Sushi Bakes Are Easy With One Simple Canned Ingredient

It's hard to beat sushi, whether your go-to is a California roll, a spicy tuna roll, or vegan sushi. Many people love sushi's simple yet customizable blend of flavors and textures — fresh fish, rice, veggies, and avocado wrapped up in nori.

Fun as it is to recreate the magic of sushi rolls at home, not everyone has the time or energy for this, despite their undeniable sushi cravings. But this doesn't mean you can't still indulge in a sushi-inspired dish. Sounds pretty tempting, right?

The sushi bake is a deconstructed, layered casserole take on sushi that delivers those same ingredients and flavors in a fraction of the time. It can be customized to meet your fish and seasoning preferences and can be served warm or chilled. Plus, you don't even need to use raw fish. We're going to talk you through our favorite recipe. All you need to make this version of a sushi bake is one simple pantry staple — canned tuna. 

A sushi bake is essentially a casserole that begins with a layer of sushi rice seasoned with furikake, followed by a seafood topping. It's baked until golden, garnished with your choice of cucumber, avocado, furikake, green onions, and spicy mayo, and served on or with dried seaweed. The dish only recently became popular in the U.S. and is rooted in Hawaiian and Filipino cuisines, where dishes blending Japanese and other Asian flavors have long been part of the culinary landscape. 

The cultural dish soared in popularity on TikTok during the pandemic, with food influencers and home cooks praising the baked casserole as an easy way to satisfy sushi cravings without a restaurant trip. Sushi bakes provide a much easier preparation process than traditional sushi rolls while still offering their beloved flavors. It's an easy crowd-pleaser for potlucks and parties.

While sushi bakes can be made with your choice of fresh fish, opting for canned tuna makes the dish even more accessible and convenient. When mixed with mayo, canned tuna creates a creamy, slightly briny filling that pairs perfectly with soft sushi rice. The mild flavor also complements soy sauce and sriracha — plus, it's inexpensive, shelf-stable, and can be found at nearly any grocery store (Ortiz is a great sustainable brand that excels in quality and flavor). 

You won't be disappointed by this tuna sushi bake's quick and adaptable recipe, which is perfect for feeding a group or for meal-prepping. With everything layered in one pan, cleanup will be a breeze, and by choosing to swap fresh fish for canned tuna, you can create a sushi-inspired meal without needing to take a trip to the fish market. 

Mix rice vinegar and furikake seasoning into cooked sushi rice and press it into a baking dish to form an even layer. In a bowl, combine your canned tuna, mayonnaise, and sriracha, spread it over the rice, and sprinkle some additional furikake over the tuna. You can add an optional drizzle of extra mayo or sriracha for a spicy kick. Bake the dish in your oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes. Once the layers have warmed through, let the dish cool before you throw in optional garnishes of green onions, cucumber, avocado, eel sauce, and more spicy mayo, of course.

You can enjoy the meal as a hand roll by placing a slice of the casserole into a nori sheet, or you can serve it on a plate and enjoy it on its own. Either way, it's a deliciously convenient meal that might just become your new weeknight favorite.