Canned Tuna and Salmon Sushi Bake Casserole

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Don't know what to do with tinned fish? I have an idea! This sushi bake recipe calls for both canned tuna and salmon. I made this easier for you by skipping the step of cooking the salmon by using canned salmon instead! The sushi bake is like a casserole layered with warm sushi rice, furikake, and a mix of salmon, tuna, imitation crab, cream cheese, and Japanese mayo!

Jump to:

• What is a Sushi Bake?
• Ingredients  
• Substitutes
• Recipe Tips
• How to Make Sushi Bake 
• How to Serve
• Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Canned Tuna and Salmon Sushi Bake
• Have You Tried This Recipe?

Let's be honest here for a second - sushi bakes are kind of the lazy man's sushi. If you don't want to roll individual pieces of sushi, this layered casserole is a great dupe as a deconstructed sushi roll. I love bringing this to potlucks because it creates an interactive activity at the table among guests.

What is a Sushi Bake?

The sushi bake has all the components of a sushi roll, just layered on top of each other like lasagna. The rice is spread along the bottom, then furikake (a seaweed seasoning), then a mixture of fish, cream cheese, and mayo. Finally, it's topped with a drizzle of sauces and whatever your heart desires. As long as it's sushi-appropriate! You scoop some along a sheet of bite-size nori and eat it in one bite!

The sushi bake came out around 2015 and I remember first seeing it among friends living in Hawaii. There are a lot of dinner parties on the island and this was a perfect easy-to-make dish to bring.

Ingredients  

Some ingredients in this list can all be replaced by something else you want to use. The canned fish, mayo type, and Sriracha can be swapped out by alternatives you have in your pantry.

• Short Grain Rice
• Sushi Rice Seasoning
• Canned Tuna 
• Canned Salmon
• Imitation Crab
• Cream Cheese
• Kewpie Mayo
• Sriracha
• Furikake
• Green Onions
• Nori Sheets

Substitutes

• Canned Fish: Depending on the flavor you are going for there are other types of tinned fish that you can use.
  
  
• Kewpie Mayo: Any other mayo works, but the more vinegar flavor, the better. The vinegar taste pairs well with the fish.
  
  
• Furikake: Regular nori sushi sheets are a great substitute for furikake! Just crumble a bunch of nori sheets, add some salt, a bit of sugar, and sesame seeds. You just made a tasty furikake substitute!
  
  
• Sriracha: Any spicy sauce alternative works, but you can also choose to leave it out if you want to.

Recipe Tips

• Make Sushi Rice Ahead of Time: There's nothing worse than forgetting to cook rice at the moment you need it! Make sushi rice ahead of time and leave it to steam while you prepare the other parts of the sushi bake so you end up with warm rice.
  
  
• Use Warm Rice: The reason for warm rice? It's better for sushi seasoning to adhere to and re-create that 'sushi' element.
  
  
• Do Not Overmix: The fish mixture shouldn't be too mashed because you want to maintain as much texture as possible.

How to Make Sushi Bake 

There aren't many steps to this easy sushi bake recipe. You simply mix the topping ingredients together, then layer on the other ingredients before baking!

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Add the canned fish, imitation crab, mayo, cream cheese, and some green onions in a bowl. Mix together.
3. Take warm rice and add some sushi rice seasoning. Mix and fluff together. Then spread it evenly across a baking dish.
4. Add some furikake (or other flavoring) on top of sushi rice.
5. Spread the mixed fish across the top.
6. Bake for ten to fifteen minutes. 

How to Serve

Sushi bakes are somewhat family-style. I serve the baking dish next to a bunch of spoons. I tell people to spoon some sushi bake onto a piece of nori so they can wrap it around to eat in one bite. I have found this to be the best way to serve, especially at a potluck. Alternatively, you can also provide plates to your eaters so they can choose what size portion they want to eat.

Variations

There are lots of different ways to change this up! These are a few ideas to inspire you to create your own.

• Full Spicy: You can add your choice of hot sauce like Sriracha when you mix the ingredients together so it's within the fish and on top of it.
  
  
• Fried Rice: Instead of steamed rice, use fried rice loaded with veggies and another type of meat for a more flavorful experience.
  
  
• Use Spam: Spam bakes are also very popular! You don't even have to dice the spam, you can slice them and lay them out side by side on top of the rice.