Spicy Salmon Sushi Pizza

Name: Spicy Salmon Sushi Pizza
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked white rice (short-grain or medium-grain rice); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cups canola or vegetable oil; 300 grams tartare-grade or sashimi-grade salmon (skin removed, cut into little cubes); 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie); 2 tsp ABC chili sauce (or chili sauce of your choice); 1 green onion (green part only, chopped); 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce; 1 tsp flying fish roe or tobiko; 1 tsp lemon juice

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The yummiest, restaurant-level spicy salmon sushi pizza recipe! The combination of crispy Panko-fried rice patties and creamy, spicy salmon topping is just plain irresistible. Our own personal fave!

Side view of spicy salmon sushi pizza — Crispy fried rice patty base topped with spicy salmon

We love anything crispy or anything salmon. And this spicy salmon sushi pizza has both! Talk about a two-in-one package. The fried rice patty base is crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The spicy salmon topping is just bursting with amazing textures and flavours. It's a dish that basically anyone will like!

We like to serve this as an appetizer, especially for special events or dinner parties. Such a great bite-sized food to pair with wine in a social setting. Or you can just eat it as a side or as a whole meal if you want!

Bids eye view of spicy salmon sushi pizza — Spicy salmon sushi pizza

What is sushi pizza?

Sushi pizza is actually a Canadian dish (YAY Canada!) that is a fusion of pizza with sushi! The base is usually a circular-shaped crispy fried rice patty as the "pizza crust" and is often topped with salmon, crab meat, tuna, avocado or a combination of these ingredients. The topping is often seasoned with mayonnaise or Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie) and other Asian-oriented seasonings. It is an extremely popular dish in Canada, and every sushi restaurant in Montreal where we live has sushi pizza in their menu.

If you're craving other Japanese fusion dishes, check out our other recipes:

Ingredients for sushi pizza

Most of the ingredients you'll need to make this dish is pretty simple and relatively easy to get. Some of them are even pantry staples!

Fried rice patty ingredients

Cooked medium-grain white rice
Salt
All-purpose flour
Egg
Panko breadcrumbs

Ingredients to make fried rice patty base — Ingredients required to make crispy rice patty base

Spicy salmon ingredients

Sashimi-grade or tartare-grade salmon
Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
ABC chili sauce
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Lemon juice
Green onion
Tobiko or flying fish roe

Ingredients for spicy salmon sushi pizza — Ingredients required to make spicy salmon topping

How to make spicy salmon sushi pizza

Though it looks fancy and more like a restaurant dish than homemade, it's actually quite easy to make! You only need to know a few tips and tricks to make the fried rice patty, but other than that the topping is basically chopping and mixing!

How to make the crispy fried rice patty

Scoop about 1/4 cup of cooked white rice and shape into a thin disk, about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch in thickness. We used a flat-bottomed measuring cup of this size to help mold the rice patties, but you can use any circular, flat-bottomed kitchen tools you have at your disposal. It also helps to oil the dish you use to mold to make it easier.
Line a large plate with cling wrap and place the rice patty disks on the plate. Cover with another cling wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours.
After 3 hours in the freezer, the rice patty disks should be frozen and can be easily removed from the plate, as a result of lining it with cling wrap. Each individual rice patty disk should also be easily manipulated as one solid block.
To prepare for the breading of the rice patty disks, you will need a mixture of all-purpose flour and salt in a deep dish, a bowl of egg beaten until smooth, and a deep dish of Panko breadcrumbs. Just make sure each dish is large enough for you to dip the rice patty disk in. For each rice patty disk, dredge in flour evenly (dust off any excess), dip into the egg mixture and coat evenly, and finally dredge in the Panko breadcrumbs and make sure it is evenly coated.
To fry the breaded rice patty disks, heat about 2 cups of oil (or just enough oil to shallow fry the rice patty disks) over medium high heat in a frying pan. To verify if the oil is ready, you can dip the tip of a wooden chopstick or a wooden spoon in the oil. The oil is ready if you see many bubbles forming at the tip of the chopstick. You can also check if the oil is ready by dropping a bit of Panko into the oil. If the breadcrumb bubbles and floats right away, then the oil is ready. Gently drop the breaded rice patty disks into the oil and fry one side for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Flip and fry for 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove from oil and let the rice patty disks rest on drying rack. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on each rice patty disk while hot.

Rice patty disk dredged in all-purpose flour — Dredge rice patty base in all-purpose flour

Rice patty base dipped in beaten egg — Dredge rice patty base in all-purpose flour

Breaded rice patty disks shallow-fried in a pan — Shallow fry the breaded rice patty disks

Fried rice patty disks on drying rack — Shallow fry the breaded rice patty disks

How to make the spicy salmon

In a large bowl, combine the chopped salmon, Japanese mayonnaise, chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, green onion, and tobiko and mix well.

Assembling the dish

To assemble, scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of the spicy salmon mix and spread evenly on top of a fried rice patty disk. Top with more tobiko and chopped green onions. Depending on the exact amount of salmon you have, adjust the amount of spicy salmon mix to distribute evenly for each fried rice patty disk. Enjoy and serve with wasabi, soy sauce or spicy mayonnaise!

Spicy salmon sushi pizza pieces — Cut the sushi pizza into pieces for bite-sized portions

Tips for the best sushi pizza

Make sure each rice patty disk is not thicker than 1/2 inch
Make sure the rice patty disks are completely frozen before breading them to make it easier to handle for breading
Work fast when breading the rice patty disks to avoid them defrosting
Panko breadcrumbs for a thicker, crunchier exterior
Use tartare-grade or sashimi-grade salmon
Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie brand) for the spicy salmon mixture for a deeper flavour
We recommend using ABC chili sauce for a hint of sweetness, but if you're using other chili sauce, make sure to add a little bit of sugar into the spicy salmon mixture

View of spicy salmon sushi pizza pieces — Bite-sized portions of spicy salmon sushi pizza

FAQ's

What type of rice should I use?

You can use any type of Asian white rice, although we recommend using short-grain or medium-grain Japanese rice for better texture.

Where can I buy Panko breadcrumbs?

You can buy Panko breadcrumbs in Asian supermarkets. Most if not all Japanese, Korean, and Chinese supermarkets carry Panko. In North America, many regular supermarkets now also carry Panko breadcrumbs.

What kind of salmon should I use? Can I use other types of fish?

You should use tartare-grade or sashimi-grade salmon. You can also tartare-grade or sashimi-grade tuna or even scallop if you prefer it.

Are there non-raw proteins for the topping I can use?

We also like to use cooked lobster, cooked crab, or imitation crab for protein.

What is Japanese mayonnaise?

It is a mayonnaise made with only the yolks of eggs and with apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. This makes it more rich and fatty, and has some acidic notes compared to regular mayonnaise.