Spicy Salmon Bowls (Easy Recipe in 20 Minutes)

baked salmon topped with chili crisp sauce over white rice and chopped salad.

5 from 5 votes

Spicy Salmon Bowls (Easy Recipe in 20 Minutes)

Salmon bowls are unbeatable as a quick, easy, nutritious and highly customizable meal. The secret of this recipe lies in the spicy, delicious double-purpose sauce, which not only coats the salmon but also dresses the salad mix.

Prep Time8

Cook Time12

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian style

Servings (change as needed): (or 2 large portions)

Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice, Note 1 to cook the rice
1 1/4 pounds salmon fillets, with or without skin (I buy centre cut for even cooking)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon each, kosher salt and black pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise regular or light
3 tablespoons chili crisp, Note 2
2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup)
1 teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar (or more to taste)

Salad Mix, Note 3

1 tomato
2 mini cucumbers
1 small mango eg. Ataulfo, peeled and pit removed (or half large mango)
1 -2 green onions

Garnish

chili crisp, chopped green onions, sesame seeds

Instructions

HEAT OVEN TO 425F/218C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with oil for easy cleanup. If you are cooking the rice, start it now, Note 1.
MAKE SAUCE: Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Taste and adjust to your preferences.
1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons chili crisp, Note 2, 1 teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey
PREPARE AND BAKE SALMON: Cut salmon filet into 6 ounce (170 gram) portions - about 2 inches (5 cm) width. Or leave them larger if you prefer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon half the sauce over the fillets. Top with chopped green onions. Place salmon pieces skin side down on pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on thickness. Don't overcook (bake about 10 minutes per 1 inch/2.5 cm of thickness) just until warm pink inside.
MAKE SALAD MIX: While salmon is baking, dice tomato, mini cucumbers, mango and green onion finely - about 1/4 inch (6 mm).
ASSEMBLE: In each of 2-3 bowls, place cooked rice at the bottom, then top with a salmon fillet and salad mix around it. Drizzle remaining sauce on salad. Garnish with extra chili crisp and green onion. Serve immediately.
If you have salmon skin, easily remove it by sliding a spatula between the flesh and the skin. The salmon will lift right off.

Notes

Rice: Use your favorite long grain rice (basmati or jasmine), medium grain or sushi rice. Brown rice is good too. You will need about 1 cup cooked rice per person.
- To make about 3 cups cooked rice on the stovetop: Place 1 cup (180 grams), 2 cups (473 ml) water, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt in pot. Bring to boil, stir, cover tightly, lower heat to medium-low heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with fork. (Or cook rice in a rice cooker).
- Here is the yield if you are making your own:
  - 1 cup of raw long-grain white rice yields ~ 3 cups of cooked rice.
  - 1 cup of raw medium-grain white rice yields ~ 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
  - 1 cup of raw short-grain white rice yields ~ 2 cups of cooked rice.
Chili Crisp: I don't like things overly spicy but I am hooked on chili crisp! It adds so much flavor and texture - typically made with chili peppers, garlic, shallots, and aromatic spices infused with oil and fried until crispy. Buy it from an Asian grocery store, some mainstream grocery stores, or on Amazon. Here are Bon Appetit recommendations for the top 10 chili crisp in a jar.
Recipe variations and substitutes:
- For the rice: Instead of rice, try rice noodles. For a lower calorie version, use cauliflower rice.
- For the sauce: I highly recommend using chili crisp, but you can replace it with red pepper flakes or a hot sauce which will add the heat you need but not the crunch. Start with a teaspoon or two of chili flakes and go from there. You can also substitute the sauce with a teriyaki sauce, sriracha mayo, Japanese ponzu sauce, a spicy aioli or a citrus vinaigrette. Or add a few drops of sesame oil to the recipe sauce.
- Salad options: Add or replace some items with avocado, radishes, shredded carrots, diced red pepper, edamame. You can also substitute the mango with peaches or grapes.
- Lower calorie version: use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and cauliflower rice instead of white rice. Or reduce the amount of rice in the bowls.
Make ahead: You can make the sauce, rice and salad components a day ahead for quick meal prep. If you are planning to serve the salmon bowls cold or at room temperature, you can also cook the salmon ahead of time, cool and refrigerate it until needed. If not, I like to make the salmon just before serving since reheating salmon is tricky - it's easy to overcook. Store leftovers in an airtight container for a day or two (the salad can get a bit watery).

Nutrition values are estimates using light mayonnaise, chili crisp and long grain rice.