Transform cold & boring leftover salmon into a fun interactive dinner – in under 30 minutes! This simple Salmon Sushi Bake is an epic crowd-pleaser for weeknight dinners & potlucks that’ll have everyone (especially sushi lovers) begging you for the recipe!
For the next hangout with friends & family, create a meal you know EVERYONE will love – and without spending all day in the kitchen! This delicious and fun Salmon Sushi Bake is so easy, any beginner in the kitchen will feel like a pro.
Plus, it’s a very budget-friendly way to feed a crowd (especially sushi lovers!) without breaking the bank 🙂 This sushi bake recipe makes dinner fun for guests to create & customize their own bite-size handrolls with no fancy rolling required.
Not in the mood for salmon? Swap it out for Imitation Crab Sushi Bake or Tuna Sushi Bake for ready-to-go seafood!
And if you’re at home wondering what to do with some leftover salmon – this is your sign. Leftover Miso Butter Salmon or Miso Salmon would create an even more flavorful sushi bake!
Serve up your sushi bake with crispy seaweed, sushi toppings, & (for a full spread) maybe even some Crab Rangoon Pizza or Crab Rangoon Dip. If you need more inspo, here’s What to Serve with Sushi!
❤️ Highlights
🍣 What is Sushi Bake?
Sushi Bake has become a popular alternative to sushi rolls, especially for parties & gatherings! It’s basically deconstructed sushi rolls in casserole form and you can easily customize it with any of your favorite sushi toppings (more on that in minute!).
Serve it up with crispy seaweed chips for friends and family to build their own bite-sized handrolls! It’s a fun and budget-friendly meal that comes together super easily. Here’s what you’ll need…
🥘Ingredients
- Salmon: Cooked or canned salmon (that’s been drained well) work for this recipe. It’s a great way to repurpose any leftover salmon into a whole new meal!
- Sushi Rice: I highly recommend using short or medium-grain rice for this sushi bake recipe. Long grain rice doesn’t have the same sticky consistency as the shorter grains of rice.
- Ponzu: This is a must for this recipe! Ponzu is a Japanese condiment that adds a fresh burst of zest to the sushi bake and balances the creaminess and saltiness from the other seasonings. You can find it at any local Asian or Japanese market and has become increasingly popular so it’s sometimes in the Asian/international isle of local grocery stores too!
- Japanese Mayo: If you haven’t tried Japanese mayo, you’re missing out! Japanese mayo adds creaminess to this dish and is different than American mayo – there’s no going back! Japanese mayo is richer with a custard-like consistency because it’s made with egg yolks only, unlike American mayo that includes the whole egg. You can easily find it at local Asian or Japanese markets or online.
- Light Soy Sauce: This seasons the sushi bake mixture with a hit of saltiness and umami.
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way for a deep roasted nutty flavor. It’s an absolute must!
- Seaweed Chips: Mr. Hee’s Spicy Seaweed Chips are my ABSOLUTE fave because it’s actually spicy & adds extra flavor. You can sometimes find it at local Ranch 99’s but any seaweed chips or nori sheets would work. You’ll just need to cut the nori sheets into bite-size pieces to serve.
- Furikake: There are many varieties of furikake but the core ingredients are seaweed and sesame seeds. Try out & use any of your favorite furikake!
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
Not in the mood for salmon? You can use swap it for Imitation Crab Sushi Bake or Tuna Sushi Bake instead for an extra budget-friendly version!
Other protein ideas are:
- Chopped shrimp
- Chopped scallops
- or a combination of 2 types of seafood
This Salmon Sushi Bake is SO good on its own… but you can get fancy and serve it up with any of your favorite sushi toppings too. Friends & family can build their own bite-size handrolls with toppings like:
- Thinly sliced cucumber
- Thinly sliced avocado
- Thinly sliced mango
- Green onions
- Masago
- Tobiko
If you’re using masago or tobiko, make sure to add it after baking because the flavor and texture is very different cooked vs fresh.
🔪 How to Make Salmon Sushi Bake
Step 1: In a small heat-proof bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, & salt. Heat in microwave for about 15 seconds, or until sugar & salt is dissolved.
Place hot rice in a large bowl, then drizzle the rice vinegar mixture on top of a spatula while moving it in a swiping motion. This helps distribute the mixture more evenly. Gently fold together, being careful not to mush the rice. Set aside.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 450° F. Meanwhile, make the salmon sushi filling in a large mixing bowl. Combine Japanese mayo, cream cheese, ponzu, light soy sauce, sesame oil until smooth. Then, mix in flaked salmon & green onions until well combined.
Step 3: In a 8×8 baking dish, layer on sushi rice (being careful not to mush it), half of the furikake, the salmon filling, & remaining furikake. Drizzle on Japanese mayo, sriracha, & unagi sauce. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top of the sushi bake is golden and everything is heated through.
Step 4: Serve with seaweed chips and additional toppings if you’d like (topping ideas in “Variations & Substitutions” section above)! Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Rinsing Rice Well: Rinsing the rice before cooking is important because it removes the extra starch. If you skip this simple step, you’ll have much mushier rice.
- Season While Hot: Once the rice is done cooking, allow it to steam for about 5 minutes to absorb more moisture, then transfer to a large bowl. Season the rice while it’s still fresh and warm to continue absorbing the liquid.
- Handle Gently: The last thing you want is mushy rice in your sushi bake – it’s just not a pleasant consistency in sushi or this recipe lol. To avoid this, handle the rice gently (aka don’t smoosh it) while mixing & layering the rice. Wet your fingers, spatula, or whatever comes in contact with the rice to prevent sticking.
💭 Recipe FAQs
🥗 What to Serve with this Sushi Bake
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Salmon Sushi Bake
Ingredients
SUSHI RICE
- 1 ½ cup freshly cooked rice*
- 1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
SUSHI FILLING
- 1 ½ tablespoons Japanese mayo
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon ponzu
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 10 ounces cooked or canned salmon drained
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
TOPPINGS
- ¼ cup furikake divided in half
- unagi sauce
- Sriracha adjust to spice level
- Japanese mayo
SERVING
- Seaweed chips
- Cucumber julienned optional
- Avocado sliced optional
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, & salt. Microwave for 15 seconds or until sugar & salt is dissolved.
- Place the hot freshly cooked rice in a large bowl, then drizzle the rice vinegar mixture on top of a spatula while moving it in a swiping motion. This helps distribute the mixture more evenly. Gently fold together, being careful not to mush the rice. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sushi filling ingredients – salmon, cream cheese, ponzu, Japanese mayo, light soy sauce, sesame oil, & green onions. Set aside.
- In a baking dish, begin assembling the sushi bake by evenly layering the sushi rice (again, be careful not to mush the rice), then half of the furikake, the sushi filling, & the remaining furikake. Drizzle unagi sauce, Sriracha, and Japanese mayo on top.
- Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and everything is heated through.
- Serve with seaweed chips or nori sheets, cucumber, and avocado slices if desired. Enjoy by scooping the sushi bake onto a piece of nori and adding cucumber and / or avocado, if desired. Roll up into a bite & enjoy!
Notes
- Rice: Any short-grain rice is best for that sticky chewy texture like sushi, but medium grained rice would do if you have trouble finding it. You can easily find these at local Asian or Japanese markets.
- Furikake: There are TONS of flavors for furikake, but the basic type (with just seaweed & sesame seeds) is what I used for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with any of your favorites!
- Step-by-Step Photos: Scroll to the blog post above for step-by-step photos & key tips for best results!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
