Viral Salmon Rice Bowl (Tiktok Recipe)

Why this recipe is amazing

This salmon rice bowl recipe uses only 4 main ingredients (and cupboard essentials),  which combine to make something so delicious. It’s ideal for a mid-week dinner, as you can whip it up super quickly and it’s a perfect balance of protein, carbs and fats. It’s my new favourite meal. 

How I’ve made this viral tiktok recipe budget-friendly

I’ve made a couple of switches/substitutions with this salmon rice bowl recipe to make it more affordable and accessible for anyone to enjoy. 

Salmon —> Frozen Salmon 

I use frozen salmon fillets here, which reduces the costs significantly. For 4 fillets I paid  £3.55.

Roasted Seaweed sheets → Cavolo Nero 

These are used to scoop up the flavoured rice and almost mimic a sushi roll. I’m super pleased with the budget switch that I’ve made here. Instead, I’ve opted for torn & baked cavolo nero. The texture is perfect and the flavour is amazing. And obviously it’s a lot cheaper and easier to find in your local supermarket! 

Kewpie Mayo → Mayo + Rice Vinegar

Instead of purchasing kewpie mayo for this rice bowl recipe, I use regular mayo with a splash of rice vinegar as most homes have these readily available. 

Kimchi & Avocado —> Spring onion

Of course you could still add these toppings if you have them available to you, but I find that sliced spring onion adds the perfect crunch & flavour to finish with.

How did this recipe go viral

This salmon rice bowl recipe was made famous by the Tiktoker Emily Mariko. The tiktok recipe uses an ice-cube on top of the cooked rice, which is then placed under parchment paper and microwaved. This steams the rice for the best result. The element of this video that I think grabbed the attention of Tiktok is the fact that the ice-cube comes out of the microwave intact/not melted, even though the rice is reheated. 

How to make this salmon rice bowl recipe

Preheat oven to 180°C

Start by defrosting the salmon.

Remove the excess liquid from the fish with a paper towel.

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.

Remove the cavolo nero from the stem, tear the pieces into medium-sized rectangles.

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.

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.

FAQ

Can I meal-prep this recipe?

Absolutely! This recipe cooks 4 salmon fillets, so you could cook the salmon and rice ahead of time and store separately in the fridge. Then, combine the ingredients and follow the same steps of the method when you’re ready to eat. The salmon should stay fresh within 4 days of cooking. Make sure that you refrigerate the rice as soon as it’s cool enough. 

Can I substitute with another fish/meat instead of salmon?

To make this salmon rice bowl recipe even more budget friendly, you could use tuna instead of salmon. That would be a delicious sub! These flavours would pair nicely with most meats/fish though so choose your favourite and stir it in! 

Is this recipe spicy?

This recipe has a mild spice level as the heat from the sriracha is balanced with the mayonnaise. If you can adjust the heat level by reducing the sriracha/ increasing the mayonnaise & vice versa.

Other tiktok inspired recipes

Budget Green Goddess Salad  (Viral Tiktok Recipe)

Nutella Blended Baked Oats

Chocolate Chip Baked Oats 

The Best Spicy Chili Oil Ramen Noodles 

Other salmon recipes

Soy salmon stir-fry with rainbow noodles 

Salmon Fishcakes