Easy Baked Salmon Sushi Cups

Salmon sushi cups on a pink plate, with aioli and sweet chilli on the side.

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Easy Baked Salmon Sushi Cups

These cute little baked salmon sushi cups are the absolute easiest way to get the flavor of your favorite sushi roll at home. Easy to make and even easier to eat, they're great hot or cold and can be prepped ahead. I love to drizzle them with sweet chilli jam and a dollop of egg-free garlic aioli (or spicy gochujang aioli) to serve. You can even make them without the rice, for a low-carb and Keto version.

You'll also need a mini muffin tray, or regular muffin tray for larger cups, to make this recipe. I use this one from Amazon.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sushi bake, sushi bites

Servings: cups

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

1 cup sushi rice
1 ¼ cups water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Oil for greasing
2 sheets of nori (seaweed)
2 salmon fillets approximately 8.5oz or 240g
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons egg-free garlic aioli plus more to serve
1 tablespoon sweet chili jam plus more to serve
3 scallions spring onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Cook the rice.
Rinse the rice well, then place it into a saucepan you have a lid for (if you don't have a lid, use a plate or a wooden board). Pour in 1 ¼ cups cold water, then set over medium heat. Once the top of the water starts to look foamy and the water begins to simmer, pop the lid on.
Turn the heat right down, then leave undisturbed for about 18 minutes. After this, remove the pot from the heat but keep the lid on for at least 10 minutes.
Prepare the salmon filling.
Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C), convection. Remove the skin from the salmon - I find the easiest way to do this is to cut as close to the skin as possible, and then it's normally fairly easy to tear the skin off, using your knife if it's proving tricky.
Dice the salmon, then pop it into a small mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of aioli, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, a tiny pinch of salt, and half the sliced scallions to the salmon, then mix well to combine.
Season the rice.
Once your rice is cooked, pour in 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and a pinch of salt, then mix it through the rice.
Prepare the nori squares.
Use scissors to cut your nori sheets into rough squares (make a test one first so you're sure you're not cutting them too small or too large). Spoon a teaspoon of the seasoned rice onto a nori square, using the back of a spoon to smooth it into an even layer.
Assemble the sushi cups.
Lightly grease your muffin tray with oil, then press the prepared nori squares into each muffin cup. They should quite easily go into the cups (the rice helps to soften the nori to make it easier). Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the salmon mixture into the nori cup, then transfer to the oven for 15 minutes.

PRO TIP: To get a lovely charred top, pop the cups under your broiler (grill) on the highest setting for a couple of minutes.

Garnish and serve.
Transfer the sushi cups to a serving platter, then top with a dollop of aioli, a drizzle of sweet chili jam, sliced scallions, and the sesame seeds.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The cups are great hot or cold - they'll keep well in the fridge for 3 days after baking.

PREP AHEAD: You can make the rice the day before you want to make the cups, and cut the nori into squares. The salmon is best mixed with the marinade as you're making them.

KETO/LOW-CARB: Skip the rice and just pile the salmon mixture straight into the nori sheets in your muffin tin, then bake for the same amount of time.

MAKE IT EASIER: Use hot smoked salmon, cooked shrimp, shredded chicken or canned tuna instead of raw salmon. If you do this, mix the cooked protein with the sauces, as per the recipe, but don't add it into the cups before baking. Instead, bake the nori/rice cups for 10 minutes, then pile in the mixture once they're crispy.

Nutrition