Salmon Rice Bowl (Viral TikTok Recipe)

I think this salmon rice bowl is a great way to deal with a busy Tuesday. You can get it ready very quickly, and it is a solid mix of protein and carbs. If you need a salmon rice bowl recipe that gives you plenty of flavour without much work, this is a good one to try. My Delicious Marry Me Shrimp Pasta is another lovely option if you’re a fan of seafood!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This salmon bowl went viral for a reason – it is super filling and you can change it up based on what you have in the fridge.

• Simple: These salmon rice bowls only need a few main bits and some cupboard staples, so it’s ideal for when you are tired.
• Budget-friendly: I’ve used a few swaps to keep this salmon bowl recipe affordable. It’s a bit like my One-Pan Mince Pasta where you save money but it still tastes amazing.
• Versatile: You can make a salmon rice bowl for a quick dinner or even a packed lunch. And you could also try my Healthy Chicken Lasagna for another meal prep option.

Ingredients

With a few clever substitutions, this salmon rice bowl stays cheap but still feels like a proper treat, especially if you enjoy simple salmon and rice bowl dinners that don’t need loads of ingredients.

• Salmon: I usually go for frozen fillets for this salmon bowl, because they are much cheaper than fresh fish and they still flake nicely, but you don’t have to. And if you like cooking with salmon, you might like my Salmon Fishcakes.
• Rice: This is the base that soaks up all the spicy mayo and brings everything together in these salmon bowls. It is also a great way to use up leftovers for a quick salmon and rice recipe.
• Greens & toppings: I use baked cavolo nero instead of pricey seaweed sheets. It adds a lovely salty crunch. I like this flexible approach to salmon bowl toppings, which I also use in my Jennifer Aniston Salad.

Variations / Adaptations

My salmon rice bowl is easy to adapt based on whatever you already have at home.

• Classic toppings: You can add avocado or kimchi if you have them as it gives the salmon bowls a more traditional feel.
• Protein swaps: Tinned tuna is a good budget alternative and it keeps the balance of flavours quite similar to the original salmon and rice recipe.
• Sauce tweaks: If you want to change up your salmon rice bowl sauce and don’t have Kewpie mayo, just mix the normal stuff with a splash of rice vinegar. Or try the Best Miso Dressing Recipe for something different.

How to make this Viral Salmon Bowl Recipe

Preheat oven to 180°C

1. Start by defrosting the salmon, and remove the excess liquid from the fish with a paper towel (Image 1).
2. Place the 4 fillets onto a line a baking tray and add a drizzle of soy sauce, honey and ½ of the rapeseed oil across the 4 fillets and rotate the pieces to evenly coat, placing skin facing down. Cook in the oven for around 10 minutes, increase the cook time depending on your salmon fillets. Mine were wide & flat which meant they cooked very quickly (Image 2).

3. Remove the cavolo nero from the stem, tear the pieces into medium-sized rectangles (Image 3).

4. Place on a lined baking sheet and drizzle over the remaining rapeseed oil. Season with salt and pop in the oven for 6 minutes, or until almost crispy (Image 4).

5. Then flake the pieces of salmon and add a portion to a bowl along with a serving of cooked rice and a drizzle of soy sauce. Stir to combine & place an ice cube on top of the rice.  Press a small sheet of parchment paper over the bowl of cooked, cold rice and pop in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. Remove the ice-cube and stir.

Then flake the pieces of salmon and add a portion to a bowl along with a serving of cooked rice and a drizzle of soy sauce and Sriracha. Stir to combine & place an ice cube on top of the rice.  Press a small sheet of parchment paper over the bowl of cooked, cold rice and pop in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. Remove the ice-cube and stir. (Image 5).

6. Drizzle over the mayonnaise and soy sauce. Sprinkle the sliced spring onion to add some crunch and serve with the baked cavolo nero (Image 6).

Other viral TikTok recipes for you to try after this one: Budget Green Goddess Salad  (Viral Tiktok Recipe), Nutella Blended Baked Oats, Chocolate Chip Baked Oats and The Best Spicy Chili Oil Ramen Noodles.

Why This TikTok Salmon Bowl Went Viral

The appeal of the salmon rice bowl is that it is simple and honestly very satisfying to watch. Emily Mariko made the recipe famous on TikTok because she turned basic leftovers into something that looked really delicious.

A big part of the viral salmon rice bowl is reheating the rice with an ice cube under some parchment paper, which sounds weird but actually works. The ice cube steams the rice so it stays super fluffy. This little detail is what turned this recipe into a proper Tiktok salmon bowl phenomenon. i personally looove it.

Serving Suggestions

It’s super easy to customise the salmon rice bowl and you can serve it so many ways. I usually add extra veg or a bit more sauce to bulk out the salmon rice.

Try serving it alongside:

• Easy Gyoza Dipping Sauce (In Just 5 Minutes!)
• Easy Din Tai Fung Cucumber Recipe
• Tonkatsu Inspired Pork & Cabbage Salad
• Easy Sweet Chilli Chicken
• Chicken Mince Stir Fry Recipe

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

Refrigerator: Keep the salmon and rice in separate tubs for up to 4 days. This is best for staying fresh with this salmon rice recipe.

Freezer: You can technically freeze the salmon rice bowl but the texture of the rice and the fish can go a bit grainy.

Reheat: Use the ice cube trick by placing an ice cube on the rice, covering loosely, and microwaving until hot. If you want more reheating tips, check out The Best Way To Reheat Salmon.

FAQs

Other rices using rice for you to enjoy: Halloumi curry, Peanut Butter Chicken Satay Curry and Crispy Soy Tofu, Aubergine & Rice.