Simplify sushi night with this easy Salmon Sushi Bake! This recipe transforms your favorite sushi roll into a layered, oven-baked casserole with seasoned rice, creamy flaked salmon, crispy toppings, and spicy sauces. No rolling required!
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Have you noticed sushi bake recipe videos on your For You page lately? There’s a reason this dish is going viral! It’s one of the easiest versions of homemade sushi, capturing everything you love about your favorite rolls in one cozy, crowd-pleasing casserole.
You can think of my Sushi Salmon Bake as a deconstructed salmon sushi roll. Just like my Baked Salmon Sushi Bowls, it has layers of sushi rice, flaked salmon, and two creamy, spicy sauces. I love serving it with nori sheets, avocado, cucumber, and jalapeños on top, but you can put your own twist on it with whatever you’re craving.
Ingredient notes
- Salmon – Use fresh or frozen and thawed salmon, and remove the skin before baking for easier flaking. To save time, you can even use leftover baked salmon or canned salmon. Just make sure it’s fully drained and flaked before mixing.
- Seasonings – The salmon is seasoned with soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper before it’s baked to give it a boost of umami.
- Cream cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Furikake – This is a Japanese rice seasoning made with sesame seeds, dried seaweed, and other umami-rich ingredients. Look for it in the international aisle or at Asian markets. If you can’t find it, a mix of crushed nori and toasted sesame seeds will do the trick.
- Sriracha
- Sushi rice – Cooked short-grain sushi rice is stickier than other types, helping your casserole hold its shape. I season mine with sugar, salt, and rice vinegar to give it that signature tangy sushi flavor.
- Sriracha sauce – The first sauce drizzled over the casserole is made with mayonnaise, sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
- Wasabi mayo – This second sauce is made from a zippy blend of reduced-fat mayo, rice vinegar, wasabi paste, and sesame oil.
- Toppings – I like garnishing this sushi bake with furikake and sliced green onions to keep it simple. If you want to take it up a notch, add crushed nori sheets, cucumber slices, avocado, and sliced jalapeños.
How to make it
Step 1
Bake the Salmon
- Place the salmon on a lined baking sheet and season it with soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Step 2
Prepare the Sushi Rice
- In a 9×9-inch baking sheet, stir the cooked sushi rice, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt together.
- Press the rice mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the dish.
Step 3
Mix and Layer the Filling
- In a bowl, stir the flaked salmon, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, furikake, and sriracha until well combined.
- Spread the salmon mixture evenly over the rice in the baking dish.
Step 4
Bake then Broil
- Bake the casserole. To finish, broil for a few minutes at the end until the top is golden and slightly crispy.
Step 5
Make the Sauces
- While it’s baking, whisk the creamy sriracha sauce ingredients together in one bowl and the wasabi mayo ingredients in another bowl.
Step 6
Garnish and Serve
- Drizzle both sauces over the baked sushi casserole, then garnish with sliced green onions and extra furikake.
- Serve with nori sheets, cucumber slices, creamy avocado, and sliced jalapeños on top, then enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Let the freshly baked salmon rest for a few minutes, but don’t let it cool completely. Warm fish is much easier to flake with a fork than cold fish.
- The final broil is key for achieving that golden, crispy top layer. Keep a close eye on it, though. Every broiler is different, and the top can go from golden to burned fast.
- If you want to get a head start on this recipe, you can prep the dish up to the point of baking, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Then, simply pop it in the oven when you’re ready.
Variations
This baked salmon sushi casserole is endlessly customizable, so feel free to make it your own with whatever ingredients you have on hand or flavors you’re feeling:
- Swap the seafood – Not a salmon fan? Try diced boiled shrimp, imitation crab (kani), or even a mix of both for a California roll casserole. Canned tuna also works in a pinch!
- Switch up the sauces – Experiment with unagi sauce, teriyaki sauce, tonkatsu sauce, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), or one of these 15 Delicious Sushi Dipping Sauces.
Serving suggestions
I love serving this sushi casserole straight from the baking dish, complete with diced cucumber, creamy avocado slices, sliced jalapeños or serranos on top, and squares of nori on the side for scooping up every bite (kind of like bite-sized “sushi tacos”). Add some pickled ginger to the plate to really drive home those sushi vibes.
If you’re putting together a whole family-style sushi spread, start things off with miso soup and serve the sushi bake alongside one of these 15+ Sushi Side Dishes.
Storing
Store the leftover sushi bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm as much of the casserole as you plan on eating in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Erin’s wine pairings
This dish pairs beautifully with a range of crisp, refreshing wines. Here are a few of my go-to picks:
- An acidic, subtly sweet Dry Riesling balances the richness of the salmon and spicy sauces.
- Crisp, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc highlights the tangy sushi rice and fresh toppings.
Want more ideas? Check out my Sushi Wine Pairing Guide for all the best bottles to pair with this bake.
More sushi-inspired recipes
Did you make this sushi bake with salmon?
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For more great Platings & Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
Full Recipe
Salmon Sushi Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
Baked Salmon
- 2 6- ounce salmon filets
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons furikake
- 2 Tablespoons sriracha
Sushi Rice
- 3 cups sushi rice (cooked )
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Creamy Sriracha Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (reduced fat )
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Wasabi Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (reduced fat )
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1-2 Tablespoons wasabi paste (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Toppings
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
- Furikake (or sesame seeds)
- Nori sheets (for serving)
- 1/2 medium cucumber (diced)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- 1 jalapeno (sliced (or serrano pepper))
Instructions
Baked Salmon
- Preheat your oven to 425-degrees F.
- Place salmon on a parchment paper or foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Sushi Bake
- In a 9×9 baking dish, combine the cooked sushi rice, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Then press the mixture evenly into the dish.
- In a bowl, mix together flaked salmon, cream cheese, mayonnaise and sriracha.
- Top the rice with the salmon mixture.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then broil the top for 2-3 minutes until crispy.
Sauces
- While the sushi is baking, make your sauces.
- Make the creamy sriracha by whisking together the mayonnaise, sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl.
- In a second small bowl, make the wasabi sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, wasabi and sesame oil.
To Serve
- Remove the sushi bake from the oven and drizzle with the creamy sriracha sauce and wasabi sauce. Sprinkle with additional furikake and green onions. Serve with nori sheets, cucumbers, avocado, and jalapenos. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store the leftover sushi bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, warm as much of the casserole as you plan on eating in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- Let the freshly baked salmon rest for a few minutes, but don’t let it cool completely. Warm fish is much easier to flake with a fork than cold fish.
- The final broil is key for achieving that golden, crispy top layer. Keep a close eye on it, though. Every broiler is different, and the top can go from golden to burned fast.
- If you want to get a head start on this recipe, you can prep the dish up to the point of baking, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Then, simply pop it in the oven when you’re ready.
- Swap the seafood – Not a salmon fan? Try diced boiled shrimp, imitation crab (kani), or even a mix of both for a California roll casserole. Canned tuna also works in a pinch!
- Switch up the sauces – Experiment with unagi sauce, teriyaki sauce, tonkatsu sauce, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), or one of these 15 Delicious Sushi Dipping Sauces.
- Add extra crunch – Try adding a layer of edamame or corn between the rice and creamy salmon layer. Or, sprinkle sesame seeds, crispy fried onions, or tempura flakes on top for restaurant-style crunch.
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