Can I use pre-cooked salmon?

Yes! That'll make things even easier. You can also use hot smoked salmon or even cold smoked salmon.

What else can I top the bowls with?

You can really play around with whatever you have to hand - any crunchy veggies are lovely (think shredded cabbage, carrots and bean sprouts), or up the protein content with edamame beans. You could also switch the white rice for brown rice, quinoa, cous cous or leafy greens (or mix!) Sushi bowls are a great 'clear out the fridge' meal because you really can't go too wrong. Juicy pieces of mango, pineapple or kiwifruit would also be delicious.

Can I make them in advance?

You sure can. That's the great thing about this recipe - it can be made ahead of time, stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge and then just assembled and enjoyed when you're ready. You can make the salmon, rice, avocado and cucumber up to 5 days in advance.

Do I have to use salmon?

You can use lots of different things here! Stick with fish and use cod, halibut, hake, snapper or juicy prawns or go with chicken (this miso grilled chicken or sticky gochujang chicken are great options), or mix things up with pan-fried tofu or chunks of sweet chilli glazed halloumi .

Quick Salmon Sushi Rice Bowls

Description

Whenever I’m craving sushi – these salmon rice bowls are what I make. And bonus – they take less than 30 minutes. Grilled salmon is piled onto rice, along with creamy aioli, quick pickled cucumber, sweet chilli sauce and zingy smashed avocado. They’re healthy, simple and perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the salmon –

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice (or use lemon)
1 tablespoon honey
4 salmon fillets

For the bowls –

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 teaspoons salt
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice (or use lemon)
Handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly torn
2 spring onions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons aioli
3 tablespoons sweet chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce
4 nori (seaweed) sheets (optional)

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Instructions

Heat your oven to 200C/390F fan. Mix the 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl. Arrange the salmon fillets on a small lined oven tray or baking dish. Spoon the marinade all over the salmon pieces, then turn to coat them evenly. Bake for 8 minutes. I like to pop them under the grill (broiler) at the highest setting for the last minute just to get a lovely bit of charred crust on there. PRO TIP: If you have time, you can let the salmon sit in the marinade for up to 30 minutes to maximise the flavour.
Make the rice. Get your 1 cup of rice into a small pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ cups of water. Set the pot over a medium heat. Once the top of the water starts to foam a little, pop a lid on (or use a plate or wooden board) and turn the heat right down. Leave the pot undisturbed for 12 minutes. At this point the water should be all absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes. This can all be happening while the salmon is cooking and you’re prepping the rest of the bowl ingredients.
Prepare the smashed avocado. Slice the avocado in half and remove the stone. I like to make criss cross slices with a knife down the avocado flesh, then scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice, ½ teaspoon of salt and about 1 tablespoon of torn coriander leaves to the bowl with the avocado. Use a knife to slice through the avocado flesh in the bowl, cutting it up into small pieces as you go. Taste, then season with a little more salt if it needs it.
Make the quick pickled cucumber. Slice the cucumber lengthways, then scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard them. Cut the cucumber into small diced pieces, then pop into a bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice between bowls, then top with the salmon, drizzling over any remaining marinade from your oven dish. Add a dollop of the smashed avocado, spoon over the pickled cucumber, then top with creamy aioli and zingy sweet chilli jam. Finish with a scattering of spring onion and serve with the nori sheets on the side.

Notes

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: These bowls are great for meal prep. I like to prepare the individual elements in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge until I’m ready to serve. The salmon, rice, pickled cucumber and smashed avocado can all be made 5 days in advance.

INGREDIENT NOTES: The nori sheets are optional here I urge you to try and find them for a proper sushi bowl experience – it’s super fun to scoop up the bowl using little pieces of the nori to make your own salmon bite. I love using my sweet chilli jam and easy egg-free aioli here – but you can use regular sweet chilli sauce or aioli of your choice. I also LOVE to add some chopped pineapple and a little pineapple juice to the sweet chilli jam here, it’s delicious and freshens it up.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Experiment – you could add lots of different things to bulk the bowls out even more. Edamame beans, sliced carrot, shredded cabbage, chunks of mango, pineapple, bean sprouts or leafy greens would be great here. Switch out the rice for a big handful of spinach if you’re wanting to go low-carb or keto.

SHOP THIS RECIPE ON THE CHERRYPICK APP: If you’re in the UK, you can use the all-in-one meal planning app, Cherrypick, to shop all the ingredients you need for this recipe, in one click. Then, Sainsbury’s will deliver them straight to your door.

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 12
Category: easy
Method: oven
Cuisine: asian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 566
Sugar: 10.7g
Sodium: 1983.7mg
Fat: 28.8g
Saturated Fat: 4.7g
Unsaturated Fat: 17.6g
Carbohydrates: 52.6g
Fiber: 3.8g
Protein: 59.7g
Cholesterol: 126.1mg

Keywords: salmon rice bowl, salmon bowl, emily mariko salmon bowl