This super simple recipe takes just a few minutes to make.  You’ll just chop some ingredients, mix everything together, and you’re done.

Kamaboko dip is perfect for parties and potlucks.  If you want to mix it up for your next get-together and have something unique, try out this kamaboko dip. 

What is kamaboko dip?

Kamaboko dip is a Hawaiian appetizer of Japanese origin containing chopped kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, water chestnuts, scallions, and dashi powder.

Kamaboko dip is popular throughout Hawaii.  It often makes an appearance at parties or potlucks.  

Grocery stores such as Foodland and Costco also carry premade versions of the dip.

The flavor is fresh, creamy, and just slightly seafoody. There’s also a nice subtle crunch to the dip from the minced water chestnuts and sliced scallions. 

Ingredients in kamaboko dip

Kamaboko.  The Japanese steamed fish cake is the primary ingredient in this dip.  Its flavor is fresh tasting and just slightly seafoody. 

Cream cheese.  Cream cheese is essential to this recipe.  It gives the dip a rich flavor and helps to hold all the ingredients together.

Mayonnaise.  A good amount of mayonnaise adds some tang to the dip.  Use either the Best Foods or Hellman’s brand in this recipe, as they’re traditional in Hawaii.

Heavy cream.  Just a tablespoon of heavy cream helps to loosen the mayonnaise and cream cheese a bit, and makes it easier to stir all the ingredients together. 

Water chestnuts.  Water chestnuts have a very subtle taste and are more important for adding a crunch to the dip.

Scallion.  Sliced scallions give the dip an oniony bite and add some more crunchy texture.

Dahi powder.  Dashi powder adds a punch of umami and more depth to the dip.

How to make kamaboko dip

1. Soften and mix.  Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so that it softens and is easy to mix with the other ingredients.  Once softened, whisk the cream cheese with the mayonnaise and heavy cream until fully combined and smooth.
2. Chop.  Finely mince the kamaboko and water chestnuts.  You want to cut the kamaboko into really tiny pieces so that it mixes well with the other ingredients.  Slice the scallions into thin rings.
3. Mix.  Add all ingredients (minced kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, scallions, heavy cream, and dashi powder) to a large bowl and mix until combined.
4. Chill.  Place the dip in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
5. Serve.  Ritz crackers are the classic way to serve kamaboko dip.  

Substitutes for kamaboko

If you can’t find kamaboko, you can make this recipe with minced imitation crab instead.  It won’t be a kamaboko dip any longer, but the imitation crabmeat is a good approximation for kamaboko.

I’m not afraid to admit that I’m personally a huge fan of imitation crab meat.  I know, I know.  It’s not really crab.  But I love its fresh taste that’s just slightly seafoody.  And it goes so well with creamy ingredients like mayo and cream cheese.  If you also love imitation crab, you should try out this sushi bake.

How to serve kamaboko dip

It’s best to dip Ritz crackers into your kamaboko dip.  They’re the classic way that Hawaiians eat kamaboko dip.  The buttery flavor of the crackers fits really well with the creamy dip.

You can also serve the dip with other crackers, with chips, or with vegetable crudités such as celery, carrots and tomatoes. 

How long does kamaboko dip last?

Once prepared, kamaboko dip lasts three to four days in the fridge.  

By the second day, the dip will begin to dry out a bit and won’t have the same creaminess as it did on the first day.  But it’s still enjoyable and tastes great. 

What is kamaboko?

Kamaboko is a Japanese ingredient consisting of pureed whitefish that have been formed into a semi-cylindrical cake and then steamed until fully cooked.  

Kamaboko’s flavor is subtle.  It’s fresh tasting and only slightly “seafoody”.  The texture is firm, but slightly spongy.

The fish cakes are eaten chilled or hot and are added to various dishes like soups, rice, or noodles.  They can also be sliced and enjoyed plain with soy sauce and wasabi. 

Kamaboko is ubiquitous in Japan with many different uses. 

Outside of Japan, it’s widely available in Hawaii and used in dishes such as saimin, kamaboko puffs, and this kamaboko dip.  Even McDonald’s in Hawaii includes kamaboko on their menu as part of their saimin. 

What is kamaboko made of?

Kamaboko is made of various types of pureed whitefish and includes some additives for flavor and preservation.

The type of whitefish used varies, and can include chicken grunt, golden threadfin bream, lizardfish, Japanese gissu, shark, Alaskan pollock, and more.

What does kamaboko mean?

Kamaboko is a Japanese word, and there’s no direct translation to English.  It can be roughly translated to steamed fish paste or fish loaf.

Where can I buy kamaboko?

In Hawaii, kamaboko is available at almost any grocery store.  

Outside of Hawaii, many Asian grocery stores sell it.  Your best bet for finding Kamaboko would be in a Japanese or Korean grocery store.

How long does kamaboko last?

Once thawed and in the refrigerator, kamaboko lasts about 2-3 weeks if it’s vacuum-sealed and unopened.

Once the package is open, it’s best to consume the kamaboko in 2-3 days.

If the kamaboko smells sour or becomes sticky, you should throw it away.

How to thaw kamaboko

To thaw kamaboko, simply remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before you use it.  You can leave the package unopened while thawing.

If you are in a rush to thaw it, you can set it on the counter until thawed.

Can you refreeze kamaboko?

Once thawed, it’s best not to refreeze kamaboko as it would affect the texture.

Do I need to cook kamaboko?

Kamaboko is already fully cooked and can be consumed right out of the package.  A popular way of eating kamaboko is to simply slice it and serve with soy and wasabi.

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Simple Kamaboko Dip

Kamaboko dip is Hawaii’s classic potluck dish that combines Japanese fish cake with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and water chestnuts.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Cream cheese, Kamaboko

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Rest in fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz kamaboko
• ⅓ cup cream cheese softened to room temperature
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise preferably Best Food or Hellman's brand
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• ⅓ cup water chestnuts roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup scallion sliced into thin rounds
• ¼ tsp dashi powder

Instructions

• Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. To speed up the process, microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
• Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and heavy cream to a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.
  
• Finely mince the kamaboko, roughly chop the water chestnuts, and slice the scallions into thin rounds
• Add all ingredients (kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, water chestnuts, scallions, and dashi powder) to a medium bowl.
  
• Mix until combined.
  
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Once chilled, enjoy with Ritz crackers. You can also serve the dip with other crackers, with chips, or with vegetable crudités such as celery, carrots and tomatoes.

The post Simple Kamaboko Dip appeared first on Eats All Day.

Like so many other local Hawaiian dishes, meat jun is packed with a ton of flavor.  The beef is marinated in a sweet, salty mixture of soy, sesame oil, sugar, and other ingredients.  And since the beef is thinly sliced, the marinade really digs into the meat giving it a deep flavor.

It’s fried in a flour and egg batter that protects the beef from drying out and keeps it super moist.

Finally, to add even more flavor, it’s served with a sweet, spicy dipping sauce that perfectly compliments the crispy, oily meat.

Be sure to serve meat jun with white rice to soak up some of the extra dipping sauce!

What is meat jun?

Meat jun is a Hawaiian dish that consists of thinly-sliced beef marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and mirin, breaded in a batter of flour and eggs, and then pan-fried.

Meat jun is often served with a spicy dipping sauce of soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, gochugaru, garlic and scallion.

You’ll find meat jun across Hawaii and it’s often part of plate lunches.

Where does meat jun originate from?

Meat jun is a fusion dish that originates from Korea.  It’s based on Korean jeon, fritters that are made with meat, vegetables, or fish dredged in a flour and egg batter, and then fried.

There are many different types of Korean jeon, such as cabbage, kimchi, seafood and more.  Here are some of the different variations:

Cabbage jeon

Napa cabbage leaves are lightly battered and fried in this recipe.

Kimchi jeon

The main ingredient in this jeon is kimchi.

Seafood (shrimp, clams, and squid) jeon

This recipe batters and fries a mix of seafood into pancakes.

Meat jun is Hawaii’s take on Korean jeon and it’s unique to the islands.  It first appeared in Hawaii in the 1970s, when a restaurant named Kim Chee #1 in Kaneohe, Oahu added it to its menu.

Since then, meat jun has become widespread on the Hawaiian islands and is often one of the components of plate lunches, served with rice, mac salad and kimchi.

How to make local style meat jun

Meat jun is a simple dish that comes together in three steps.  

First, you marinate the thinly-sliced beef in a soy-based marinade for one hour. 

Second, you batter the meat by first dredging it in flour and then coating it in an egg wash. 

And third, you pan-fry the meat in oil for 1-2 minutes on each side.

You can also make an optional dipping sauce that comes together in just a few minutes.

Meat jun marinade

The marinade consists of soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sugar, minced garlic and minced scallion.

To make the marinade, first finely mince two cloves of garlic and one full scallion (both the green and white parts).

Add the minced garlic and scallion along with ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 2 teaspoons sugar.  Stir the marinade until the sugar dissolves.

Now add the meat to the marinade and massage the meat to ensure that the sauce begins to permeate the meat.

Place the meat in the fridge for one hour to allow the flavors to soak into the meat.

How to make meat jun batter

Meat jun uses a simple batter containing only two ingredients: flour and scrambled eggs.  

The meat is battered in two steps.

To start, place the flour on a plate and the eggs in a bowl.

First, dredge the meat in the flour.  Coat all sections of the meat with a thin layer of flour.  Then shake off the meat to remove all the excess flour.  You only need a very thin layer of flour to remain on the meat.  The flour layer helps the eggs stick to the meat.

Second, dredge the meat in the scrambled eggs.  Place the beef in the eggs and coat all portions of the meat with egg.  Once fully coated, lift the meat out of the eggs and let the excess eggs run off of the meat.  You only need a thin layer of eggs and don’t want too much remaining on the meat.

Place the battered meat on a separate plate, and repeat the dredging process for the other slices.

How to make meat jun dipping sauce

There are typically two types of meat jun dipping sauces.  The first is a soy-based sauce and the second is a red gochujang-based sauce.

This recipe uses the soy-based dipping sauce consisting of soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, minced scallion, and gochugaru (the spicy Korean chili flakes).

The red gochujang-based dipping sauce includes some of the same ingredients as the soy-based sauce, with the addition of gochujang.

What kind of meat do I need?

Meat jun uses thinly sliced beef.  The specific cut of beef that you use can be flexible.  You’ll find recipes that use ribeye, sirloin, cross rib, filet minion, and others.

It’s important that the meat is sliced thinly, but not too thinly.  The ideal thickness is about ⅛ of an inch.  This thickness allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat, giving it a super savory and salty flavor.  

If the meat is any thinner than ⅛ of an inch, it could be difficult to batter and fry and will likely fall apart during the process.

How to reheat leftovers

It’s best to serve meat jun while it’s fresh, and can become soggy if left out for too long.

However, you can store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat them.  For the best results, follow the process below to reheat the meat jun.

1. Remove the meat jun from the fridge and let it warm up to room temperature. 
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the meat jun for around 30 seconds on each side, for a total of one minute.

This frying process will help to crisp up the outsides of the meat jun.

What to serve with meat jun

Meat jun is usually part of a Hawaiian plate lunch with two scoops of white rice and one scoop of Hawaiian mac salad.  

Other Korean inspired sides like kimchi, cucumber salad, or moochae (spicy Korean radish salad) go well with meat jun.

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Meat Jun – Local Hawaiian Style

Hawaiian-style meat jun is a revelation in flavor, with tender marinated beef coated in a simple batter and then quickly fried

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Beef, Fried

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Marinate in fridge 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• ½ lb ribeye beef thinly sliced to ⅛"
• neutral oil such as canola, for frying

For the marinade

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 scallion minced

For the batter

• ¾ cup flour
• 2 eggs scrambled

For the dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 scallion sliced
• 1 tsp gochugaru

For serving

• 1 scallion sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the meat

• Add all ingredients for the marinade (soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sugar, minced garlic, and minced scallion) to a medium bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Place the meat and marinade into a shallow rectangular container and massage the marinade into all nooks of the meat.
  
• Cover the meat with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for one hour to marinate.

Make the dipping sauce

• While the meat is marinating, make the dipping sauce. Add all ingredients (soy, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, sliced scallion, and gochugaru) to a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Batter the meat

• Once the meat is finished marinating, prepare the ingredients for battering. Place the flour in a plate and the eggs in a bowl.
• First coat the meat in a thin layer of flour. Shake off the excess flour.
• Then coat the meat in eggs. Let the excess egg drain off the meat and place the battered meat on a clean plate. Repeat the process for all slices of meat.
  

Fry the meat

• Add ½ inch of neutral oil to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, fry the meat slices one at a time. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, for a total of 2-4 minutes. When the meat is finished, place it on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil.
  

Serve

• Serve the meat jun right away with the dipping sauce and more scallions on top for garnish.

The post Meat Jun – Local Hawaiian Style appeared first on Eats All Day.

Spam musubi is the ubiquitous local snack sold all over Hawaii. From corner shops and 7-11s to grocery stores and high-end restaurants, you’ll find the spam and rice sandwiches everywhere.  It’s an absolute classic.  

This recipe makes one, ever-so-subtle change to the classic recipe by adding a thin layer of scrambled egg.  The egg doesn’t steal the show.  Instead, it works in the background to provide a mild, almost buttery taste that helps balance the sweet, salty spam.  

And it turns out that this combination of spam and egg is a winning one.  You’ll still be eating a spam musubi, and it’ll still taste almost the same.  But the egg adds just one more small dimension to the dish that’s worth a try if you haven’t had it yet.

What is spam musubi

Spam musubi was first made in Hawaii and is a play on the Japanese onigiri.

It starts with a piece of fried spam glazed in a sweet teriyaki sauce.  The spam is then laid on a bed of rice and sandwiched together with a piece of nori.  

It’s a super simple, casual snack eaten all over Hawaii.  And because it’s often enjoyed with friends and family at parties and picnics, spam musubi has a nostalgic, happy feeling for many islanders.  

Origin of spam musubi

Spam was introduced to Hawaii during World War II by the American military while it was stationed in Pearl Harbor.  The military used the canned meat as a ration, and surplus spam made its way to local residents who incorporated it into their cooking.

The origin of spam musubi is heavily disputed.  But its earliest form is traced back to Japanese residents of Hawaii, who began adding the canned meat to rice.

Years later, by the 1980s, local restaurants started to sell spam musubi. Two people are cited as potential creators. The first was Mitsuko Kaneshiro, who was selling the musubis from City Pharmacy in Honolulu.  The other was Barbara Funamura who made the snacks in the Joni-Hana restaurant in Kuai.

Over the next 15 years, the spam musubi became popular across all of the Hawaiian islands.  And by 1999 the Hawaiian BBQ chain restaurant L&L added spam musubi to its menu and introduced the snack to its restaurants on the mainland United States.

Since then, spam musubi has become a globally-recognized icon of Hawaii.

Hawaiians today eat more spam per person than any other state in the US.  But spam is also popular in other places across the Asia Pacific region, such as Korea (like in this Korean Army Stew), the Philippines, and Guam.

Ingredients in spam musubi with egg

Sushi rice.  Similar to the Japanese onigiri, spam musubi uses a bed of gently pressed rice as the base.

Rice vinegar and sugar.  Just like sushi, you’ll add a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar to the rice to provide a subtle acidic sweetness.

Spam.  Salty, fatty spam with a sweet teriyaki glaze is the defining ingredient.

Egg.  Make a thin omelet with scrambled and gently cooked eggs.  The mild, bouncy eggs give the final dish a more balanced flavor and an additional texture.   

Nori.  Use umami-packed nori to wrap the musubi, creating a portable dish worthy of any party or trip to the beach.

Teriyaki glaze (soy sauce, brown sugar, and sake).  A simple glaze of soy, brown sugar, and sake provides sweetness to cut through the salt and fat of the spam.  

Why add egg?

Lightly scrambled eggs provide a subtle earthy and buttery flavor to spam musubi.  The eggs work in the background and don’t overpower the spam.  Instead, they provide just a bit of balance to the final dish, perfectly complimenting the sweet, salty spam.

And it’s no surprise that this combination works so well.  Hawaiians serve spam and eggs for breakfast all over the islands. Even McDonald’s serves it.  This recipe just takes that combination and puts it into a musubi.

How to make spam musubi with egg

1. Make the rice.  Prepare sushi rice according to the rice’s instructions. Add a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar on top of the cooked rice. 
2. Make the teriyaki glaze.  Add soy sauce, sake, and sugar to a small bowl. Mix until the sugar fully dissolves.
3. Cook the egg.  You’ll cook the eggs in two batches.  Add half of the scrambled eggs to a lightly oiled nonstick pan on low heat.  Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just done.  Remove the first omelet and then repeat the process to make the second omelet.  Slice the omelets into eight long strips.
4. Fry the spam.  In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of neutral oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the sliced spam and fry for two minutes.  Flip the spam and fry for an additional two minutes.  Next add the teriyaki glaze directly to the pan and fry the spam in the glaze for 2-3 minutes more, flipping the spam once.
5. Assemble the rice for the musubi.  Place down a sheet of plastic wrap.  Place the musubi mold (or spam can) on top of the plastic wrap.  Add a small handful of rice to the musubi mold and use the press (or your fingers) to gently but firmly pack the rice.  
6. Assemble the egg and spam for the musubi.  Next remove the mold from the rice and lay the egg on top, folding it over once.  And lay the spam on top of the egg.
7. Wrap the musubi.  Place the musubi on top of nori, and wrap the nori around the sandwich with the seam side on the bottom.  Use a bit of water on the nori to close the seal.

Do I need to rinse the rice before cooking it?

Yes!

Rinsing your rice before cooking it is such an easy step that you can take to up your rice game and start producing restaurant-quality rice.  

The rinsing process removes excess starch from the rice granules, resulting in fluffier rice without any gumminess.  Without all that excess starch, your rice will be just a bit more toothsome and the individual grains will maintain their consistency.

To rinse your rice, add it to a bowl with cool water and use your hand to mix it around.  Drain the water.  And repeat this process a few times, until the water runs clear.

Special equipment: spam musubi press

You can use a special spam musubi press to help pack the ingredients and achieve the musubi’s signature rectangular shape.

These presses are available on Amazon for a few dollars.

What if I don’t have a spam musubi press?

I’ll admit that spam musubi presses are pretty niche, and you likely won’t have one.

The good news is that you can easily use the can from the spam to make a beautifully rectangular musubi.

Just use a can opener to remove both ends of the spam can and pack your rice, spam, and egg into the can.

Is spam musubi served hot or cold?

Spam musubi is super casual. You can eat them any way you want: warm, at room temperature, or even cold!

I personally love to eat musubis when the spam is still warm and the teriyaki glaze is dripping from the meat.

But it’s also sold out of the refrigerated section of grocery shops and corner stores, and enjoyed cold directly from the refrigerator.

How to serve spam musubi

Serve spam musubi alone as a snack or eat it with other Hawaiian foods like this meat jun (marinated and fried thinly sliced beef) or this creamy sushi bake.

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Spam Musubi with Egg

Hawaii’s iconic spam musubi gets the breakfast treatment with the addition of gently cooked scrambled egg in this recipe.

Course Snack

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Spam

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 musubis

Ingredients

For the rice

• 2 cup sushi rice
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated sugar

For the teriyaki glaze

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sake
• ¼ cup water

For the musubis

• 1 can spam sliced into eight even pieces
• 4 eggs
• 2½ tbsp neutral oil such as canola
• 2 sheets nori sliced lengthwise into 8 strips, 2" wide

Instructions

Make the rice

• Cook the rice according to the rice's instructions or your favorite cooking method.
• While the rice is cooking, mix the rice vinegar and granulated sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. You can microwave the mixture for 20-30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
• Once the rice is finished, and while still warm, add the vinegar mixture to the rice. Gently stir the rice to distribute the vinegar mixture. Use a rice paddle if you have one.

Make the teriyaki sauce

• Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sake, and water in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Make the omelets

• Add the eggs to a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and scramble them until little to no white remains.
• Add ¼ tbsp of the oil to a nonstick pan over low heat. Once heated, add half of the scrambled eggs to the pan. Tilt the pan around to evenly distribute the eggs into one thin layer. Cover the pan and cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes until just done and very slightly browned. Once done, remove the omlet from the pan.
  
• Make the second omelete by repeating the same process for the second half of the scrambled eggs.
• Slice each omelet into four long strips, for a total of eight strips of omelet.
  

Fry the spam

• To the same nonstick pan, add 2 tbsp of the oil and heat over medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add the sliced spam to the pan and fry for two minutes until browned. Flip and fry for two more minutes.
• Add the teriyaki sauce directly to the pan and fry for 2-3 more minutes, flipping the spam one time. Once the spam is browned and the sauce is reduced, remove the spam from the pan and add to a plate.

Assemble the musubis

• Place down a sheet of plastic wrap and lay the musubi mold (or spam can) on top of the plastic wrap.  Add a small handful of rice (about ⅛ of your cooked rice) to the musubi mold and use the press (or your fingers) to gently but firmly pack the rice.
  
• Remove the mold from the rice and lay the omelet on top, folding the omelet strip over once.
  
• Lay a slice of spam on top of the egg.
  
• Place the musubi on top of one strip of nori and wrap the nori around the sandwich with the seam side on the bottom.  Use a bit of water on the nori to close the seal.
  
• Repeat the assembly process for all musubis, and then serve right away or store in your refrigerate for later.

The post Spam Musubi with Egg appeared first on Eats All Day.

To make the dish, just layer some warm sushi rice as the base of your casserole.  Top it with some furikake, imitation crab, Kewpie mayo, cream cheese, and sriracha.  Throw it in the oven for just 10-15 minutes and then serve it with some cool, crunchy vegetables and umami-packed seaweed.

What Is Sushi Bake?

Sushi bake takes everything you love about a California roll, deconstructs it, and puts it into a warm and melty casserole.  It’s the easy and lazy way to make sushi on a Wednesday night.

The dish is not traditional by any means.  But it tastes good.  And that’s what matters.

Sushi bake comes from the Philippines, when recipes started to pop up online back in 2015.  The dish started trending during the pandemic, after a Filipino celebrity nail artist reportedly sent some sushi bake casseroles to local celebrities.

Fast forward to today, and just check out Tiktok to see the craze.

What Makes It Special?

1. It’s easy to make. Most people don’t make sushi at home since it’s time-consuming.  Sushi bake makes sushi easy.  There’s no bamboo mat to be found and no tedious rolling involved.  And the ingredients are super forgiving.  Feel free to switch it up.  Tuna instead of crab?  Three times more mayo?  Go for it 🙂 

2. It’s fun. Serve sushi bake at your next party and just see the reaction.  People will talk.  People will love it.

3. It’s nostalgic and modern at the same time. Casseroles are vintage Americana and always seem to remind me of childhood.  But this one has sushi.  So yeah.  2020s all the way.

How to make Sushi Bake

1. Make the rice.  Prepare sushi rice according to the rice’s instructions.  After the rice is finished (and while it’s still warm) add on a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar.  Mix the rice to evenly distribute the vinegar mixture.  Be super gentle with your rice to ensure that you’re not mashing it up, and use a rice paddle for the mixing process if you have one. 
2. Spread in a casserole.  Add your cooked rice to the bottom of a casserole dish.  Spread it around in an even layer.
3. Mix crab with other ingredients.  Shred and chop your imitation crab into bite sized pieces.  Mix the crab with room temperature cream cheese, Kewpie mayo, and a bit of sriracha.
4. Top your casserole.  Add half the furikake on top of the rice.  Then add all of the crab mixture in an even layer.  And finally top the crab mixture with the other half of your furikake.
5. Bake.  Bake in a 450° oven for 10-15 minutes.
6. Eat.  Serve alongside seaweed snacks, cucumber, avocado, and more sriracha.  Just scoop a bit of the casserole on top of a seaweed snack, top with slices of cucumber and avocado, add a bit of sriracha, and pop it in your mouth.

Three tips for making great sushi bake

1. Rinse your rice before cooking.  Rinsing your rice before cooking removes the starch, resulting in more toothsome rice grains that don’t stick together.  This step takes just a bit more time, and I promise that it’s a key to making great, restaurant-style sushi rice.
2. Kewpie mayo is key.  Kewpie mayo is highly, highly recommended.  If you can’t find it, I have an easy, two-minute substitute recipe provided later in this post.
3. Eat your sushi bake right away.  Embrace warm sushi and enjoy your creation right after it’s done baking.  If you allow the casserole to sit for too long, you’ll lose that melty goodness.  If It’s starting to get cold while you’re eating, just pop it in the oven again for a few minutes.

Ingredients

Sushi rice.  You can’t have sushi bake without rice.  Eats All Day recommends Nishiki Premium Medium Grain Rice as the de facto classic.  But any sushi rice will do.

Furikake.  Furikake is typically a mixture of sesame seeds, seaweed, herbs, fish flakes, and salt.  It’s hugely popular in Japan, and has started to make its way to the United States. You’ll likely be able to find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store.  Even Trader Joe’s carries it, so you know it must be good.

Kewpie mayo.  The iconic Japanese mayonnaise brand that adds depths of richness, tanginess, sweetness, and umami to any dish.  Kewpie is different from North American mayonnaise in a few ways.  First, it uses only egg yolks (rather than whole eggs), adding fat and richness.  Second, it uses rice vinegar in addition to other types of vinegars, giving it that trademark zing.  And finally, it uses MSG, providing that unmistakable umami flavor.

Imitation crab.  You know what?  I’m not afraid to admit that I LOVE imitation crab.  I don’t care that it’s not really crab and I don’t care that it’s imitation.  It’s actually made from real fish, so it counts as a seafood.  It has a fresh, slightly “seafoody” taste that works so well against creamy flavors like mayo, cream cheese, and other dairy products.  You can also just eat it plain as a snack. 

Cream cheese.  Cream cheese is an essential part of this recipe.  It adds an absolutely necessary creaminess to the dish that melts down into the rice, creating a truly melty situation.  You may find some recipes for sushi bake that don’t call for cream cheese.  But trust me, it absolutely improves the taste and texture.  

Seaweed snacks.  Yep.  Another thing you can find at Trader Joe’s.  You can substitute the larger nori wraps by cutting them into smaller rectangles, but I recommend the seaweed snacks here as they’re a bit crispier than nori.

What kind of rice do I need?

Eats All Day recommends Nishiki Premium Medium Grain Rice as the standard for all our Japanese recipes.  This rice is so good that I use it for most other types of East Asian recipes like Chinese, Korean, and so on.

However, any kind of sushi rice will do for this recipe.  Make sure your rice is labeled “sushi rice”, “medium grain”, or “short grain” and you’re good to go.  

Do look for Asian brands and avoid rice styles from the Americas, Europe and so on.

Should I rinse my rice?

The short answer is… YES!

Rinsing rice is such a simple and quick step that you can take to create restaurant-style sushi rice.

The rinsing process removes excess starch from the rice grains, which prevents your cooked rice from sticking together and becoming a mushy mess.  Rinsed rice is more toothsome and the individual grains will maintain their consistency.

To rinse rice, put it in a bowl, add cold water, stir it around, and drain the water.  Do this a few times until the water runs clear.  Clear water = no starch.  No starch = quality rice.  

Do I need Kewpie mayo?

You don’t need Kewpie, but it definitely adds more tang and umami to the recipe. 

I’d highly recommend getting some Kewpie and trying some other recipes with it like this Japanese Potato Salad or these Japanese inspired brussel sprouts.

If you can’t find Kewpie and want to get real fancy, you can make a substitute.  Here’s a quick recipe:

• ½ cup North American mayo
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well-combined and smooth.

And if you don’t want to make this substitute, feel free to just use any other mayonnaise.  Don’t let it hold you back from making this recipe and enjoying the glory of sushi bake.

How to serve sushi bake

Serve your casserole alongside seaweed snacks, cucumber, avocado and more sriracha.

Think of them as mini-tacos that you can put together right at the table.  Just scoop some sushi bake from the casserole dish, dollop it on your seaweed snack, and top it with fresh vegetables and some more sriracha.

You can get creative with your toppings if you’d like.  Scallions, eel sauce, sesame seeds, and even bacon all come to mind.

Sushi bake variations

Sushi bake can be endlessly customized.

Spicy salmon 

Substitute imitation crab with diced salmon.  Bake the casserole for about 15 minutes to ensure that the salmon gets cooked through.

Crab, bacon and honey

Add some cooked and crisped bacon with the imitation crab mixture.  And then add a bit of honey for contrasting sweetness.  Up the sriracha.  I think bacon + imitation crab is an epic combination, on par with peanut butter and jelly.

Tuna melt (with cheese)

Believe it or not, sushi rolls with cooked, canned tuna are quite popular in Japan.  You can find this quick snack at almost any konbini (Japanese-style convenience stores such as 7-11).  Lean into this classic and substitute canned tuna for the imitation crab. Top it with shredded mozzarella cheese to add some tuna melt vibes.

What to serve with sushi bake

• A vegetable, such as these sweet and salty Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes or this classic Japanese Potato Salad.
• Japanese Pickled Celery. A simple, 10-minute pickle adds needed acidity to your meal.

Print

Easy Sushi Bake

This super easy sushi bake is essentially a deconstructed California roll in casserole form. Sushi Bake is a creamy, crunchy, melty, and steamy way to enjoy sushi any night of the week.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Casserole, Imitation Crab, Kewpie Mayo

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 9"x13" casserole dish

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup uncooked sushi rice
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup furikake
• 8 ounces imitation crab meat
• 4 tbsp Kewpie mayo plus more for drizzling on top
• 1/2 cup cream cheese warmed to room temperature
• 1 tsp sriracha plus more for drizzling on top
• 1/2 English cucumber peeled and sliced, to serve
• 1 avocado sliced, to serve
• sesame seeds (optional) to serve
• seaweed snacks to serve

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 450°.
• Make the sushi rice according to your rice package's directions (or your preferred method).
• Add the rice vinegar and sugar to a small, microwave-safe bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. You can microwave the mixture for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.

While the rice is cooking, make the crab mixture

• While the rice is cooking, shred the imitation crab and then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
• Add the chopped imitation crab to a medium bowl along with Kewpie mayo, room temperature cream cheese, and sriracha. Mix the ingredients until smooth.

Assemble the casserole

• Once the rice is done and while it's still hot, pour the rice vinegar mixture over the rice. Gently fold the rice to evenly distribute the vinegar mixture.
• Spread the cooked rice in an even layer on the bottom of the casserole dish.
• Top the rice with half of the furikake (1/8 cup).
• Top the furikake with the imitation crab mixture and evenly spread it across the casserole.
• Top the crab mixture with the other half of the furikake (another 1/8 cup).
• Drizzle more Kewpie mayo on top, in a zig-zag pattern. Then drizzle more sriracha on top, in the opposite zig-zag pattern.
  

Bake the casserole

• Bake the casserole in a 450° oven for 10-15 minutes, until warm and melty.

To serve

• Serve the sushi bake immediately alongside seaweed snacks, cucumber, avocado, more sriracha, and sesame seeds.

  To eat, scoop some sushi bake from the casserole dish, place it on a seaweed snack, and top it with cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds and sriracha.

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