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Talk about flavor in a bowl! This spicy salmon bowl is loaded with spicy, creamy, salty, and tangy flavors. Tender salmon bites are tossed in a creamy spicy mayo then quickly seared, layered on a bed of sushi-inspired rice, and all the toppings you could ever want including shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, creamy avocado and sheets of nori seaweed.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is Your New Favorite Salmon Bowl Recipe
- For something so easy to make, I love how much there is going on in these spicy salmon bowls. First we’ve got tender, flaky, spicy salmon bites on sushi-inspired rice (essentially your go-to rice, but seasoned like sushi rice for those flavors without all the faff!), with lots of colorful, crunchy Asian-style veggies and a finishing drizzle of creamy, spicy mayonnaise.
- The salmon is marinated in the same spicy mayonnaise drizzle, so you’ve got a ready-to-go sauce for this sushi-style bowl without the need to get out another mixing bowl.
- They’re a great dinner idea either if you’ve got a lot of fussy people to feed (essentially if it works on an Asian rice bowl, it will work as a topping for these rice bowls so everyone can build their own — I’ve included some more topping ideas below!)
- I make these when I want to roll dinner preparation and meal-prep into one, as extra bowls assemble really well for lunch the next day!
What I Learnt Testing This Recipe
- Frozen salmon works just as well as fresh, but make sure to pat it as dry as possible with kitchen towel otherwise the mayonnaise mixture simply doesn’t stick!
- Dicing the salmon into fairly 1-inch cubes worked best. Smaller pieces cooked quickly but were so much easier to overcook — these will stay just flaky and tender inside while managing to take on some color on the outside.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Giving the salmon plenty of room allows them to brown rather than release water which will steam them. Also, resist the urge to keep turning the salmon while it is cooking. I found that constantly turning the pieces prevented them from developing that gorgeous golden-brown crust.
- Cook fresh rice for this recipe. The rice vinegar and sweetener distributed much more evenly when stirred through warm rice rather than when I tried it with cold.
Ingredients
Mayonnaise – This is the base of the whole recipe, acting in both the marinade for the salmon, and in the spicy mayo drizzle. Choose your favorite, or use Japanese-style Kewpie mayonnaise for extra flavor.
Sriracha – This adds smooth spiciness to the spicy mayo salmon marinade. It will add Korean flavors to an otherwise Japanese-inspired dish, but gochujang would be a good substitution.
Sesame oil – This will add toasty flavors to the marinade as well as the lightly pickled, marinated cucumber.
Soy sauce – This will add saltiness to the mayonnaise marinade and drizzle, so don’t be tempted to add any more salt!
Salmon – Preferably a thick slab or multiple thick filets, cut into 1” cubes. Trout will also work if it the more sustainable choice where you are.
Cucumber – Choose a seedless variety which will make crunchier, less soggy pickles.
Rice vinegar – Choose a seasoned variety as you’ll be using it to flavor the rice as well as pickle the cucumber. As a general rule, Japanese varieties tend to be seasoned, but Chinese ones are often not, but check each individual bottle to be sure!
Red pepper flakes – This adds heat and warmth to the cucumber, but you can always substitute more togarashi (see below!)
White or brown rice – Honestly, whichever suits your mood!
Sweetener of choice – This is for seasoning the rice, and it honestly doesn’t matter if you choose white sugar, swerve, or honey.
Avocado – I love the rich creaminess avocado adds to sushi-style bowls, but feel free to leave it off if you don’t fancy it / you’re planning on meal prepping these bowls and you’re one of those people who can only eat avocado when it has just been sliced. Alternatively for storage, squeeze a little lime juice over the slices to help slow down discoloration.
Murikame – These are shelled edamame. They’re best bought frozen and thawed as needed.
Carrots – Buy pre-shredded carrot for ease, or shred your own.
Togarashi – This is a spicy Japanese spice blend containing chili, ginger, dried orange or yuzu peel, sesame, nori (dried seaweed) and Japanese pepper. A little bit really packs a punch, so substitute with regular red pepper flakes if you’re sensitive to heat.
Green onions – Sliced these are great for garnish as well as adding an extra layer of flavor. With so much else going on you could leave them out, or substitute with snipped chives.
Nori – Seaweed snacks are good for this as they’re about the right size, but you can also cut up nori sheets designed for sushi making with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Sesame seeds – I like black ones for the visual drama they add to the rice bowls, but regular sesame seeds will also work, or a mix of both.
Additional Topping Ideas
If it works on an Asian-inspired rice bowl, it will probably work alongside these spicy salmon bites on a rice bowl, but here are a few more topping suggestions if you’re stuck for ideas!
- Diced mango or pineapple
- Sliced snap peas or podded garden peas
- Kimchi
- Sliced radishes
- Seaweed salad
- Kani salad
- Sushi ginger
- Soft boiled egg
- Fried shallots or crispy onions
- Alfalfa sprouts
Storage Suggestions
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Squeeze a little lime juice over the avocado to stop it discoloring. Store the remaining spicy mayo for drizzling separately, and enjoy everything cold. Don’t try to re-heat the salmon for both food safety reasons, and because it will go all dry and gross!
If you don’t want to serve all four salmon bowls for dinner, I usually still make the full amount and assemble the bowls for meal prep as they make fantastic desk lunches!
Frequently Asked Questions
Honestly, if you add the marinated cucumber to the bowls just before serving this should not be a problem, but you can always drain the cucumber just before serving if you’re particularly worried about this (a great tip for meal prep!) Or, for another meal-prep friendly option while I love the extra layer of flavor the marinade gives, these bowls will still be tasty with simple sliced cucumber.
Yes! For the salmon bites, follow the instructions in my Air Fryer Bang Bang Salmon Bowls.
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.
Spicy Salmon Bowl
Equipment
- cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
Salmon and Spicy Mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise divided
- 2 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound salmon preferably a thick slab or multiple thick filets, cut into 1” cubes
Marinated Cucumber
- 1 seedless cucumber thinly sliced
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- big pinch red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
Rice
- 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sweetener of choice like white sugar, swerve, or honey
- salt to taste
Garnish
- 2 avocados peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
- ½ cup murikame (shelled edamame)
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- togarashi
- thinly sliced green onions
- quartered nori sheets seaweed snacks are good for this!
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss together the thinly sliced cucumber with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, a big pinch of red pepper flakes, and plenty of salt. Stir, and then leave to marinate until you're ready to assemble bowls.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, and soy sauce until smooth. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the mixture over the salmon and mix well so it is well coated. Set the rest of the spicy mayonnaise aside for drizzling.
- To make the rice, whisk together vinegar and sweetener until the sweetened has dissolved, then gently fold the mixture into rice. Season with salt to taste. Divide among four serving bowls.
- To make the salmon, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Use tongs to remove the salmon cubes from the bowl of marinade and add them to the skillet (skin side down, if the pieces have skin) and sear for about 1-2 minutes, or until nice and brown. The mayonnaise in the marinade should help function as the oil to cook the salmon, but you can add a little vegetable or avocado oil as needed to prevent sticking and burning, but if your skillet is well-seasoned you shouldn't need it. Flip the salmon using tongs and sear on the other side for 1-2 minutes, or until browned on the other side and fully cooked.
- Divide the salmon, cucumber, and the rest of the toppings among the four bowls. Drizzle with remaining spicy mayo and top with thinly sliced green onions and scatter with 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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