Quick Sushi Bake Recipe (Like a California Sushi Casserole!)
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Sushi Bake. It sounds like a dish you would order at a fancy restaurant, doesn’t it? Something that’s reserved for special occasions or celebrations?
But the truth is, sushi bake is something you can easily make at home. In fact, it’s a lot easier to put together than sushi rolls! Think of it like a Sushi Platter or sushi but family-style!
And it’s kid approved!
All you need is some cooked rice, a few simple ingredients, and a baking dish.
I’m not sure if the star of the dish is the rice, the creamy fish topping, or the fun you have making mini hand rolls!
I saw this dish a few times on TikTok and thought to myself “That looks delicious, but I bet it can be made even quicker!”. Then one night, the kids were begging for sushi but it was late. I didn’t want to order sushi, I didn’t have time ot make a bunch of sushi rolls AND I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on sushi.
So, I decided to give Sushi Bake a shot! I threw a few things together and hoped for the best and it was a huge success! Everyone loved it and my 3 year old even asked me to pack some in his lunch box for the next day!
Are you ready to give this a shot? Keep on reading to learn how to make this delicious and super quick recipe that’s sure to be a hit with the whole family!
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What is sushi bake?
Sushi bake is a dish made of sushi rice and a creamy seafood mix topped with rice seasoning and a drizzling of spicy mayo. It’s then eaten with small pieces of seaweed and soy sauce.
It can be made quickly and easily at home, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions! Making a big batch for a crowd would be easy!
Plus it’s a huge hit with kids because they get to make their own little sushi rolls AND eat it with their hands!
Is it Sushi Casserole or Sushi Bake?
Sushi Bake is like a Sushi Casserole that you heat up in the oven so you might hear this called by either name.
Personally, baking this casserole when you don’t always have to, seems like an extra step on a busy night! So I personally don’t bake mine but that’s totally up to you and the type of fish you choose.
If your fish is either precooked or sushi-grade, you may not need to cook it! Similarly, if you’re making this on a super busy night, you might want to intentionally opt for a fish that’s precooked (like the imitation crab I use in this recipe) so that you can make this quicker and not bake it!
I prefer to pick proteins that don’t need to be baked so that this dish can be made quicker! That’s why I oftencall this dish a sushi casserole!
Sushi bake Ingredients
- Rice (I like this one best)
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar (I love this one!)
- Granulated Sugar
- Crab Sticks (or this crab-free option if you don’t eat seafood)
- Mayonaise
- Cucumbers
- Avocado
- Furikake Seasoning
- Seaweed
- Spicy Mayo (or mayo mixed with Sriracha)
- Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
Let’s talk about Sushi Rice
Sushi Rice is a key part of this dish. It’s what gives this Sushi Casserole a more authentic taste and helps hold everything together.
The term “Sushi Rice” is used to describe a specific type of rice AND a way of preparing rice.
Sushi rice is short-grain white rice that is seasoned with vinegar and sugar. It can be purchased ready to eat or made at home using a sushi rice recipe. Luckily it’s so easy to make that you likely won’t ever buy it ready-made again!
We eat a lot of sushi rice in our home because the kids love it!
Did you know that some studies have shown that adding vinegar to rice can lower its glycemic index, possibly making it healthier for you! I consider that a great excuse to eat sushi rice!
How do you make sushi rice?
First, you have to purchase the right style of rice. You can find rice labeled as Sushi Rice and this is going to be your best option! If you can’t find that, though, you can also purchase short-grain white rice like Japanese Rice. Japanese rice is sometimes called Japonica rice.
If you can’t find either of those, Calrose rice can also work but this is medium-grain rice rather than short-grain rice. The texture will be a bit different but it can definitely work!
Once you’ve cooked your rice (and I’ll show you two ways to do that in a moment), you’ll want to add a mixture of seasoned rice vinegar and sugar to it while it’s still warm.
Sushi rice ingredients
- Rice of Choice (I like this one best)
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar (I love this one!)
- Granulated Sugar
Instant Pot Sushi Rice
I don’t usually have a lot of time to cook so I prefer to make sushi rice in my Ninja Foodi (which is an AMAZING pressure cooker/Instant Pot AND air fryer). It cooks SO quickly this way! If you don’t yet have a pressure cooker, you’re going to want to get one or add it to your wish list!
Here’s how you make sushi rice in minutes with a Ninja Foodi or any other pressure cooker:
- Pour 2 cups of sushi rice into the pot
- Rinse the rice thoroughly until it’s no longer cloudy. Strain well. (This step is key!)
- Add 3 cups of water to the rice
- Add the pressure cooker lid and close the vent
- Turn the pressure cooker to high and set for 3 minutes.
- Once the 3 minutes are up, leave the pressure cooker alone for another 10 minutes (this is called natural release). After 10 minutes, vent your pressure cooker and remove the rice.
- Place 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 1 TBSP of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave for 30 seconds and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir the vinegar and sugar mixture into rice carefully to combine.
That’s it and it’s so quick!
Cooktop Sushi Rice
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, no problem! You can make sushi rice on the cooktop too! Here’s how:
- Pour 2 cups of sushi rice into a pot
- Rinse the rice thoroughly until it’s no longer cloudy. Strain well. (This step is key!)
- Add 2.5 cups of water to the rice
- Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium until the water begins to simmer. Then reduce to low and cook until the water is completely absorbed. 15-20 minutes.
- Once the water is fully absorbed, leave remove the pot from the stove and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
- Place 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 1 TBSP of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave for 30 seconds and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir the vinegar and sugar mixture into rice carefully to combine.
Sushi Bake Frequently Asked Questions
Sushi bake is a delicious dish on its own, but it’s also great served with a side of steamed vegetables or edamame. If you’re looking for something a little more filling, try pairing your sushi bake seaweed salad! Soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger work perfectly with sushi bake too!
Sushi casserole is a fun dish to eat because you can create your own mini sushi rolls and they are much easier to make than full rolls! All you need is a spoon and some creativity.
I like to start by adding a slice of my sushi bake and a few pieces of seaweed to my plate with a little soy sauce or coconut aminos. Then I use a spoon to scoop a little sushi bake to your seaweed and roll it up. Then just dip it in your sauces and eat!
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also top your sushi casserole with some Spicy Mayo or Sriracha mayo. This will give it an extra kick!
The sky is the limit. I prefer to use imitation crab legs in my sushi bake because I don’t eat seafood and it’s precooked! Just about any fish or even chicken would work great though!
If you’re not using pre-cooked protein, and it’s not sushi grade, just make sure to cook the sushi casserole in the oven until your protein is cooked through to be safe! That’s why most versions of this recipe are called a Sushi Bake!
Absolutely! I didn’t even know about Furikake when I first made this but I knew that I’d want to top it with seaweed and sesame seeds! That just sounds so good right? Then I learned that Furikake is just that!
So if you don’t have any, or don’t want another spice in your spice cabinet, just break up some seaweed into tiny pieces and mix it with sesame seeds – and use that!
Yes! The very first time I made this recipe, I had some leftover sushi rice from a previous meal that I wanted to use up! So yes! You can make the sushi rice ahead of time so it’s ready to go as soon as you are ready to make this recipe! Just bring it to room temperature or warm it up slightly so that it’s easier to spread out when you’re ready to make this Sushi Casserole!
Sushi bake is a dish that can be enjoyed either warm or cold, so it’s the perfect meal to make ahead of time!
Just place it in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat it, you can enjoy it cold or warm it up in the oven!
You absolutely can if you’d like it warm. It’s all a matter of preference.
Sushi Bake Recipe
Quick Sushi Bake Recipe (California Roll Style)
Sushi Bake is a delicous, quick and easy spin on a california sushi roll that the whole family can enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of sushi rice
- 1/4 cup of Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 1 TBSP Granulated Sugar
- 10 Imitation Crab Sticks
- 1/4 cup of Mayonaise
- 1 English Cucumbers
- 2 Avocados
- Furikake Seasoning
- 20 Seaweed Sheets
- Spicy Mayo (or mayo mixed with Sriracha)
- Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of sushi rice into the pot
- Rinse the rice thoroughly until it's no longer cloudy. Strain well.
- Add 3 cups of water to the rice
- Add the pressure cooker lid and close the vent (If you don't have a pressure cooker, follow the cooktop instructions above)
- Turn the pressure cooker to high and set for 3 minutes.
- Once the 3 minutes are up, leave the pressure cooker alone for another 10 minutes (this is called natural release). After 10 minutes, vent your pressure cooker and remove the rice.
- Place 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 1 TBSP of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave for 30 seconds and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- While your wait for the pressure to naturally release, begin shredding your imitation crab legs or protein of choice. I like to first break it apart with my hands (it's very stringy) and then chop it up into tiny pieces.
- Finely chop up your cucumbers. {mv_img id="7437"]
- Now mash your avocado or chop it up into small pieces (depending on how ripe your avocado is and your preference).
- In a bowl, combine your imitation crab, cucumber, and avocado. Then add your mayo and mix to combine and set aside.
- Stir the vinegar and sugar mixture into rice once it's ready carefully to combine.
- Now spread your sushi rice out in a casserole dish.
- Spread your imitation crab mixture on top of the rice.
- Sprinkle some Furikake Seasoning over the crab mixture and drizzle with spicy mayo (optional).
- Cut up some seaweed sheets (I like to cut them into 1/8th so they are bite sized)
- Serve a "slice" of your casserole with pieces of seaweed and soy sauce and enjoy!
Notes
You can use this crab-free option if you don't eat seafood.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 252Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 20mgSodium 676mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 3gSugar 9gProtein 9g
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is auto generated. Please consult the nutritional information on the ingredients you use for exact nutritional information.
Sushi casserole is a fun and easy way to enjoy your favorite sushi rolls without having to go out for dinner. This recipe is simple to follow, and you can customize it with your favorite proteins, seasonings, and dipping sauces. Plus, it’s perfect for parties or gatherings!
I’d love see how your Sushi Bake turned out! Tag me on social media with #analyticalmommyrecipes or @analyticalmommy! I can’t wait to see how it turned out!
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