Japanese Baked Dynamite Appetizers

By
Judy Ung
Judy Ung
Food writer, recipe developer, and blogger who has published hundreds of Japanese home-cooking recipes.
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Updated on 12/24/21
Japanese Baked Dynamite Appetizers

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 18 to 22 servings
Yield: 14 ounces
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
57 Calories
3g Fat
2g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18 to 22
Amount per serving
Calories 57
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 187mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 104mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Japanese baked dynamite is a common appetizer menu item found at sushi restaurants in the West. It consists of any combination of seafood including but not limited to scallops, fresh or imitation crab, shrimp, abalone, clams, calamari, muscles, octopus, salmon, or other sashimi-grade fish. The seafood is then baked in a sauce made of sliced button mushrooms, masago (capelin roe or caviar), and mayonnaise. 

If you haven’t already given dynamite a try, it is truly the ultimate, sinfully rich appetizer that you’ll want to splurge on at your next visit to the sushi bar or you can make it yourself at home for a fraction of the cost.

This recipe is specifically for making individual dynamite canapés, which are perfect for cocktail parties or dinner parties. For a casual meal, this recipe can also be made in a larger 9 x 9-inch square baking dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) bag frozen mixed seafood (e.g., calamari, mussels, baby squid, shrimp, imitation crab)

  • 1 (8-ounce) package white button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

  • 3/4 to 1 cup light mayonnaise, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons masago caviar, plus 2 tablespoons for optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Japanese Baked Dynamite Appetizers ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line muffin pan with aluminum foil cups.

    Line muffin pan with aluminum foil cups

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. In a medium pot, bring water to boil, reduce heat and simmer frozen seafood for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and allow it to cool slightly.

    (If using fresh seafood, skip this step.)

    seafood in a strainer

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. In a small pan, sauté sliced mushrooms to remove excess water.

    mushrooms cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Allow the mushrooms to cool to room temperature, and drain on a paper towel.

    mushrooms on a paper towel lined platter

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. In a medium bowl, mix cooked seafood, cooked mushrooms, mayonnaise and masago. Mix gently until all ingredients are incorporated.

    seafood, cooked mushrooms, mayonnaise and masago in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Gently scoop a small portion into each individual aluminum foil cup.

    seafood, cooked mushrooms, mayonnaise and masago in a muffin tins

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  8. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops of the dynamite are browned. If you'd like, turn oven to broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes for extra browned tops.

    baked Japanese Baked Dynamite Appetizers in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  9. Garnish tops of each dynamite cup with a touch of additional masago.

    Japanese Baked Dynamite Appetizers with masago on top, in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Tips

  • You can skip the step for sautéeing the mushrooms altogether and fresh mushrooms can be baked with the dynamite mixture, but the end result will be slightly watery due to the mushroom's moisture content.
  • The amount of mayonnaise needed should be enough to evenly coat seafood and mushrooms. Add more for a creamier and richer texture.

Recipe Variation

  • A variation of the traditional dynamite is a spicy version. The recipe available here can easily be adjusted by adding Sriracha, Chinese hot chili sauce. The level of heat can be made to suit your preference. In addition to Sriracha, Japanese shichimi (7-chili spices) can also be incorporated for an extra layer of heat.