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This healthy rice bowl with salmon is a yummy option for lunch, and it’s also an easy weeknight dinner. It’s super flavorful, fresh, and fills you up with a hefty dose of protein, omega-3s, vitamins, and minerals. The perfect way to sneak more fish into your meal rotation!
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If you’re a regular here, you know that I have a massive collection of easy salmon recipes, from Teriyaki sheet pan salmon to this mouthwatering salmon burger. But this rice bowl with salmon is a regular in our rotation. We’ve been enjoying them weekly! They’re delicious, nutritious, and so easy to put together. You’ll love the quick-pickled cucumbers!
If you’re looking for more awesome salmon recipes, check out these sweet Thai chili air fryer salmon bites or this incredibly easy miso salmon, which takes just 20 minutes to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s tasty and healthy—Healthy meals are so much easier to get into when they taste as good as this rice bowl with salmon. You’ll love that you can easily get the family on board with fish after introducing them.
- It’s versatile—This recipes is pretty basic with just two veggies to prep, but you can add so many things to these bowls in order to switch things and make them your own. See below for some ideas!
Ingredients for a Rice Bowl With Salmon
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Salmon—I love using a nice fatty Chinook/King salmon or Atlantic salmon (sometimes labelled as Faroe Island salmon).
- Rice—Pictured above, I’ve got white rice. But typically, I opt for brown or even black rice as it’s more nutrient dense.
- Soy sauce—Low-sodium soy sauce is best. It doesn’t lack flavor! I love Kikkoman’s.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Toppings—Other toppings and veggies that are great to add to this bowl include shredded red cabbage, seared baby bok choy, cooked broccoli, diced avocado, edamame, cilantro, and chopped snap peas.
- Sauces—I love adding a spicy drizzle of chili sauce or Yum Yum sauce to my rice bowl. You could also use my homemade Teriyaki sauce or some sweet Thai chili sauce.
- Grains—Other grains work well in this bowl, too! Like quinoa, farro, freekeh, millet, and amaranth.
- Proteins—If you enjoy this recipe but want to change things up every once in a while, you could use shrimp, skillet-seared steak, or tofu with a good seasoning to make it vegetarian.
How to Make It
Step 1. Place your sliced cucumbers into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoons of sesame oil. Sprinkle in a pinch of sesame seeds. Toss to coat and set aside, tossing the cucumbers every now and then between getting the rest of the dish ready.
Step 2. Lightly pat the salmon with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes.
Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Set aside and cook the rice as per the instructions on the packaging.
Step 4. For baked salmon, preheat the oven to 375º F. Place the salmon cubes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop them into the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they reach a tender over-medium doneness, which is an internal temperature of 130-140º F. Use a meat thermometer to determine this. See below for air fryer instructions.
Step 5. Let the cooked salmon sit for 5 minutes before moving any to the rice bowl.
Step 6. Set up the rice bowl by adding the rice, quick-pickled cucumbers, shredded carrots, and finally, marinated salmon. Top with sliced scallions and your sauce of choice.
Recipe Tip
- Let the salmon marinate at room temperature so that the salmon itself reaches room temperature. This allows for an even cook.
- For efficiency, I like to use those microwaveable packs of rice that cook in 90 seconds.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place the salmon cubes into the air fryer basket, leaving a bit of space between each one.
- Set the air fryer to cook at 375º F for 7 minutes, or until the largest cube of salmon registers an internal temperature of 140º F.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and let the salmon sit for 5 minutes before transferring it to your rice bowls.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover salmon can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days; leftover rice should be stored separately and will last up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat the salmon and rice, place them in a microwave-safe bowl together and microwave in 25-second increments or until warmed through.
- The salmon is also great cold! I love using it to make salmon avocado toast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rice bowls include a protein, vegetables, a sauce of some sort, and of course rice.
To create a rice bowl that is nourishing and complete, I always opt for a lean protein, fresh veggies, and I go light on the sauce.
When made fresh, anything cooked gets put into the bowl with anything uncooked, so you get a nice mix of warmth with cool and crisp veggies. When it comes to leftovers, you can reheat whatever was cooked, or leave things cold. It’s all about preference.
More Healthy & Tasty Bowl Meals to Try…
Pescatarian
California Roll Rice Bowls
Fish and Seafood
High-Protein Canned Tuna Bowl
Chicken
Healthy Burrito Bowl Recipe
If you try these rice bowls with salmon, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Rice Bowl with Salmon
Ingredients
- 12 oz boneless salmon fillet (skin on or off), I like using a fattier salmon cut, like Chinook, King, or Atlantic/Faroe Island.
- 1 cup cooked rice (see notes)
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber, Preferably sliced with a mandolin on the thinnest setting
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 2 TBSP rice vinegar, divided
- 3 tsp sesame oil, divided
- 3 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce, I recommend Kikkoman
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 thinly sliced scallion, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish.
Instructions
- Place your sliced cucumbers into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Toss to coat and set aside, tossing the cucumbers every now and then between getting the rest of the dish ready.
- Lightly pat the salmon fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Set aside.
- For the rice, cook it as per the instructions on the packaging. For efficiency, I like to use the microwavable rice packets that cook in 90 seconds.
- To cook in an air fryer: Place the salmon cubes into the air fryer basket, leaving a bit of space between each one. Set the air fryer to cook at 375º F for 7 minutes, or until the largest cube of salmon registers an internal temperature of 140º F.
- Let the cooked salmon sit for 5 minutes before moving any to the rice bowl.
- Set up the rice bowls by adding the rice, quick-pickled cucumbers, shredded carrots, and finally, marinated salmon. Top with sliced scallions and your sauce of choice.
