One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn’t try sushi until college. Today, I love it all: sashimi, nigiri, maki … Basically, if it involves fresh seafood, seasoned sushi rice, nori and a side of wasabi, sign me up. So, when recipes for sushi bake started going viral on social media, I knew I had to create my own version.
Making good sushi at home is challenging. Sushi-grade fish isn’t widely available at supermarkets, and learning how to layer, roll and slice perfect maki is an art form that takes patience and precision to master. Thankfully, you need none of these skills to make a delicious, easy and beautiful sushi bake at home.
What is a sushi bake?
Sushi bake is essentially deconstructed maki assembled in a 9×9-inch pan. (Maki means “roll” in Japanese. To make it, you spread sushi rice on top of a sheet of nori, add simple fillings and then roll it up using a bamboo sushi rolling mat. Basically, with maki, the nori is on the outside, the sushi rice is in the middle, and the fillings are in the center.)
The easiest type of sushi bake to prepare is one inspired by a California roll, since it’s made with imitation crab meat (as opposed to sushi-grade fish), which can be purchased from most retailers in the seafood section. To make a sushi bake, you’ll begin by making a batch of seasoned sticky sushi rice, which serves as the base. Use authentic sushi rice to achieve the perfect consistency.
Once cooked, the rice is pressed into a baking dish and topped with a mixture of imitation crab meat, Japanese mayonnaise and wasabi (if desired). The sushi casserole is then baked in the oven until it’s bubbly before being topped with an array of flavorful toppings and sauces. Cut into squares, a sushi bake makes a great family meal or excellent party food to share with a crowd.
Sushi Bake Ingredients
- Sushi rice: Look for sushi rice in your grocery store’s rice aisle or near other traditional Japanese ingredients and condiments. This short-grain rice has a higher starch content than other rice varieties, which holds the grains together well once they’re steamed. Other types of rice don’t contain enough starch and will not hold together when scooped.
- Rice seasoning: To achieve its distinctive taste and aroma, sushi rice is traditionally seasoned with a blend of salt, granulated sugar and a few glugs of rice vinegar.
- Imitation crab meat: Imitation crab is actually made from surimi, a fish paste made from cooked, deboned white fish (usually Alaskan pollock). It’s fully cooked and ready to eat.
- Japanese mayonnaise: Kewpie is the most famous brand of Japanese mayonnaise available in the United States. If you don’t have access to it, regular mayonnaise can be used as an alternative.
- Wasabi paste: A small amount of wasabi goes a long way, so start with a small amount and add more as needed. It tints the filling pale green and gives it an excellent zesty bite, too.
- Avocados: Ripe, creamy avocados spread easily over the crab filling and offer a cooling effect that combats the spicy wasabi and Sriracha.
- Marinated cucumber: Diced cucumbers marinated in a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil add a layer of freshness and complex umami flavor to the sushi bake.
- Panko crunch: Panko bread crumbs toasted in olive oil offer a nice textural contrast to the softer layers of the sushi bake.
- Sriracha sauce: For a little kick, mix a bit of Sriracha into Japanese mayo and then drizzle it over the top before serving. For extra color and heat, you can drizzle on additional Sriracha sauce.
- Green onions: Finely chopped green onions add some mild zip and a flourish of color.
- Furikake: This classic Japanese seasoning is usually found near the Asian condiments and sauces in your supermarket. It contains a mixture of nori flakes, sesame seeds, sugar and salt, along with other ingredients like dried egg, shiso or bonito.
Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let's Eat! 