I’ve been creating salmon recipes for years, and this Salmon Rice Bowl earns a permanent spot in the weeknight rotation. Between the savory-sweet glaze, the tangy veggies, the fluffy steamed rice, and a drizzle of spicy mayo, it’s a perfectly balanced bowl that’s easy to make! Naturally gluten-free with easy swaps, it’s as family-friendly as it is impressive.
Fresh Salmon Bowls
Whether you’re meal-prepping lunches, pulling off an effortless weeknight dinner, or just wanting to upgrade your bowl game, this recipe hits all the right notes. Sweet, savory, tangy, and creamy— you’re going to love it. I promise.
Why You'll Love This Salmon Bowl Recipe
Speaking of versatility, you can experiment with the pickled veg, add avocado, some extra heat, or swap out the rice for another type of grain or veg! I included a few links to some upgraded side swaps below — like an Asian cucumber salad and Instant Pot coconut rice.
Salmon Rice Bowl Ingredients
Don't be deterred by the length of this list. Some of these are simple pantry items you may already have. And since this recipe is combining separate components, you could prep a few of those components ahead of time.
- Salmon fillets: Use fresh or frozen salmon and whatever type you prefer.
- Soy sauce: Use regular or gluten free tamari soy sauce. You could also use coconut aminos.
- Honey: Works beautifully in this glaze!
- Lime: Brightens the glaze and adds some dimension.
- Sesame oil: I use this to sear the salmon for added flavor, but you can use any type of heat safe oil you prefer.
- Garlic: Use fresh or granulated.
- Ginger: Use fresh or granulated.
- English cucumber: I prefer this kind because you don't have to peel them or pull the seeds out. They're milder in flavor than regular cucumbers, but feel free to use regular if you have those on hand.
- Red onion: I like this type of onion for slaws like this.
- Shredded carrots: Buying pre-shredded saves lots of time!
- Rice vinegar: Love this mild vinegar -- use it in all kinds of Asian style recipes.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar here which I don't mind because it's a small amount. If you'd rather use an alternative sweetener, I'd recommend something granulated. Honey would work, too, but maple syrup would give the veggies a weird flavor.
- Sea Salt: I use pink salt.
- Freshly steamed rice: I use jasmine, but you can use any type of rice you like!
- Garnishes: I love adding thinly shredded green onions and spicy mayo, and I added more garnish ideas below!
How to Make Salmon Bowls
- Cook your rice.
- Sprinkle the salmon with salt and lime juice. Let it sit while you prep the veg.
- Julienne the cucumbers and slice the red onion thinly. Add them to a big bowl with the carrots. Add the salt and sugar to the vinegar, microwave for 60 seconds until it dissolves. Then pour it over the vegetables along with the water.
- Whisk together the salmon glaze ingredients.
- Heat a pan with the oil to medium high heat. Sear the salmon flesh side down. Flip and cook for a couple minutes. Then pour the glaze over the salmon, cover and cook for another minute until the glaze reduced.
- Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
- Mix together your spicy mayo (if using) and gather your toppings.
- Assemble the bowls by spooning some warm rice into a bowl, topping with a salmon fillet, a big serving of pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of spicy mayo and some other toppings.
Salmon Rice Bowl Recipe Variations
Swap out the salmon: Use another type of fish or even chicken! Just factor in some extra cooking time if you aren't using fish.
Swap out the rice: Brown rice or a wild rice blend, quinoa, farro, or some cauliflower rice would all work well depending on your preference.
Play with the veg: Swap out the veg for others! Crisp, firm, non-leafy vegetables are best for quick pickling -- like radishes, asparagus, beets, peppers, thinly sliced cauliflower.
Turn it into a sushi roll: My daughter took all these components and rolled some sushi out of it! It was delicious! It's the same method I used in these Spicy Shrimp Rolls.
Salmon Bowls Recipe Tips
- Prep some of the components ahead of time! The rice, pickled vegetables, and spicy mayo can be made 2-3 days in advance. Just reheat the rice before serving.
- Make sure your pan is really hot when you're searing the salmon so you can get some color on it.
- Make sure not to overcook the salmon! It's ok if it's ever so slightly darker pink in the center.
- Don't let the glaze cook too long or it'll scorch. You'll only need a minute or so before that glaze has thickened and gotten nice and syrup-y around your salmon.
How to Serve a Salmon and Rice Bowl
I like to put out all of the components and let everyone build their own bowls. Use a base of rice and pile on some vegetables, salmon, and whatever toppings you prefer.
Salmon Bowl Toppings
My go-to is thinly sliced green onions and avocado, but here are a few more ideas for you:
- Thinly sliced green onions
- Sliced avocado
- Toasted sesame seeds or Japanese furikake seasoning
- Edamame
- Chopped mango or pineapple
- Eel or Oyster sauce
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- More sriracha, for extra heat
How to Store Salmon Bowls
You'll want to store all the components in separate containers unless you're making this for your meal prep. You could also store the rice and salmon together so you can reheat them easily.
More Easy Salmon Recipes on Perry's Plate
Smoked Salmon on a Pellet Grill
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Salmon and Rice Bowl
This easy Salmon Rice Bowl has soy-honey glazed salmon, quick-pickled veggies, spicy mayo, and fluffy steamed rice. Take-out vibes without putting on pants.
Ingredients
For the salmon:
- 4 large salmon fillets (about 6 oz ea)
- Sea salt
- 2 limes
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (or ¼ teaspoon granulated)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
for the vegetables:
- 1 English cucumber
- ½ medium red onion
- 1 ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
For the bowls:
- Freshly steamed rice
- Sriracha Mayo
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Get your rice going, however you prefer to cook it.
- Lay the salmon fillets on a large plate and sprinikle with a generous pinch of salt. Squeeze ½ of a lime's worth of juice over them. Set aside.
- Whisk together the juice from 1 of the limes (set the other ½ lime aside for garnish later), soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.
- Slice the cucumber and onion into thin strips and place in a medium bowl with the carrots.
- Put the vinegar in a glass measuring cup and stir in the salt and sugar. Pop it in the microwave for a minute to warm the mixture enough to help it dissolve. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables as well as a cup of cold water. Mix everything well and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Pat the salmon with some paper towels to remove extra moisture. When the oil hot, place the fillets into the pan skin-side up. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip them. Let them cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- When you can see that they're within a minute of being done (the centers may still have a touch of dark pink) pour the soy sauce mixture over the fillets. Cover and let it cook for about 60 seconds to finish steaming. The sauce should be reduced and bubbly, but don't let it cook too long or it will scorch.
- Transfer the fillets to a clean serving plate and pour any remaining sauce over it.
- Gather your condiments (whipping up a quick batch of spicy mayo if you need to -- it only takes 5 minutes) and build your bowls by creating a hot rice base and layering pickled vegetables, salmon, and garnishes on top.
Notes
- You can use any type of granulated sugar or even honey for the pickled vegetables. I wouldn't recommend using maple syrup.
- If you want this to be a little extra, try serving it with my Instant Pot Coconut Rice!
- Swap out the salmon for a different kind of thick, firm fish, like cod, halibut, or rockfish. This would work for thin chicken cutlets, too.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 810Total Fat 45gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 30gCholesterol 179mgSodium 2333mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 5gSugar 13gProtein 67g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
