Name: Shrimp and Crab Sushi Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups sushi rice; 2 ¼ cups water; ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar; 16 ounces imitation crab meat (1 pound); 8 ounces cooked and peeled shrimp (½ pound); ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise; 2 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature; 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha; 3 tablespoons furikake seasoning; ½ English cucumber; 1 avocado; Garnishes for serving: sriracha mayo, wasabi, pickled ginger, seaweed snack sheets

This Shrimp and Crab Sushi Bake is a fantastic way to enjoy the flavors of sushi in an easy, shareable dish. It’s flavorful and perfect for entertaining or when you don’t have the time to roll sushi. Whether you serve it hot or cold, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

A casserole dish with shrimp and crab sushi bake garnished with avocados.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Jump to Section

Crab and Shrimp Sushi Bake Recipe

If you love sushi but don’t want the hassle of rolling individual pieces, this Shrimp and Crab Sushi Bake is the perfect solution! This delicious, deconstructed sushi casserole delivers all the umami-packed flavors of your favorite sushi rolls in an easy-to-make, shareable dish.

Baked sushi has become a trendy dish and often seen on social media like Instagram and Tiktok but I have to say this is one of those trends that needs to stay because it is actually so delicious.

Perfect for family dinners it combines creamy seafood flavors with seasoned sushi rice, all baked to perfection. You can enjoy it hot or cold, and this recipe is incredibly versatile and can be customized to suit your tastes. Plus, it’s a fun way to enjoy sushi flavors without needing any special equipment!

If you do feel like rolling up some sushi, try my Homemade California Rolls.

Ingredients

For the Rice Base:

Sushi Rice – Sushi rice is a must for this dish, other kinds of white rice just won’t work as well. If you do have a rice cooker feel free to use that instead of cooking the rice on the stovetop.
Water – For cooking the rice.
Seasoned Rice Vinegar – Adds a great tangy sweetness that you expect in sushi.

For the Seafood Mixture:

Imitation Crab Meat (or real crab meat) – The cost between imitation crab and real crab is quite large, so for most people it will make the most sense to go with imitation crab.
Cooked and Peeled Shrimp – You can buy it unpeeled but you will have to take the few minutes to peel it before chopping it up.
Japanese mayonnaise – Creamier and slightly sweeter than regular mayo, the most common brand is KEWPIE mayonnaise.
Cream Cheese – Softened at room temperature. If you forget to soften it, add the two ounces unwrapped to a small bowl and microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave.
Sriracha – Adds a touch of spice, you can add more or less depending on who is eating the dish. My 7 year old could handle 1 teaspoon but when I tried 2 teaspoons he said it was too spicy.
Furikake seasoning – A mix of seaweed, sesame seeds, and umami seasoning. You will be able to easily find this at an Asian market but a lot of larger grocery stores will also have it. You can find this online or at some grocery stores, for local readers I get mine at Shaw’s.

Furikake Rice Seasoning

Buy Now →

For Toppings & Garnishes:

Cucumber – A usual addition to certain sushi rolls, this helps add a bit of freshness to the dish too.
Avocado – Like the cucumber this brings a great freshness to the dish.
Sriracha mayo, pickled ginger, wasabi, and seaweed snack sheets – For serving and adding flavor. Some of my family members like to take a bite and add it to a seaweed snack sheet before eating, others just like it plain (You could also serve with full nori seaweed sheets as well). I personally like to add a little wasabi and pickled ginger to each bite. For spicy mayo simply mix together a little of the mayo with sriracha, if you want to thin it out a bit just add a tad of fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients to make shrimp and crab bake laid out on a table top.

Dietary Substitutions and Alternatives

Gluten-Free: Use real crab instead of imitation crab (which often contains wheat) and ensure your furikake is gluten-free.
Dairy-Free: Substitute dairy-free cream cheese or omit it altogether.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Rinse the sushi rice in a fine mesh strainer three times until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess starch and helps the rice cook to the perfect consistency.

In a large pot with a lid, combine the rice and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed.

Transfer the cooked rice to a sheet pan and sprinkle with seasoned rice vinegar. Toss gently to coat, then spread the rice evenly to cool for at least 10 minutes, it should be fairly sticky rice at this point.

Finely chop the imitation crab and shrimp.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped seafood with Japanese mayo, softened cream cheese, sriracha, and furikake seasoning.

Mix everything together until well combined.

Transfer the cooled sushi rice to a 9×13-inch casserole dish, spreading it evenly and pressing it down slightly to form a base.

Spread the prepared seafood mixture evenly over the rice.

Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until hot and slightly golden on top.

Cooked sushi bake casserole fresh from the oven.

While the sushi bake is baking, dice the cucumber and avocado.

Once done, top the dish with the fresh cucumber and avocado.

Serve immediately hot or cold with garnishes like sriracha mayo, wasabi, pickled ginger, and seaweed snack sheets.

A slice of shrimp and sushi bake on a plate.

tips, tricks and questions

Can I use fresh crab instead of imitation crab?

Yes! Fresh crab adds a richer, more luxurious flavor, but it can be more expensive. Lump crab meat works well in this recipe.

What’s the best way to store leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the oven or microwave or enjoy it cold.

What’s a good substitute for Japanese mayo?

If you don’t have Japanese Mayo just use regular mayonnaise.

Variations

While I like the mixture of crab and shrimp you could use a different mixture of seafood, just make sure whatever you use gets cooked properly if it isn’t precooked. A different popular version would be mixing in salmon for a salmon sushi bake.

A great way to make it your own is to mix up what you add to the top of the sushi bake. Feel free to add other sauces and flavors you enjoy like yum yum sauce, eel sauce, or soy sauce.

If you like this Sushi Bake Recipe you might also like:

Yield: 8 servings