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Add some pizzaz to your weeknight dinner with this air fryer bang bang salmon bowl. Tender, golden salmon bites tossed in a creamy, sweet-spicy bang bang sauce land on fluffy jasmine rice alongside a bright, quick-pickled cucumber salad, edamame, crispy nori, and a generous drizzle of extra sauce that makes every single bite a flavor moment. Put this one on permanent rotation in your meal planning!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Your air fryer does all the work in under 10 minutes. The circulating heat crisps up the edges of every salmon bite while keeping the inside buttery and flaky — no babysitting, no trying to flip a fragile fillet, no oil splatters all over your stovetop. This is exactly how weeknight cooking should feel.
- This bang bang salmon bowl recipe is full of protein-packed salmon, fiber-rich edamame, fluffy jasmine rice, and a punchy pickled cucumber salad all come together in one build. No side dish math, no second pot bubbling on the stove. Everything your table needs, all in one gorgeous bowl.
- Go easy on the sriracha for the kids, pile it on for anyone who wants the heat. Swap in cauliflower rice, load up on avocado, skip the nori — this recipe works for the whole table, not just part of it.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Pat the salmon completely dry before you do anything else to it. Surface moisture creates steam inside the air fryer, which works directly against the caramelized, golden crust you’re aiming for. Blot each piece with a paper towel before adding to the seasoning bowl — it takes 30 seconds, and the difference in texture is super noticeable.
- Overcrowding causes the salmon to steam instead of crisp, and you lose all those gorgeous golden edges that make these bites so good. Give each piece real breathing room, and if your air fryer runs smaller, two batches beats a crowded basket every single time. The few extra minutes are absolutely worth it!
- Divide the bang bang sauce before any raw salmon touches it. Mix the full batch first, then immediately split it into two bowls — one for coating the salmon, one reserved untouched for the final drizzle. This keeps the reserved sauce food-safe and fresh for drizzling over the finished bowls.
Recipe Variations
Make it with Shrimp: Swap the salmon for 1½ pounds large peeled, deveined shrimp. Air fry at 390°F for 3 to 4 minutes — shrimp cooks fast, so watch it closely. Season and sauce it exactly the same way.
Make it with Cauliflower Rice: Swap jasmine rice for cauliflower rice to significantly cut the carbs while keeping all the big, bold bowl energy. The bang bang sauce is just as incredible over cauliflower (trust me, here).
Make it Spicier: Double the Sriracha in the bang bang sauce, or add a teaspoon of sambal oelek for a different dimension of heat. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes over the finished bowls also works beautifully.
Make it with a Different Grain: Brown rice, quinoa, or soba noodles all make excellent bases. If you go soba, toss them in a little sesame oil and a splash of soy sauce before building the bowls.
Add Fresh Mango: Toss ½ cup diced fresh mango into the bowl assembly for a sweet, tropical contrast that’s genuinely incredible against the spicy bang bang sauce. Highly recommended!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Make the bang bang sauce up to 5 days ahead and store in the fridge, cook the rice in advance, and prep the cucumber salad up to a day ahead (it genuinely gets better the longer it sits). Air fry the salmon fresh right before serving; it only takes 10 minutes, and the texture is far superior fresh than reheated.
Farmed Atlantic salmon is the most forgiving option because of its higher fat content — it stays moist and flavorful even if you’re a minute or two past ideal. Wild caught sockeye and coho work equally well but have a leaner profile and a smaller margin for error on cook time. Make sure it’s completely skinless before cutting into bites.
An instant-read thermometer is your most reliable tool, and aim for 140 to 145°F at the center of the thickest bite. Visually, the salmon should be fully opaque, and the edges should have a beautiful golden-brown color. Don’t push past 145°F; salmon dries out quickly once it’s overcooked.
Yes, but thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight first. Frozen salmon releases excess moisture as it cooks, which creates steam in the air fryer and prevents the bites from crisping up properly.
The sauce has a gentle warmth; nothing that’ll alarm anyone at the table. Increase the sriracha gradually for more heat. If you’re serving this to kids or anyone spice-sensitive, you can omit the sriracha entirely, and the sauce is still utterly completely delicious.
It already is! The sauce is made with mayo, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey, so there’s no dairy anywhere in this recipe.
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
- Perfect Air Fryer Steak with Homemade Herb Butter
- Easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken with Crispy Skin
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Easy, Crispy Air Fryer Falafel
- Air Fryer Fried Shrimp with Sriracha Mayo
- Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries with Garlic Aioli
- Homemade Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Pork Chop
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Air Fryer Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
Equipment
- air fryer (6-quart recommended)
- large mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- rice cooker (or medium saucepan with lid)
- instant read thermometer
- whisk
- Tongs
Ingredients
Cucumber Salad
- 1 Persian or English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Bang Bang Salmon
- 1½ pounds salmon, skin removed, cut into 1-inch bites
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- â…“ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon honey
Bowls
- 2 cups jasmine rice, uncooked (or 6 cups cooked)
- 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 roasted seaweed snack sheets (nori), torn
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
Instructions
Make the Cucumber Salad
- In small bowl, toss 1 thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber with 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside to marinate.
Make the Bang Bang Bowls
- Cook 2 cups jasmine rice according to package instructions. Keep warm.
- Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Pat salmon bites dry with paper towels. In large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add 1½ pounds salmon bites and toss to coat.
- In medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 teaspoon sriracha, and 1 tablespoon honey until smooth. Pour half the sauce into separate bowl and set aside for drizzling. Toss seasoned salmon bites in remaining half of sauce.
- Working in batches, arrange sauced salmon bites in single layer in air fryer basket — do not overcrowd. Air fry at 390°F for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, then cook another 4 to 5 minutes until salmon reaches 140 to 145°F internal temperature on instant-read thermometer.
- Warm 1 cup shelled edamame in microwave for 1 minute or in small pan with pinch of salt until heated through.
Assemble the BowlsÂ
- Divide jasmine rice between 4 bowls. Top with bang bang salmon bites, cucumber salad, edamame, and avocado if using.
- Drizzle generously with reserved bang bang sauce.Â
- Finish with 4 thinly sliced scallions, 3 torn seaweed snack sheets, and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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