The Best Vegan Sushi Bake Recipe

Name: The Best Vegan Sushi Bake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sushi rice; 3 ½ cups water; ¾ teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons sugar (agave nectar, or coconut sugar); 2 teaspoons sesame oil; ¼ cup olive oil; 14 oz. Extra firm tofu (pressed and dried); 1 tablespoon tamari (or other soy sauce of your preference); 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon sriracha (or sambal oelek); ¼ cup scallions (thinly sliced); 2 cups sweet potato (1 cm. dice); ⅓ cup water; 4 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 tablespoon tamari; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 2 teaspoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (optional); ½ cup vegan mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons sriracha; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise; 1 ¼ teaspoon wasabi powder ((or wasabi paste)); ½ teaspoon spirulina powder (optional for color); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons tamari (or other soy sauce of your preference); 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 ½ cups cucumber (small dice); 3 scallions (thinly sliced)

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You want sushi - it’s calling out to you from the mist, but rolling it sounds like a pain in the @$$, and you have a whole gaggle of folks lined up who are hungry. The first time I had a vegan sushi bake, I was like, “That doesn’t even sound remotely good”. But let me tell you, this recipe I have been tweaking and testing for the last couple of years, has my whole family STOKED every time I make it for dinner. Even more so, the leftovers (if any) are a treat to bring to work or school the next day.

A plated dish of vegan sushi bake with diced avocado, sauce, and seaweed sheets on a light-colored surface. Another serving of the dish is visible in the background.

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🤷‍♀️ Oh dear Lord, what is a Sushi Casserole?

Sushi bake is essentially a deconstructed sushi roll in a baking dish, served hot, combining layers of seasoned rice, crispy tofu, sweet potatoes, spicy mayo, and wasabi mayo, and fresh, flavorful toppings such as cucumber, avocado, scallions and furikake. I shudder when I hear this thing called a casserole (because yuck - casseroles are a fever dream of the 1970s cookbooks I sometimes marvel over at thrift stores). But damn it, I guess this can be considered a sushi casserole. There I said it. Fine, let’s please move on and never bring up this casserole designation again…

A cooked vegan sushi bake is served on a rectangular plate with seaweed and chopsticks beside it. Two other sushi bake portions are on a cloth napkin and a round plate. All are garnished with green onions.

This vegan sushi bake recipe whispers this sweet promise into your gold-encrusted ear: that it is the ultimate crowd pleaser at potlucks, family gatherings, and it’s super-lovely as an alternative to vegan drumsticks, vegan fried chicken, or vegan buffalo wings to serve on game day.

I kid you not; this is a banger, and you are about to find out and eat those words about how sushi can only be eaten cold.

Jump to:

🤷‍♀️ Oh dear Lord, what is a Sushi Casserole?
🥰Why you'll adore this vegan sushi bake recipe
🍱 What's in a vegan sushi bake?
🤯Variations
📖 How to make this sushi bake recipe
💡Serving Ideas
👉NAIL this vegan sushi bake recipe with these tips
🤷‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
✌️My faves to serve with a vegan sushi bake:
The Best Vegan Sushi Bake Recipe

🥰Why you'll adore this vegan sushi bake recipe

✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan entree recipes, this one is made without harming a single lovable salmon, shrimp, crab or tuna. It also just happens to be a great gluten-free vegan recipe that packs protein, and tons of flavor.

🌱 Perfectly Seasoned Rice: This vegetarian sushi bake would be pretty dang wack if it were 50% made out of plain rice. Boooooring! This blog post is going to teach you how to make great sushi rice, whether you are using it in this project, or using it to make handrolls, or simple nigari.

🍠 Downright Thrilling Toppings: A lot of sushi bakes that don’t contain fish sorta don’t know where to turn for flavor. I included components of my family’s favorite vegetarian rolls and slightly tweaked and improved their preparation to ramp up the flavor to the gosh darned apex, so this sushi bake will never bore you.

✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after tweaking and perfecting it, I shared it with a truly massive team of recipe testers who replicated it successfully all around the world.

🍱 What's in a vegan sushi bake?

A top-down view of ingredients for a vegan sushi bake: sweet potatoes, vegan mayonnaise, avocado, scallions, tofu, wasabi, various sauces, cucumbers, sushi rice, seasonings, and more.

Sushi Rice

The best rice to make this sushi bake with is short-grain japonica rice. While “sushi rice” is ideal, other sticky short grain rices also work great. Sweet rice or glutinous rice, work fantastic here, and then you can use the leftover uncooked rice to make dishes like Filipino suman malagkit, Indonesian turmeric rice, or Vietnamese taro pudding.

If you decide to make this with a brown rice variety, just increase the water in the recipe by about ⅓ cup and allow for longer simmering time.

Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar (komezu in Japanese) is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar made from fermented rice. While it’s kinda crucial for giving tangy sushi rice its distinctive flavor, mirin is an excellent replacement if you want the rice to have a more mellow, sweet flavor. If you get some to use in this recipe and want to know what else to make with it, my Korean BBQ sauce, bami goreng noodles, and vegan sour cream recipe are great things to use it in.

Sesame Oil

I love giving the sweet potato topping a little sesame flavor, and this is the easiest way in the galaxy to pull that off. Toasted sesame oil is the same magical substance that lends its powerful aroma to Korean tofu soup and crispy rice dumplings and goma dressing. If you are out of sesame oil or don’t love its flavor, you can substitute it with peanut oil, sunflower oil or olive oil and still make a sushi bake that slaps.

Extra Firm Tofu

I am telling you with my hand over my heart, that imitation crab meat has NOTHING on this. Pressing and drying the tofu before cooking helps it get the amazing meaty texture we want for the topping of this sushi bake. It’s the same technique I employ for making vegan chorizo which is basically permanently on hand in my fridge for me to make vegan burrito bowls, vegan taquitos, and vegan tostadas at a moment’s notice. Once you make tofu this way, you are never gonna take it out of your cooking repertoire. For this method, you really want an extra firm tofu, or a sprouted tofu. Soft tofu will break down too much, and FORGET about silken tofu for this project.

Soy Sauce

You can use any soy sauce for this recipe. I tend to cook primarily with tamari because it is gluten-free and adds a robust umami flavor. It’s less salty than regular soy sauce and has a richer taste. A nice alternative is liquid aminos (coconut aminos). If you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce or shoyu.

Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

Vegetarian oyster sauce is a flavorful and versatile condiment typically made from mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, and various seasonings. It’s not super-fishy tasting as you might expect. It is umami-rich, slightly sweet, and pungent, which lends itself perfectly to recipes like mie goreng, tom yum fried rice, and chee cheong fun. Hoisin sauce is a perfect substitute, just make sure the one you use is vegan.

Sriracha

Sriracha sauce adds a garlicky bite to recipes like Vietnamese banh bao chay and Indian hakka noodles. Sometimes there are droughts in the sriracha market. So, you can make your own following my sriracha recipe, or you can use my sambal oelek recipe which can be a nice alternative topping for the sushi bake.

Shichimi Togarashi

Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese chili pepper seasoning that adds a bit of heat and subtly citrusy complexity. It’s basically a Japanese 7-spice blend. If you don’t have shichimi togarashi, there are some yummy spicy seasoned dulse (which is a sea vegetable) blends that you can use. Otherwise, just leave it out.

Vegan Mayonnaise

For sure in this recipe, you are going to need a bunch of plant-based mayonnaise to form the quick and easy base of the sriracha and wasabi mayo. There used to be some straight-up trash vegan mayos on the market (…ahem cough, nayonnaise, cough). But especially for use in vegan Japanese recipes like this, the best option is to make my vegan kewpie mayo yourself. It takes about as little time to make as a smoothie does, and relies on ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Otherwise, if you are going to get some from the store, my heart sorta belongs to Vegenaise from Follow your Heart. I used about 15-20 gallons of this vegan mayo every week on my food truck to make popular sandwiches like my vegan banh mi and a zillion other things. This creamy glistening substance is so damned good. But basically, for this recipe, you can get away with using any vegan mayo you can get your hands on.

Wasabi and Spirulina

Why Adam? Why are you using spirulina in this recipe?!? Well, most of the neon greenish wasabi you see in sushi restaurants is artificially colored to be that way. And since your boyo here does not ever mess with any artificial colors, we are using spirulina (which is actually great for you) to add to natural, uncolored wasabi for that lovely Japanese horseradish flavor.

Vegan Furikake

Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning typically made with seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt. It adds umami and a touch of crunch. Not all of the furikake on the market is vegan. Many brands include some bonito flakes. If you can’t find vegan furikake seasoning (Trader Joe’s makes an ok one), you can make my furikake recipe, which will take ya all of 5 minutes.

Laver

Roasted seasoned nori became popular first in Korea, but now this seasoned seaweed is also a part of Japanese food culture. Here, it provides the perfect, seriously addictive way to scoop and eat the casserole. You can find it in all Asian grocery stores and many health food stores, but plain roasted nori sheets can be used.

I was a little hesitant about this when my wife suggested it, but one night all we had on hand was chili lime-flavored nori to have our sushi bake with. OMG, I might never go back. It’s seriously amazing to have with this recipe!

*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.

🤯Variations

Japanese Pickled Topped Vegan Sushi Bake:

Sliced pickled ginger (gari), chopped yamagobo (pickled burdock root) and thinly sliced radish (daikon) can be used as additional toppings for an authentic Japanese flavor. Just add those after the sushi bake comes out of the oven.

Korean Sushi Bake:

Add a little gochujang-based Korean bbq sauce to the tofu after it’s gotten to its initial brewing when adding the other seasonings. Use vegan kimchi fried rice instead of the suhi rice in the recipe. When it comes out of the oven, top the sushi bake with vegan kimchi, chopped oi muchim (Korean spicy cucumbers), and pieces of seitan bulgogi.

Vegan Deconstructed California Roll:

Mix thin-cut strips of nori seaweed sheets into the rice, add a layer of vegan cream cheese under the tofu, and go extra heavy with the avocado. Some strips of smoked tofu or roasted shiitake mushrooms marinated in lapsang souchong (smoked black tea) can make for a nice plant-based alternative to fishies in this variation.

📖 How to make this sushi bake recipe

Become the pride and joy of every potluck for the rest of eternity by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.

A pot on a stove contains rice in boiling water with visible sesame oil droplets on the surface.

Step One

Make the Sushi Rice:

Combine the sushi rice, water, salt, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for ten minutes.

✅ You can alternatively use a rice cooker, and select the setting for sushi rice or short-grain white rice.

✅ I prefer the sushi rice in this recipe to be a little starchy, which makes the final casserole easier to scoop up and eat. So it’s on purpose that I haven’t rinsed it. If you want more individualized rice grains as you would find in veg biryani or nasi minyak, feel free to rinse it under cold running water for a couple of minutes in a wire mesh strainer first.

A close-up of tofu cooking in a black cast iron skillet.

Step Two

Tofu Cri(s)p Walk:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over mediumheat for 90 seconds.

When the oil is hot, crumble the dried tofu into th pan and sauté it for seven to eight minutes, stirring regularly until the tofu is golden and crispy in some spots.

A cast-iron skillet on a stovetop containing cooked tofu with a reddish-brown seasoning.

Step Three

Flavor Flav:

Add the tamari, vegetarian oyster sauce, sriracha, and scallions to the tofu and continue sautéing for two minutes over medium heat until the scallions have wilted and the seasonings are absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and set the tofu topping aside.

Liquid being poured onto cubed sweet potatoes in a skillet.

Step Four

I Yam What I Yam:

In a covered pan, combine the diced sweet potatoes (you can peel them if you want, but I usually don't), water, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and Shichimi Togarashi (if using). Cook over medium heat for ten to twelve minutes, covered, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

A bowl of creamy sriracha mayo next to a bamboo whisk and a yellow cloth on a gray surface.

Step Five

Make the Spicy Mayo:

In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, sriracha, rice vinegar, and water until smooth using a fork or a tiny whisk. Set aside.

A bowl of creamy wasabi mayo with a spoon, paired with a bamboo whisk and an orange cloth.

Step Six

Make the Wasabi Mayo:

In another small bowl, whip up the combination of vegan mayonnaise, wasabi powder, spirulina powder (if using), sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar, and water until smooth. Set aside.

A close-up of a baked dish with chopped sweet potatoes and vegan sriracha mayo being poured from a small jug over the top.

Step Seven

Sushi Bake Prep:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the cooked rice evenly in the bottom of a casserole dish (I use a 13-inch pan, the same as what I use to make vegan baked ziti in). Layer the tofu mixture on top of the rice, followed by the cooked sweet potatoes. Drizzle with sriracha mayo. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until heated throughout.

A glass dish containing a layered sushi bake topped with avocado, green onions, and drizzled sauce. Two chopsticks rest on top, with seaweed sheets and a yellow cloth in the background.

Step Eight

Finishing Touches:

Remove from the oven and garnish with diced cucumber, sliced green onions, avocado slices, and roasted sesame seeds. Top the sushi bake with a drizzle of wasabi mayo and then garnish with furikake rice seasoning. Serve with roasted seasoned nori on the side.

✅ If some of the folks at your table like a little heat, you can serve some of this outrageously good chili garlic sauce on the side.

💡Serving Ideas

Vegan Japanese recipes such as vegan tofu katsu, and a side salad (like wakame salad, sunomono, or somen noodle salad) with goma dressing are obvious sidekicks.

There are a couple of things you can add to the top of your sushi bake after it comes out of the oven that will make it even more insanley-over-the-top. I am talking chopped up pieces of grilled vegan yakitori, or fried tofu karaage here.

But you know what else goes stupid-hit-myself-over-the-head-with-a-frying-pan-good with this? Vegan Filipino recipes!

Serve a side dish of Adobong Sitaw (long beans with Jackfruit “Pork”), ginitaang kalabasa (a kabocha squash and spinach curry), or ensaladang talong (a smoky salad of charred eggplant and green mango) with this easy vegan sushi bake.

👉NAIL this vegan sushi bake recipe with these tips

Press and Cool Your Rice After cooking and seasoning the rice with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, you can spread it out on a baking sheet with a rice paddle or rubber spatula to cool. This helps it firm up and makes it easier to layer in your dish without becoming mushy.
Crisp Up Your Tofu To achieve crispy tofu, press out as much water as possible before cooking. Sauté the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown and slightly crispy. This makes for the best contrast in textures between the starchy rice and fresh toppings.
Layer for Maximum Flavor Don’t skimp on the toppings. If anything, be heavy-handed with all the fun stuff, because no one wants a sushi bake that’s mainly mouthfuls of plain rice with no bells and whistles.

🤷‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Is this vegan sushi bake gluten-free?

Yep! As long as you use tamari as your soy sauce of choice, and are careful not to use any sauces that contain wheat, this easy sushi bake recipe is completely gluten-free.

How Should I Store and Reheat a Vegetarian Sushi Bake?

🧊 Refrigeration: Let the vegan sushi bake cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Store any fresh toppings, such as avocado or cucumber, separately to maintain their texture and freshness. Those fresh ingredients (especially the avocado) should only be cut right before serving this, so they don’t get nasty or brown.

❄️ Freezing: For best results, it is recommended to consume the sushi bake fresh or refrigerated. However, if you want to freeze it, ensure the dish is fully cooled before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to one month. When ready to eat, thaw the sushi bake in the refrigerator overnight.

🔥 Oven Reheating: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the sushi bake in an oven-safe dish and cover it with a reusable lid or parchment paper. Bake for ten to fifteen minutes until heated through. If you prefer a crispy top, uncover the dish for the last few minutes of baking.

⚡️ Microwave Reheating: Transfer an individual portion of the sushi bake to a microwave-safe dish. Cover with a microwave-safe plate or a damp paper towel to retain moisture. Heat on medium power for two to three minutes until warmed through, stirring halfway to ensure even heating.

What are some other condiments I should try out on a vegan sushi bake?

A few non-Japanese Asian condiments you might not have considered that are downright DOPE for sushi bakes are nam prik pao, nam jim jaew, sambal dabu dabu and sambal matah.

✌️My faves to serve with a vegan sushi bake:

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