Spicy California Roll Sushi Cups are one of the easiest ways to enjoy sushi at home! Baked in a muffin tin they are a fun and easy appetizer, dinner, or party food. Packed with crab, avocado, cucumber, and spicy mayo these sushi cups are simply divine!

Spicy California Roll Sushi Cups Recipe
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Who doesn't love sushi?! The only thing not to love is how challenging it can be to make at home. Fear no more.. sushi cups are here to save the day! Baked in a muffin tin these are one of the easiest things you can make and they taste just as good (if not better!) than sushi rolls. If you love sushi as much as we do be sure to check out our Spicy Salmon Sushi Cups too!
What are Sushi Cups
Sushi cups are a fun twist on classic sushi rolls. Instead of spreading rice on a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and rolling it around classic sushi ingredients to create a sushi roll, these sushi cups are made in a muffin tin! How fun?! Rice is spread on square pieces of nori and pressed into a muffin tin. They are topped with a rich spicy crab mixture and baked until golden brown. Finished off with diced avocado and cucumber for the ultimate quick and easy weeknight sushi dinner or appetizer!
These California roll sushi cups are perfect for weeknight dinners paired with other takeout classics. They also make a great handheld appetizer for game days, holiday parties, and get togethers.
What to Serve with this Dish
Ingredients
- Crab - imitation crab is the most commonly used crab for California rolls. You can swap for canned or jarred real crab meat if you prefer.
- Avocado and Cucumber - the two other classic components of a California roll. They are diced into very small pieces and served on top of the sushi cups.
- Nori - nori sheets are square sheets of roasted seaweed that is used to make sushi rolls. They are cut into 4 square pieces that fit perfectly into a muffin tin.
- Rice - you can use sushi rice or jasmine rice. We love to use a rice cooker as a set it and forget it cooking method. While the rice is cooking we prep the other ingredients.
- Sriracha - California sushi rolls are one of our favorite rolls. However, you can omit the sriracha and make regular California sushi cups instead!
- Kewpie Mayo - this Japanese mayonnaise has grown in popularity over the years (thanks to TikTok viral recipes!). It can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores. It has a sweeter flavor than regular mayonnaise. If you cannot find kewpie you can use regular mayonnaise instead.
- Soy Sauce - this is a classic part of every sushi meal. Instead of dipping sushi in soy sauce, the crab is marinated in it.
- Sesame Oil - this adds a rich umami flavor to the crab.
- Rice Vinegar - used to season the rice. If you cannot find rice vinegar you can swap for white wine vinegar. We do not recommend using regular white vinegar. If you cannot find rice vinegar or white wine vinegar we recommend omitting the vinegar from the recipe.
- Green Onions - fresh green onions are used to garnish the sushi cups.
- Sesame Seeds - to garnish the sushi cups... everything looks fancier with a little sprinkle of sesame seeds!
How to Make Spicy California Roll Sushi Cups
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of page
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the rice stove top or in a rice cooker according to package directions. Once the rice has finished cooking transfer to a bowl and stir in the rice vinegar. Set the rice aside until ready to assemble.
- To prepare the crab filling, in a large bowl combine the diced crab, kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce. Gently mix and set aside to marinate.
- If using homemade spicy mayo for garnish, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
- Working on a cutting board or plate, add 2 tablespoons of the seasoned rice to each nori square. Flatten the rice in the center of the nori (do not push the rice out to the edges of the nori, keep it in the center only).
- Press each nori sheet with rice into the cups of a 12 count muffin tin. Gently press the rice down to spread it out on the bottom of the muffin tin.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of the crab on top of the rice.
- Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the nori has gotten crispy. Optional: broil for 1-2 minutes until the top is crispy and golden.
- While the sushi cups bake, peel and remove the seed from the avocado. Dice into very small pieces. Dice the cucumber into very small pieces.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
- Add a spoon of avocado and cucumber on top of each sushi cup. Drizzle spicy mayo over top of the sushi cups. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Sushi Cups
- Nori - when working with the nori ensure your hands are very dry. Any bit of moisture will cause the nori to stick to your hands. The nori is also fairly fragile and will break or rip easily. We recommend using kitchen scissors to cut the nori into 4 square pieces.
- Crab - you want the pieces of crab to be very small. Cut the salmon into ¼" cubes. This way the crab will cook quickly and will not fall out of the cup when you pick it up to eat it. If the pieces of crab are too big the crab will spill out of the sushi cups when they are removed from the muffin tin.
- Flavor Variations - for a fun twist you can make a variation of sushi cups. You can make some with crab, some with shrimp and some with salmon!
FAQ
Oven - reheat at 350°F for 7-8 minutes on a baking tray covered with foil or until warmed through.
Microwave - reheat on a microwave safe dish in 30 second internals until warmed through.
Air Fryer - reheat at 350°F for 3-4 minutes or until warmed through.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
You can fully prepare and cook the sushi cups a day in advance and then reheat before serving.
We recommend freezing fully cooked sushi cups. Allow the sushi cups to cool completely at room temperature then transfer to a freezer safe container. Arrange the cups in a single layer and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen on a baking tray covered with foil and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, then uncover and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Please note the texture of the nori will change after freezing and reheating.
Instead of crab you can use a plant based seafood alternative or use cubed tofu.
For a gluten free recipe be sure to use gluten free soy sauce and imitation crab.
For a dairy free recipe swap the kewpie mayonnaise for a dairy free mayonnaise.
More Easy Dinners!
Enjoy!
- Sab
Spicy California Roll Sushi Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
Crab Filling
- 1 pack imitation crab (250 – 300 grams, cut into bite sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoon kewpie mayo (Japanese mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 nori sheets (cut each sheet into 4 squares)
Sushi Cups
- ⅔ cup uncooked sushi rice (uncooked jasmine rice, plus water measurement according to package.)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 avocado
- ½ cucumber (English or 2 baby/Persian cucumbers)
Optional Spicy Mayo (Store-bought or Homemade)
- ¼ cup kewpie mayo (Japanese mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise)
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
Garnish
- Green onions (sliced)
- Sesame seeds
- Spicy Mayo
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the rice stove top or in a rice cooker according to package directions. Once the rice has finished cooking transfer to a bowl and stir in the rice vinegar. Set the rice aside until ready to assemble.
- To prepare the crab filling, in a large bowl combine the diced crab, kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce. Gently mix and set aside to marinate.
- If using homemade spicy mayo for garnish, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
- Working on a cutting board or plate, add 2 tablespoons of the seasoned rice to each nori square. Flatten the rice in the center of the nori (do not push the rice out to the edges of the nori, keep it in the center only).
- Press each nori sheet with rice into the cups of a 12 count muffin tin. Gently press the rice down to spread it out on the bottom of the muffin tin.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of the crab on top of the rice.
- Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the nori has gotten crispy. Optional: broil for 1-2 minutes until the top is crispy and golden.
- While the sushi cups bake, peel and remove the seed from the avocado. Dice into very small pieces. Dice the cucumber into very small pieces.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
- Add a spoon of avocado and cucumber on top of each sushi cup. Drizzle spicy mayo over top of the sushi cups. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Ana says
This is brilliant and now on repeat on our house not just for parties but for lunch and dinner meals 🙂 Thanks!