Sushi Bake
Equipment
- Oven safe baking dish
Ingredients
Rice
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Sushi Bake Topping
- 1 cup imitation crab meat or real crab, finely shredded
- ½ cup canned tuna, drained
- 2 scallion whites, finely sliced
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Garnishes
- Eel sauce
- Furikake
- Avocado, optional
- Scallions, optional
- Sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the vinegar mixture to warm sushi rice and mix while gently fanning to evenly coat the rice. Set aside.
- Finely slice the scallion whites. Shred the crab meat by hand or chop it finely.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the crab meat, canned tuna, scallion whites, mayo, sriracha, salt, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix until creamy and well combined.
- In an oven-safe dish, layer the seasoned sushi rice evenly along the bottom, then spread the crab-tuna mixture over the top.
- Broil at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes or 500°F (260°C) for 5 minutes until golden and slightly caramelized.
- Top with eel sauce and furikake. Optionally garnish with avocado, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why This Sushi Bake Gets Scraped Clean Every Time
There’s always a handful of dishes that people keep eating, no matter how much you make it, and this Sushi Bake is it! I love making this because it takes everything I love about a sushi roll but is easily scalable and doesn’t require a ton of time to make! It still has the sweet and salty rice, and the spicy sushi topping (which is usually the filling of a sushi roll) turns golden brown from baking. I know it may sound weird because sushi is usually served cold, but trust me, this works so well! Once you add some eel sauce and furikake on top it truly turns into something delicious.
What Makes The Topping So Good
The creamy crab and tuna topping (or filling, whichever you see fit) is what brings this sushi bake so amazing. It’s made with mayo, sriracha, a touch of sesame oil, and scallions which helps balance everything out. Once the topping is broiled, it bubbles and turns into this golden, rich layer that literally melts into the rice, which helps season it even more. Depending on how much you want to dress this up, you can add avocado, extra scallions, and as much eel sauce as you’d like! It’s flexible, which I think is one of the most important factors whenever making a dish for a dinner party.
Ingredients You’ll Need For A Sushi Bake
Rice
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Sushi Bake Topping
- 1 cup imitation crab meat (or real crab), finely shredded
- ½ cup canned tuna, drained
- 2 scallion whites, finely sliced
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Optional Garnishes
- Eel sauce
- Furikake
- Avocado
- Scallions
- Sesame seeds
How to Make A Sushi Bake
In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Stir into warm cooked rice and gently mix to season.
Finely slice scallions and shred crab meat.
In a medium bowl, combine crab, tuna, scallions, mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
Spread the seasoned rice evenly in a small oven-safe dish. Top with the crab-tuna mixture and smooth out the surface.
Broil at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes or at 500°F (260°C) for 5 minutes until golden and lightly caramelized on top.
Finish with a drizzle of eel sauce and sprinkle of furikake. Add avocado, scallions, and sesame seeds if using. Serve warm.
Tips & Variations
Fan the rice after mixing in the vinegar mixture to help it cool and absorb flavor evenly. If you don’t mix the rice vinegar mixture beforehand, you risk having super sweet or salty spots in your rice.
If you want your sushi bake topping even spicier, add even more sriracha or even mix in some chili flakes.
For holiday dinners, use real crab for an even better version of this! I do this for most dinner parties with my family (but I use imitation with my friends!!)
If you want to prep this ahead of time, make the sushi bake filling ahead of time before making the rice the day of, and broil just before serving.
If you need something to serve this sushi bake with, use roasted seaweed sheets for people to place the sushi bake on to make mini hand rolls!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep this in advance?
Yes! Just assemble the rice and topping in your baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Bake right before serving. I don’t recommend broiling it because it may burn the top before warming everything through.
Is imitation crab required?
Not at all! You can use real crab, chopped shrimp, or even all tuna. Imitation crab just happens to be the easiest and the most reminiscent of the popular California roll.
How should I reheat leftovers?
Pop it in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. The microwave also works but may not recreate the texture.
What’s a good eel sauce substitute?
If you don’t have eel sauce, you can use a store-bought sweet soy sauce glaze or even teriyaki sauce!
What’s the best mayo to use?
Kewpie is ideal for its rich, umami flavor, but if you only have regular mayo, it’ll still taste great. I like to use regular mayo personally!
Try These Next
- Want more dinner party dishes? You’ll love my Braised Pork Belly!
- Craving something a little more creamy? Check out my Garlic Fettuccini Alfredo!
- Looking for another sweet and salty combo? Don’t miss my Honey Butter Chicken!
