.
- Step 5
Transfer the rice to the casserole dish, using damp hands to spread it an even layer. Sprinkle on half of the furikake seasoning.
- Step 6
Add the crab, ½ cup mayo and sriracha, if using, to the bowl with the cream cheese, then mix well to combine. Evenly spread the crab mixture on top of the rice in the casserole, then sprinkle on the remaining furikake.
- Step 7
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup mayo and sriracha, if using, for the topping. Spoon the mixture on the casserole, or transfer it to a small, resealable plastic bag and snip the corner to pipe it onto the dish.
- Step 8
Bake, uncovered, until everything is gently bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with nori and toppings of choice.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Sandoids
This was a viral recipe on TikTok and IG. I've made it several times even though I'm a sushi snob. Why? Because kids LOVE this, it's a great way to start kids into trying sushi. This recipe left out the crispy fried seaweed. You wrap the rice in it like a taco and it's delish! If you can't find crispy fried seaweed, just cut up regular sheets of seaweed into 4 pieces to use as a wrap for the rice. A great side is a refreshing cucumber salad with avocados.
Mary
This is not meant to be a replacement for real sushi. But it is a delicious appetizer to bring to a party. I’ve brought it to a few and it’s always a hit. I bring a squeeze bottle of sriracha Mayo and one with eel sauce or Bachan’s Japanese barbecue sauce, nori sheets, sliced cucumbers and avocados and let people make their own little creations. Seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
Lee
Our family absolutely loves this recipe. It is not a replacement for sushi but it is still easy, quick and delicious! I have found that adding frozen fish (tuna usually) just prior to baking allows for a slightly seared final product and helps avoid over cooking.
AnniePie
This sounded so bonkers I had to try it. The balance of flavors is right for sushi, and subbing Soy Vey Teriyaki worked when I couldn't find other sauces mentioned in the comments. Dumb luck, I got the Srirachi amount right--and massaged the mayo and hot sauce to mix in a small ziplock for the topping (one less bowl...) Defrosted frozen tuna steaks in 1/4-1/2 inch (ish) cubes worked well. Cucumbers and avocado on the side are a must. Thanks everyone--I always read the comments first!
mermaid magic
This recipe is amazingly versatile ~ its not a hard pass if you like sushi, as its a baked easy dish for family, parties, (double recipe) work lunches, kids dinners or lunches as you can change the fish or seafood on top to your taste or even add cooked chopped chicken thighs. And YES, serve crispy nori snack papers to scoop up with on side & spicy mayo dip or teriyaki sauce or shoyu wasbi if desired. This is Magic!!
Kelly
Donna D., I've used cooked shrimp! Just be sure to dry it well before chopping it or it will water down your casserole.
Tracy
I was super skeptical about this casserole but I pulled the trigger and made it one cold night during the height of the pandemic. I was not disappointed, the flavors melded together very nicely. I read one recipe that suggested mixing real crab with fake, again I thought it was weird but it was really good. I drizzled unagi sauce and sriracha on top and had cucumber and avocado to combine in the nori squares.
Emily
This is so delicious! Not a replacement for sushi, but a fun and very good dish on its own merits. I use salmon instead of crab, but I’ll definitely try with canned tuna. LOVE.
molly
Amazing recipe! Followed the recipe but added Yum Yum sauce instead of mayonnaise. So good!
JCP
The intro to the recipe says, "This recipe uses imitation crab, but feel free to use real crab meat, or equal amounts cooked or canned tuna or salmon."
Stella Luna
Of course it isn’t sushi. It is a casserole of familiar flavors that seems more exotic than pizza and will fill up a passel of teenaged without breaking the bank. You can also use lightly poached salmon or shrimp, or add tamagoyaki on the side.
Jerome
It's more like a baked California roll, it's fairly easy to do but it can be bit rich - but still a treat and kids love this!
stephanie
kewpie mayo is eggier than regular mayo. to me it has kind of an egg salad vibe. it's rich and delicious especially with avocado. i use regular mayo in my chicken marinades instead of oil, and have also used it to make a melty cheese spread for sandwiches like this: https://patijinich.com/milanesa-torta-with-matador-guacamole-and-melty-cheese/ and in either application where it's just a creamy binder, you don't taste it so i feel like you could sub regular mayo and have a similar outcome.
Richard
Have you ever frozen mayonnaise and cream cheese? The answer is no.
Avery
As a pregnant person who has been craving sushi for the last 5 months, this absolutely hit the spot! So tasty!!! I was in a pinch and ended up using Sriracha mayo instead of mixing mayo and Sriracha together. I was worried it would come out funny but it was delicious so the same
Andrea
Wow! We were skeptical about the recipe, but it was so good. My family went back for seconds. It's a comfort dish, for sure and I'm looking forward to making it again!
Kathleen
I don’t know what made me make this but it was a huge hit with the whole family. Couldn’t find furikake so subbed in everything bagel seasoning and it tasted great.
Julia
This was remarkably delicious. We had leftovers the next day and, like most sushi, just wasn't as good as the first day. I recommend eating as much as you can on day one. I only had jasmine rice on hand, and it worked just fine.
Delicious
I also substituted cream cheese for a mix of labneh and yogurt to cut down on some of the calories and for a little extra tang, couldn’t tell I was missing the cream cheese
Delicious
Yum! my boyfriend loved it so its 5 stars from me. I used salmon that I roasted in the oven and then flaked instead of imitation crab. I’ve made a similar recipe using canned tuna for a even quicker version as well and its always delicious and a crowd pleaser.
Jacalyn
Tried this for a quick dinner tonight. We all loved it! Like others, I can definitely see taking this to a pot luck as an appetizer. We used rainbow trout and a can of tuna and it was delicious. Not a sub for sushi, but much easier to make and tastes just like it. Love!
Nate
This was the first time I’ve bought fake crab, and probably the last. For one, the nutritional content is pretty poor compared to real seafood. I could see trying this recipe again with canned salmon.
Clare F
This was… strange. Not terrible. Not spectacular. Strange.
fallonc
Serve with ginger carrot dressing
David B.
Such a fun dish! Making a healthier version for two: - half the cream cheese, lite cream cheese - quarter the mayo, quarter greek yogurt - half the rice - all the fake crab Will definitely be making for a party!
Pinar
We make this with salmon and my 9 yo LOVES it. I love it because it's a fast and easy recipe that gets my kiddo excited to eat fish.
Dylan D
This was a good base recipe, but I adjusted a bit by adding gochugaru. I also suggest adding seaweed, avocado, pickled dikon radish, and cucumber.
KinDC
If I am using real (raw) crab meat, do I cook it beforehand or does it cook while in the oven as part of the dish?
cook1
Anyone try this without the cream cheese?
Kheikki
Yes. I made it with Japanese mayo only and went light on that. Really good. Also recipes out there that suggest sour cream and mayo or sriracha mayo. Check Onolicious Hawai'i and Foodland sushi bake recipes.
Emily
This isn't Haute Cuisine. This is turning sushi into a midwestern hotdish. But it's easy, not hard to find the ingredients, and pretty tasty. I made it for my stepson's 20th birthday, when he requested we stay home and cook together (that in itself is a win). He loved it. Enough to eat the leftovers at midnight. I sliced cucumbers, scallions, and avocados for topping, and we ate it scooped onto those packaged seaweed snacks (the crispy flavored nori strips).
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
