Salmon Bowls Are My Family's Most Requested Dinner
Salmon is a weekly staple in my family’s dinner rotation. Sometimes it’s pan-seared honey-garlic salmon, other times it’s miso-ginger salmon in the air fryer or sheet pan honey mustard salmon. Our new favorite? Salmon bowls. We’ve been eating them on repeat for the past month, and my preschooler devours it every single time.
Sear cubes of salmon on the stovetop and finish in a glossy sweet and savory sauce (the whole process takes less than 10 minutes!). Pile them into a bowl with fluffy rice, a mix of toppings, and a drizzle of Sriracha yogurt sauce. These bowls are totally customizable, so everyone around the table can add their own toppings to make it just the way they like it.
Why You’ll Love It
In just about eight minutes you’ll have super-tender, flaky cubes of salmon slicked with a glossy, slightly thick sauce that’s really savory with a hint of sweetness, and flavored with garlic and ginger.
There’s so much versatility in how you assemble the bowls. Beyond the salmon, these bowls are totally customizable so you can include the toppings you love most. This is perfect when the people around your table have varied tastes.
Key Ingredients in Salmon Bowls
Skinless salmon: Because the salmon gets cut into 1-inch cubes, you can either use individual fillets or a single larger piece of fish; it’s entirely up to you. Also, remember that your grocery store fishmonger can remove the salmon skin for you.
Soy sauce or tamari: This super-savory sauce is used as the base for the sauce that gets mixed with the salmon at the end of cooking. If you prefer to keep this dish gluten-free, opt for tamari.
Honey: This works to both thicken the sauce and balance the saltiness in the soy sauce or tamari. Any kind of honey will work here, so use your favorite or whatever you have on hand.
Rice vinegar: A little bit of acid makes for a well-rounded sauce, balancing the saltiness and sweetness.
Cooked rice: This will be used as the base of the salmon bowl. Any type of cooked rice works here.
How to Make Salmon Bowls
Mix the sauces. Stir together the salmon cooking sauce, as well as the Sriracha yogurt sauce, which gets drizzled over the assembled bowls.
Cut the salmon. If the skin isn’t already removed from the salmon, you’ll want to remove and discard. Cut the fish into 1-inch pieces. It’s more important that all of the pieces are about the same size (to ensure even cooking) than it is that the measuring is precise.
Cook the salmon. Sear the salmon in a large nonstick skillet until it’s golden-brown all over. Add the cooking sauce, and cook, spooning the sauce over the salmon, until it’s thickened and glossy.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice among the bowls, top with salmon, your preferred toppings, and drizzle with Sriracha yogurt sauce.
Helpful Swaps
While the recipe calls for rice, any kind of cooked grain would work here. Cooked quinoa, cooked farro, and cooked couscous are all good alternatives. And if you want a lower-carb option, you could also swap in cauliflower rice.
The Sriracha yogurt sauce adds a little something extra and is a nice finishing touch for the salmon. As an alternative, you could spoon chili crisp over the top or add a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
The salmon cooking sauce and Sriracha yogurt sauce can both be made up to a day in advance, and stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
The rice can also be cooked in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and gently reheated just before you’re ready to eat. Our favorite way to reheat rice is on the stovetop with a little bit of water.
Leftovers will keep for up to two days. Just store everything in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Salmon Bowls
Salmon Bowls Recipe
The salmon for these easy customizable bowls cooks in less than 10 minutes.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 (1-inch) piece ginger
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillets, thawed if frozen
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups cooked rice, for serving
Topping options:
Thawed shelled edamame
Sliced mini cucumbers
Shredded carrot
Sliced avocado
Thinly sliced scallions
Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the following, adding each to the same small bowl as it is completed: Mince 2 garlic cloves. Peel and mince 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger (about 1 tablespoon). Add 1/4 cup honey, 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar. Stir until the honey is dissolved.
Place 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons Sriracha in a second small bowl and stir to combine.
Cut 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillets into 1-inch chunks. Pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon in a single layer and cook undisturbed until the bottoms are golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring and spooning it over the salmon occasionally, until slightly thickened and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
To serve, divide 3 cups cooked rice between 4 bowls (about 3/4 cup per bowl). Top with the salmon pieces and spoon the sauce from the pan over the top. Add the desired toppings. Drizzle with the Sriracha yogurt sauce.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The Sriracha yogurt and salmon cooking sauces can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
