What is bang bang sauce made of?

You only need four ingredients to make this delicious, creamy sauce: aioli (or mayo), sweet chilli, spicy chilli paste (we're using gochujang here) and a little lime juice to freshen it up.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, you can. The bang bang sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the fridge, and once cooked the salmon will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, as will the rice. Keep them separate if you like, then assemble the bowls when you're ready.

Can I make the salmon in an air fryer?

You sure can! Cook the salmon at 200C/350F to 5 minutes each side.

Quick Bang Bang Salmon Bowls

Name: Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain white rice; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 salmon fillets (approximately 250g/9oz); 3 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced; A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 1 lime, cut into wedges; ½ cup garlic aioli (or regular mayo); ¼ cup sweet chilli jam; 2 tablespoons gochujang paste (or sriracha); 1 tablespoon lime juice

Description

Crispy, charred salmon bites served with fluffy rice and drizzled with a sweet, spicy, creamy sauce makes these bang bang salmon bowls the ultimate quick weeknight winner. They take just 20 minutes and are easily adaptable to what you have on hand.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the bowls -

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 salmon fillets (approximately 250g/9oz)
3 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into wedges

For the bang bang sauce -

1/2 cup garlic aioli (or regular mayo)
1/4 cup sweet chilli jam
2 tablespoons gochujang paste (or sriracha)
1 tablespoon lime juice

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Instructions

Make the rice. Heat your oven to 230C/445F fan and line an oven tray with baking paper. Add 1 cup of long-grain rice to a small pot you have a lid for (if you don’t have a lid, use a large dinner plate or a wooden board). Pour in 2 cups of cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Turn the heat to high, and when the top of the water starts to get a little foamy and bubbly, pop the lid on and turn the heat right down. Leave it there undisturbed for 12 minutes (the water should be absorbed at this point), then remove from the heat but keep the lid on until you’re ready to serve.
Make the bang bang sauce. Add 1/2 cup of aioli, 1/4 cup of sweet chilli jam, 2 tablespoons of gochujang paste and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to a small bowl. Use a fork or a small whisk to combine into a cohesive sauce. Set aside.
Bake the salmon. Pat dry your salmon fillets with a piece of kitchen towel, then chop them into small bite-sized squares. Lay them out on the prepared lined oven tray, then add 1/4 cup of the bang bang sauce. Gently toss the salmon through the sauce, so that every piece is coated. Transfer to the oven for 8 minutes, until they’re looking pale pink and a little charred around the edges.
Assemble the bowls. Remove the lid from your rice pot and fluff up the grains with a fork. Divide the rice between plates, then pile on the bang bang salmon pieces. Finish with a scattering of the sliced scallions, cilantro leaves, sesame seeds and a good drizzle of the bang bang sauce. Serve the lime wedges on the side.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The bang bang sauce will keep well for at least 1 week in the fridge, and once cooked, the salmon will keep for up to 3 days, as will the rice. You can reheat the salmon if you like (the microwave is easiest), or enjoy the bowls cold.

USE AN AIR FRYER: Cook the salmon bites for 5 minutes on each side at 200C/390F until crispy.

INGREDIENT NOTES: This is a great base recipe for you to make your own – load up the bowls with more veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, bok choi or edamame would be great), or swap the rice for quinoa, brown rice, cauliflower rice or a crunchy slaw (like this Asian-style salad).

SUBSTITUTIONS: Swap gochujang paste for sriracha in the bang bang sauce if you can’t find it, and use regular mayo or Greek yogurt instead of aioli if you like. Use mint, Thai basil or flat-leaf parsley if you don’t like cilantro.

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Category: seafood
Method: oven
Cuisine: asian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl