Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe

Sushi bakes are all the rage these days, and there's a good reason why — they're both delicious and unique. This salmon sushi bake is basically a deconstructed sushi roll with all of the elements we know and love best from an actual sushi roll. This recipe is excellent for those who love traditional salmon rolls, but it also caters to those who don't love raw fish sushi.

Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn is the brains behind this killer sushi bake that's great for an easy dinner with family or friends. "This recipe [is] made from scratch, [and] completely fresh," she shares. "The original idea [behind] this casserole was to [find] a way to use up leftovers. The cook time gets cut in half if you have leftover rice and salmon, making it a super quick recipe. I love sushi, but making sushi homemade is difficult and time consuming. It is definitely fun if you have the time and energy, but for a weeknight craving, this sushi bake is a perfect compromise," McGlinn explains. "I also love the idea of this as an appetizer with wonton chips — I love anything dippable, and this is creamy enough to be perfect for that. I love that this makes sushi easy." Keep reading to find out how to make this easy sushi bake recipe. 

For this particular recipe, you will need salmon filets, olive oil, soy sauce, Kewpie mayo, sushi rice, water, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, furikake seasoning, sriracha hot sauce, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, scallions, and nori sheets.

McGlinn also notes that you can swap out ingredients. "It feels like all the toppings could be optional for this — it's totally customizable, [but] these are just my favorites. Imagine it [being] your favorite sushi roll, and add those toppings," she raves. "My word of advice: anything fresh should be added after baking, like avocado slices, cucumber, and radishes. Otherwise, throw it on beforehand, even sauces. Some other suggestions of toppings [include] teriyaki sauce, yum yum sauce, fish roe, asparagus (add this before baking), carrots, [and] cooked edamame."

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon on the sheet tray, and coat it well with the olive oil. Once the oven finishes preheating, bake the salmon for 15 minutes, until it is nice and flaky. If you are using leftover, cooked salmon, skip this step.

Remove the salmon from the oven, and use a fork to shred it. Once it's shredded, add the salmon to a bowl, and mix it with the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of Kewpie mayo. Combine well, then set the mixture aside.

While the salmon cooks, prep the rice. Be sure to rinse the rice to remove any excess starch. Add the rinsed rice and water to a saucepan, and bring the water to a boil. Once you see bubbles reach the surface, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until all the water has absorbed. Remove the rice from the heat. Skip this step if you are using cooked, leftover rice. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt together, then add the cooked rice and furikake, and combine.

The best dish to use to assemble this sushi bake is a 9-x11-inch or smaller dish. Press the rice into the dish first, then press the salmon over the rice, and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayo and Sriracha on top. Then, sprinkle both types of sesame seeds on top. Cook for 20 minutes.

"Baking it melts everything together, and crisps the rice a bit. When you're making it fresh, and everything is hot, you could definitely get away with a shorter bake time, " McGlinn says. "If you're using leftovers, that baking step is going to be vital for warming everything through, and melting it all together."

After 20 minutes, remove the sushi bake from the oven, and sprinkle chopped scallions on top. "You don't have to serve this as a little circle," McGlinn shares. "You can just scoop it into a bowl, and eat it with a fork, chopsticks, or with nori and your hands. It can be as fun, or as lazy as you want it to be." McGlinn adds that, "I think this would make a really fun party appetizer, if you serve it like a dip with wonton chips." Hopefully, this recipe will change the way you eat your sushi.