Furikake Salmon is a "very Hawaii" dish that we often make at home. It's easy, looks fancy and can be served many ways. We eat it over rice, or as DIY sushi hand rolls.
Furikake Salmon, just out of the oven!
Furikake Salmon
Any local in Hawaii can tell you about Furikake Salmon. This dish is so easy to make, you don't even need a recipe. Think of this more as a general guideline.
You just get a piece of salmon. Make sure it's dry (pat dry with a paper towel). Then put it skin side down and brush the top surface with mayonnaise (which I like to mix with wasabi).
Then sprinkle a layer of furikake all over the top and bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes. So easy!
I like it real hot from the oven with a big bowl of rice. I also like it at room temperature with a pile of nori/seaweed sheets and a bowl of rice so that I can make little "sushi rolls."
We made these rolls often as kids (every local kid loves "make it yourself sushi nights"), and I make it even more as an adult.
Can You Use Other Fish?
Can You Use Other Fish?Yes! Salmon is the "traditional" fish used for this dish, but you can easily make furikake ahi/tuna (popular because we eat lots of ahi in Hawaii), and even furikake mahi mahi.
What Does The Mayonnaise Do?
Mayonnaise is important here. It does two main things:
- It serves as the "glue" that helps the furikake stick to the fish.
- It's also an insulator, keeping the salmon nice and tender.
Sprinkling furikake over the mayonnaise and wasabi mix.
What Is Furikake?
Furikake is a Japanese seasoning mix made of many ingredients like roasted white and black sesame seeds, sugar, salt, dried seaweed, roasted seaweed, etc.
Some "fancier" kinds of furikake also add dried fish (like salmon or anchovies), bonito flakes, dried egg, and even dried shiso. (Note: for fancy furikake, we like to visit The Rice Factory in Honolulu).
Main thing is that all the ingredients are dried so that it's shelf stable and lasts for a long time in the pantry. No need to refrigerate!
You can find many different types of furikake at a Japanese market. Any kind of furikake will work for this recipe.
Furikake comes in a small glass jar and you just shake it over anything you want to eat. We love and eat a lot of furikake in Hawaii.
The most common use for furikake is to sprinkle it over rice. We also use furikake to make things like Spam Musubi, Hurricane Popcorn, and Furikake Chex Mix!
We usually use this brand of furikake in Hawaii.
My Furikake Pick:
Furikake is a savory Japanese seasoning made of nori (seaweed), dried bonito, and sesame seeds. This specific furikake is the most popular around town. Costco Hawaii even sells a giant container of it! We like to use furikake to make Furikake Salmon, Furikake Chex Mix, Spam Musubi, and Hurricane Popcorn! You can also just sprinkle it on a bowl of rice for a simple and tasty snack.
Furikake
Mixing the mayonnaise and wasabi together. This will be used to brush over the salmon.
Substitutions and Additions
This is a flexible recipe, and there are many substitutions that can be made:
Feel free to use any other kind of fish (we often use ahi/tuna, and mahi mahi in Hawaii).
When mixing the mayonnaise and wasabi, you can also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The bit of acid gives the dish a "bright" flavor.
Leave out the wasabi. (I love the extra "kick" that comes from the wasabi.)
You can make a sauce to drizzle on top of the finished salmon! Just combine in a saucepan:
¾ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Boil till the sugar dissolves and the sauce becomes thicker/reduced. Drizzle over the furikake salmon right before eating.
Making little sushi hand rolls with rice, nori, and the furikake salmon
How To Eat This Dish
This dish is literally a piece of salmon, brushed with mayonnaise and wasabi, sprinkled with furikake, and then baked! How do you eat it?
So many ways! Here's how we do it in Hawaii:
The little sheets of roasted, salted seaweed mentioned below.
- Serve the furikake over a bowl of rice for a simple and complete meal.
- Make little sushi handrolls (pictured two photos above) by wrapping the rice and the salmon (cut the baked furikake salmon into small pieces). There are two kinds of seaweed you can use:
- These small sheets of roasted, salted seaweed (pictured above, usually sold as snack packs). We like to buy the big 12-pack seaweed from Costco.
- These larger sheets of nori/seaweed. We usually cut them in half to make little "furikake salmon sushi rolls." We always keep several packages of this type of seaweed at home because we also use it for Spam Musubi.
Right before we put the furikake salmon in the oven.
How To Make Furikake Salmon
See below and enjoy ^_^
This is a classic local dish that many Hawaii families have in their repertoire. I hope you make this furikake salmon, and I hope you love it!
Furikake Salmon
Furikake Salmon is a "very Hawaii" dish that we often make at home. It's an easy dish that looks fancy and can be served many ways. We usually eat it over rice, or as DIY sushi hand rolls.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Pat the salmon dry with paper towel. Place the salmon skin side down on greased baking sheet (I use foil for easy clean up).
- Mix the mayonnaise and wasabi together in a small dish. Use a knife to apply the mayonnaise to the top of each salmon fillet. Make sure to cover the entire top of the salmon with a thin layer of the mayonnaise-wasabi mix.
- Sprinkle a layer of furikake over the mayonnaise-wasabi mix.
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Eat! We usually eat it with a bowl of rice, or make "sushi hand rolls" (cut the salmon into small pieces and make small rolls with nori, rice, and the salmon).
Made this today and it was so easy n simple to make. Turned out really good!
Thank you so much, Fran! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
- Kathy
I made this with a 1-1/4 inch piece of mahimahi and it perfect; some of the best fish we have ever had. Thank you!
Love this recipe, has become a staple.
Hi, Kathy,
I LOVE your recipes!
I have a suggestion about buying furikake from Amazon via the Pinterest box above: Clicking on the link or photo(from Amazon) to buy from Amazon does not get you the same product you recommend in YOUR picture just above it.
Your fave has yellow on the label, and is made by Mishima, in Japan, with all-natural ingredients.)
Amazon's suggested brand is manufactured by Ajishima, in Shanghai China, and contains chemicals. Also - your brand is in a convenient white plastic shaker, while theirs is in a glass jar, which provokes negative reviews on Amazon for breakage in shipping.
Your brand is available from Amazon, so maybe you could ask Amazon to change their picture and shortcut to your favorite!
Thanks -
The other Kathy
Great recipe! What kind of rice do you use? Do you put in vinegar in your rice to make it sticky sushi rice? Or just regular white rice
Do you cover it with foil when you bake it?
Aloha Rose - Leave it open (don't cover with foil). Enjoy! 🙂
- Kathy
I bought Furikake for the Hot Sesame Oil Tofu (delicious). Will be buying more. Unfortunately I am in Canada and your links are for Amazon.com not ".ca" I love easy recipes that are delicious. Thanks!
@LEO, I’m in Canada and I buy it at our local Asian store.
It’s more than onolicious! it’s marvelous! quick and easy, my husband loves it and mind you, he doesn’t really eat fish if its not poke. Mahalo for this recipe!
Aloha Bansang! Thank you for the kind words! So happy you and your husband enjoyed it ^_^
- Kathy
Important step missing from the numbered instructions at the bottom: sprinkle the furikake on before baking!
Aloha Corey! Ahh thank you so much for catching that! Update made 🙂
- Kathy
It was so delicious!!! The wasabi mayonnaise kept the fish moist and gave it an extra kick. I made extra wasabi mayo and dipped my vegetables in it as well. Yum! Thank you for sharing!
Aloha Thao! So happy you enjoyed it! Love the idea of using the wasabi and mayo as a vegetable dip ^_^
- Kathy
So fast & easy! What isn’t good with Furikake?
Tastes similar to sushi casserole but quicker & easier! This will be a regular for us!!
Hi Linda!
So happy you like the recipe! Agree it's similar with sushi casserole/sushi bake but easier to do (especially when I'm making a meal for one 🙂 Enjoy!
- Kathy