Sushi Crab Bake
A sushi crab bake is a warm, creamy casserole inspired by California rolls, made with seasoned rice topped with imitation crab mixed with Kewpie mayo, cream cheese, and savory seasonings, then baked until lightly golden. It’s a comforting twist on classic sushi flavors.
My youngest son’s girlfriend, Lydia Cole, first made this sushi crab bake for us a few months ago and we quickly fell in love with this dish. Even my husband who isn’t crazy about sushi liked it! The ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store and the dish comes together in no time. Serve it alone or as a side dish either way your family will love it.
Ingredients
Imitation crab: Depending on your preference, you can shred the crab meat or chop into small pieces.
Cream cheese: You will be using a fork to blend the cream cheese with the crab meat. It works best if you let the cream cheese soften first.
Kewpie mayo: Kewpie mayo is a Japanese-style mayonnaise known for its rich, creamy texture and slightly tangy, savory flavor. It’s made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs and seasoned with rice vinegar, giving it a deeper umami taste than regular mayonnaise. Kewpie mayo is commonly used in sushi, salads, sandwiches, and dishes like sushi bakes and okonomiyaki. It can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Sriracha sauce: Sriracha sauce is a spicy chili sauce made from red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt. It has a smooth texture and a balanced flavor that’s mildly sweet, tangy, garlicky, and moderately hot, making it popular as a condiment for foods like noodles, eggs, sushi, sandwiches, and sauces. It too can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar made from fermented rice. It has a softer, less acidic flavor than white or apple cider vinegar, which makes it ideal for Asian dishes like sushi rice, marinades, salad dressings, and dipping sauces. It can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Rice: To keep things simple, you can use Minute rice in this Sushi Crab Bake. Minute rice requires less time to prepare and works just fine.
Furikake seasoning: Furikake seasoning is a Japanese dry seasoning blend typically made with sesame seeds, seaweed (nori), salt, and sugar, often with added ingredients like dried fish, egg, or bonito flakes. It’s commonly sprinkled over rice, sushi, vegetables, or popcorn to add a savory, umami-rich flavor and a bit of texture. This is an essential ingredient. Don’t skip it! It too can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Nori: Nori is a type of dried seaweed made from red algae and pressed into thin sheets. It has a mild, slightly salty, ocean-like flavor and is most commonly used to wrap sushi rolls or onigiri, and to scoop up dishes like sushi bakes. This ingredient is optional, but personally I would include it. I love the ocean like flavor it adds to the dish.