Sushi bake, or sushi casserole, is a warm, comforting casserole version of a sushi roll you can easily make at home for an everyday dinner or potlucks. This version is made with layers of sushi rice, imitation crab mix, spicy mayo, and unagi sauce.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Yield: 4servings
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Ingredients
For the sushi rice:
2cupssushi ricemedium or short grain (about 4 cups cooked)
¼cuprice vinegarregular, NOT seasoned rice vinegar
Wash and rinse the sushi rice 2 to 3 times, or until the water runs clear. Drain well and cook the rice with your preferred method.
While the rice is cooking, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a microwaveable container. Warm up the vinegar mixture by microwaving for about 20 to 30 seconds. Mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside until needed.*You could also heat the mixture in a saucepan over the stovetop if preferred.*
When the rice is done cooking, transfer it to a hangiri bowl (traditional sushi bowl) or a large mixing bowl. Then, briefly fluff the rice using a rice paddle.
Drizzle the prepared seasoned rice vinegar into the hot sushi rice and mix the rice using a slicing, fluffing motion, until the vinegar is absorbed and the rice is sticky and no longer wet. Cover the sushi rice with a damp towel and set aside.
Make the crab mixture:
Remove the wrappers and shred each imitation crab meat into a large mixing bowl. Break the crab sticks in half if preferred, for easier eating later.
Add the Kewpie mayo and mix until the shredded crab meat evenly coated. Set aside.
For the spicy mayo:
Mix together the kewpie mayo and sriracha until well combined. Transfer it to a squeeze bottle, pipping bag, or Ziploc bag if desired. Set aside until needed.
(Optional) For the unagi sauce:
Combine all the ingredients for the unagi sauce in a small pan or saucepan.
Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to medium or medium low and let the sauce simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until it's glossy. Remove and set aside to cool.
Once the sauce has cooled, it will look thicker. Transfer the sauce to a squeeze bottle, pipping bag, or Ziploc bag if desired. Set aside until needed.
Assemble and bake:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare large casserole pan, like a 9 by 9 inch or a 9 by 13 inch pan.
Grease the bottom and sides of the casserole pan with ¼ to ½ teaspoon of sesame oil. *This is totally option to help prevent the rice from sticking and also to add a little more flavor. Feel free to use a neutral oil instead.*
Transfer the seasoned sushi rice into the casserole pan. Spread the rice out as evenly as possible and gently press down on the rice to flatten it out and help it stick together.
Optional: Sprinkle a layer of furikake on the rice.
Top the sushi rice with the shredded imitation crab meat. Spread out the crab meat as evenly as possible. Then, gently press down to help compact the crab meat so that they can stick together.
Bake the sushi casserole for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. If you'd like a bit more color on top, turn on the oven's high broil function and broil the sushi casserole for a couple of minutes. Make sure to keep a careful eye on it!
Carefully remove the sushi bake from the oven and let cool for a moment.
Serve:
Drizzle the top of the sushi bake with the prepared spicy mayo and optionally, the unagi sauce. Garnish with another sprinkle of furikake. Enjoy while warm.
To eat, scoop and wrap with seaweed snack and top with a sliced of cucumber and some avocado.
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, tips, FAQs, and more!
Rice - We recommend making a little drier than normal so that when the seasoned vinegar is added, the rice won't become mushy. Also, if you prefer, you can skip the seasoned vinegar all together and use plain rice, but seasoning the rice will make the sushi bake much more flavorful.
Rice vinegar - Please note that the rice vinegar used is NOT the seasoned one. If you are using seasoned rice vinegar, omit the extra seasoning (the sugar and salt).
Unagi sauce - This is an optional sauce that you can make yourself, or you can use a store-bought one.