This recipe for Crispy Baked Salmon Sushi Cups features marinated salmon cubes baked into crisp seaweed (nori) cups layered with seasoned sushi rice. They're flavor-packed and perfect as handheld bites.
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Why you'll love this recipe
A slightly different variation on Crispy Sushi Rice with Spicy Salmon, this recipe for Baked Salmon Sushi Cups is a fun, modern twist on sushi, which makes it perfect for entertaining or snacking.
Crispy: par-baking the seaweed rice cups ensures the seaweed is crisp, without overcooking the salmon.
Delicious: fresh salmon cubes adds a creamy, savory component that pairs well with the sushi rice.
No frying: everything is prepared in the oven!
Ingredients you'll need
For the sushi rice:
- cooked short-grain sushi rice
- rice vinegar
- granulated sugar
For the salmon:
- salmon: fresh or frozen (defrosted), cut into ½" cubes
- Japanese mayo (Kewpie): if you don't have Kewpie mayo, regular mayo is fine
- soy sauce: regular soy sauce, or tamari if you're gluten-free
- sriracha: optional, to taste
- sesame oil: toasted
- granulated sugar
- rice vinegar
- green onion: finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
To assemble:
- roasted seaweed (nori): cut into quarters (24 squares total); not the pre-seasoned seaweed snacks
Toppings: (optional)
- sesame seeds
- diced avocado
- furikake seasoning
- jalapeño slices
- spicy mayo/sriracha
- green onions
- crispy salmon skin
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at Japanese or Asian grocery stores.
How to make baked salmon sushi cups
Prepare the rice:
While the rice is still warm, gently mix in with rice vinegar and sugar.
Let cool to room temperature.
Marinate the salmon:
In a bowl, gently combine salmon cubes with mayo, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, and green onions.
Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Assemble & parbake:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lightly grease the wells in a standard muffin tin.
Layer 2 overlapping squares of nori seaweed in each muffin well to form a sturdy cup.
Add 1-2 tablespoon of seasoned sushi rice, pressing down gently.
Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes, until the seaweed is lightly crisp.
Immediately remove the seaweed rice cups from the muffin tin and transfer onto a wire rack sitting on top of a baking sheet.
Top each cup with a spoonful of the marinated salmon cubes.
Lightly mist the top of each cup with oil spray (especially around the edges of the nori).
Bake:
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or just until the salmon is opaque and cooked through, and the nori edges are crisp. Do not overbake the salmon.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Garnish with your favorite toppings such as diced avocado, green onions, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of sriracha/spicy mayo.
How to serve & reheat
It's best to enjoy the seaweed sushi cups immediately on the same day they're made.
Depending on the humidity, the seaweed can lose its crispness very quickly.
If you need to reheat, remove the salmon from the seaweed rice cups and bake on a wire rack until crisp again. Then add the cooked salmon to the rice cups and serve.
Variations
Swap salmon for canned or fresh tuna, cooked shrimp, or other seafood.
Use brown rice, farro or quinoa for a different base.
For a crispy rice base, try my Crispy Sushi Rice with Spicy Salmon.
And for more traditional-style sushi, try aburi salmon sushi, or sushi roll (swap the tuna for salmon).
Expert tips
Double layer the nori: prevents soggy bottoms and keeps the cups crisp.
Par-bake: ensures crispy seaweed bottoms. Also, using a wire rack helps circulate the hot air.
Oil spray: light mist the seaweed edges to help them crisp up in the oven.
Don't overcook salmon: fish cooks quickly -- don’t overbake or it will dry out.
Use a metal muffin tin: ensures even crisping, compared to silicone muffin tins.
Use a silicone spatula/spoon to prevent the rice from sticking to the spoon.
Other delicious sushi recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes!
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Baked Salmon Sushi Cups
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
For the sushi rice:
- 2 C cooked short-grain sushi rice
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the salmon:
- 200 g salmon fresh or frozen (defrosted), cut into ½" cubes
- ½ tablespoon Japanese (Kewpie) mayo
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha optional, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
To assemble:
- 6 sheets roasted seaweed (nori) cut into quarters (24 squares total)
- vegetable oil spray
Toppings: (optional)
- toasted sesame seeds
- diced avocado
- furikake seasoning
- jalapeño slices
- spicy mayo drizzle
- green onions
Instructions
Prepare the rice:
- Cook the sushi rice.
- While the rice is still warm, gently mix in with rice vinegar and sugar.
- Let cool to room temperature.
Marinate the salmon:
- In a bowl, gently combine salmon cubes with mayo, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, and green onions.
- Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while you prep the rest.
Assemble & parbake:
- Preheat oven to 400°F/204°C.
- Lightly grease the wells in a standard muffin tin.
- Layer 2 overlapping squares of nori seaweed in each muffin well to form a sturdy cup.
- Add 1-2 tablespoon of seasoned sushi rice, pressing down gently.
- Bake at 400°F/204°C for 8-10 minutes, until the seaweed is lightly crisp.
- Immediately remove the seaweed rice cups from the muffin tin and transfer onto a wire rack sitting on top of a baking sheet.
- Top each cup with a spoonful of the marinated salmon cubes.
- Lightly mist the top of each cup with oil spray (especially around the edges of the nori).
Bake:
- Return to the oven and bake at 400°F/204°C for an additional 8-10 minutes, or just until the salmon is opaque and cooked through, and the nori edges are crisp. Do not overbake.
- Remove from oven and cool slightly.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings such as diced avocado, green onions, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of sriracha/spicy mayo.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I love this idea of deconstructed sushi - and this is such a creative use of seaweed. The cups look so elegant and beautiful.
Michelle
Thanks Ben, it's gives a little extra crispness and texture to the sushi! 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
These look absolutely irresistible! Love how you got that nori perfectly crisp without frying, definitely trying this for my next snack platter!
Michelle
Thanks Raymund, par-baking the seaweed rice cups really helps keep them crisp! 🙂
David @ Spiced
Oh what a cool idea! I love baking the seaweed cups as a different way to serve sushi. You could totally use this concept for any type of sushi roll I bet!