Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy: This sushi bake recipe is so easy to make! Just layer everything in one pan, bake, and enjoy wtih your favorite toppings.
• Simple: You don’t need any special equipment to make a sushi bake. Just a casserole dish!
• Convenient: This easy spicy salmon sushi bake has all the flavors of a spicy salmon roll. So you can satisfy your sushi cravings without going out.
• Family Style: This easy sushi bake recipe is perfect for a family dinner or feeding a crowd.
• Customizable: It’s so easy to taylor this crowd-pleasing recipe to your liking. (See the “variations” section below)

Ingredient Notes

Full instructions and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Sushi Rice

• Rice: The most common rice for making sushi is a short-grain Japanese rice called koshihikari. It’s usually labeled as sushi rice. This rice is soft and sticky and it holds its shape well. Calrose rice is also common for sushi making. You can find either at your local grocery store or an Asian market.
• Rice vinegar: This vinegar is a key ingredient in making vinegared rice, which is used in sushi. It adds a tangy flavor to the rice and helps to keep it moist. There are two kinds of rice vinegar: regular rice vinegar and seasoned rice vinegar, which has added sugar and salt. You can use either one for this sushi casserole. However, you’ll need to omit the sugar and salt.

Spicy Salmon

• Furikake seasoning: This Japanese condiment is a mixture of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and sometimes bonito and other seasonings. You can buy furikake at Asian grocery markets or online. However, it’s also easy to make. See “helpful tips” below.
• Salmon: Boneless, skinless salmon fillets are perfect. This is also a great recipe for using up leftover salmon. You can use canned salmon, but fesh is best!
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives creamy texture to the sushi bake.
• Kewpie mayonnaise: This Japanese mayo contains just egg yolks and not whole eggs. It’s creamier and richer than traditional mayo and is used in making the spicy mayo for this recipe. You can buy it in the Asian section of your grocery store or Asian market. However, you can also use regular mayonnaise.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds saltiness and umami flavor to the sushi bake. If you are gluten free, use tamari sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
• Hot sauce: shriracha or sambal are perfect, but you can use any hot sauce to make the spicy mayo.
• Nori sheets: These seaweed sheets are used in making traditional sushi rolls. Squares of nori are perfect for scooping up the salmon mixture after baking. Jut like a little taco!

How to Make Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake

• Using a fine meshed sieve, rinse the sushi rice thoroughly under cold water.
• Cook the rinsed rice according to the package directions (usually 20 minutes).
• Sprinkle the cooked rice with rice vinegar, sugar and salt and gently combine with a a rice paddle or spatula.
• Press the rice evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.

• Season the salmon fillets by rubbing them with soy sauce.
• Cook the fillets in an air fryer for 10 minutes at 400° or in the oven at 400° for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. (Do this while the rice is cooking).
• Break the cooked salmon into small pieces with a fork.

• In a large bowl, combine the salmon, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sriracha sauce.
• Preheat oven to 425° Line a 9×9″ baking dish with parchment paper, or use cooking spray.

• Spread the furikake seasoning evenly over the layer of sushi rice.
• Spread the salmon mixture evenly over top of the rice.

• Bake for 15 minutes, until heated through and bubbling slightly.
• Top with more furikake, a drizzle of spicy mayo, green onion slices, avocado and cucumber.
• Serve with squares of nori sheets

Sushi Bake Toppings

All or any of these toppings are perfect. Add these after baking.

• Sesame seeds
• Green onions
• Unagi sauce: This sweet and savory sauce is also called eel sauce. (But it doesn’t contain eel!)
• Fish roe: Also called tobiko, it’s used in many sushi rolls.
• Avocado slices
• Pickled ginger
• Teriyaki sauce

Variations

• Smoked salmon: Use smoked salmon instead of fresh.
• Tuna: Use tuna instead of salmon.
• Crab Meat: Make a deconstructed California roll by replacing the salmon with crab or imitation crab meat.
• Shrimp: Add different types of fish or seafood to the salmon mixture, such as crab meat, or shrimp.
• Vegetables: You can add slivers of pre cooked yam or carrot.
• Wasabi: Use wasabi instead of shriracha sauce for the spicy mayo.
• Brown Rice: Use brown rice instead of white rice for a healthier option

Common Questions

More Japanese Inspired Recipes: