What’s in a Salmon Rice Bowl?
One of the best things about rice bowls is how easy they are to customize. And since the salmon cooks in under 10 minutes in the air fryer, it’s a perfect meal for a quick lunch or easy weeknight dinner. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
- Salmon: I usually grab frozen salmon fillets from Costco, but if you can get your hands on fresh salmon, go for it! Be sure to defrost frozen fillets in the fridge overnight so they’re ready to cook the next day.
- Marinade: Whip up a flavorful marinade using shoyu or soy sauce (use coconut aminos as a soy-free, gluten-free option), toasted sesame oil, Kewpie mayonnaise, fresh garlic, and grated ginger.
- Dressing: Brighten the salmon bowls with a homemade sesame ponzu salad dressing made with just four ingredients: ponzu sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of toasted sesame oil.
- Rice: Cook sushi rice according to the package directions. I recommend adding a splash of rice vinegar after it cooks to boost the flavor. Alternatively, you can use brown rice, soba or udon noodles, along with mixed greens as the base for your air fryer salmon bowls.
- Furikake Seasoning: Don’t forget to sprinkle a generous amount of furikake seasoning over the rice for a bit of umami.
- Toppings: Get creative with your mix-ins. Some of my favorites are cucumbers, mukimame (shelled edamame), salad greens, avocado cubes, shredded nori, pickled ginger, and chopped scallions (or green onions).
Additions and Substitutions
Like I said, salmon bowls make it easy to mix and match ingredients based on what you’ve got on hand. Can’t do rice? Swap in cauliflower rice or a bed of greens. Not into the dressing? Use your favorite sauce instead.
- Spice it up. Add a splash of your favorite hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little extra heat.
- Sweeten the bowls. Stir a bit of honey, brown sugar, or hot honey into the marinade for a sweeter flavor.
Salmon Bowl Flavor Combinations
Use this air fryer salmon bowl recipe as a starting point, then switch things up depending on what you’re in the mood for. Salmon plays well with just about anything, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Check out these flavor combinations for some inspiration.
- Korean Bowl: Start with short-grain white rice or barley and add your favorite banchan, such as kimchi, cucumber slices, pickled radish, shredded carrots, steamed mushrooms, or spinach. Finish the bowl with gochujang aioli, honey ginger dressing, kimchi aioli, or the sweet and spicy gochujang dressing I use to make my bulgogi rice bowls.
- Southwest Bowl: Spoon vegan Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice into the bottom of a bowl. Add roasted corn, black beans, avocado, and fresh pico de gallo. Don’t forget to pair the crispy salmon bites with a drizzle of chipotle lime sauce, serrano crema, jalapeño lime vinaigrette, green chili aioli, or avocado lime crema.
- Mediterranean Bowl: Try a Mediterranean bowl with a base of lemon quinoa or farro. Include toppings like chickpeas, roasted red peppers, red onion, marinated artichokes, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. Finish it off with creamy tzatziki, lemon dill aioli, or tahini yogurt sauce.
- Middle Eastern Bowl: Serve the air fryer salmon cubes with roasted eggplant, fresh parsley, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and a sprinkle of pomegranate arils. Pile everything over a base of basmati rice, couscous, freekeh, or saffron rice. For the sauce, you can go wrong with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a spoonful of skhug, harissa, butter bean hummus, or toum. For more like this, consider trying harissa chicken bowls!
- Nordic Bowl: Begin with barley or roasted root veggies and pair the salmon with pickled beets, pressgurka, sliced radishes, and a soft-boiled egg to finish the bowl. Top it off with mustard-dill sauce or crème fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
Prepare the Salmon Bites
1. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, making them easier to handle.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the skin from the salmon fillets (as needed), then cut them into bite-sized cubes.
How to Make Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk the marinade ingredients, shoyu sauce, sesame oil, mayonnaise, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Add the salmon cubes and toss to combine. Cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, combine the ponzu sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, and sesame oil in a glass jar or small bowl for the dressing. Set it aside.
Step 3: Transfer the marinated salmon pieces to a colander to drain the excess marinade.
Step 4: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Arrange the salmon pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 6-7 minutes, moving the salmon pieces around in the basket halfway through.
Tip
You may need to cook the salmon in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Step 5: Start with a scoop of cooked rice and sprinkle it with furikake seasoning. Add a scoop of salmon bites and all your favorite toppings. Finish your bowl with a drizzle of sesame ponzu dressing, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Arrange the salmon in a single layer in the air fryer basket for the best results, allowing the pieces space to become crispy and caramelized. I usually get it done in two batches.
- How do you know when salmon is done? Gently twist a fork into one of the pieces. If the salmon flakes easily, it’s ready. If not, give it another minute. Salmon cooks quickly in the air fryer, especially when cut into bite-sized chunks, so keep an eye on it. Every air fryer runs a little differently, and overcooked salmon tends to dry out quickly.
If you enjoy air fryer salmon bowls, try one of these easy weeknight meals!
Build Your Own Bowl
The best part about turning these air fryer salmon bowls into a meal is that you can customize them to work for you. Keep them simple with store-bought ingredients or go all out and make everything from scratch. Either way, here are some ideas to help you build a balanced, flavor-packed salmon bowl.
Start with a Base
- White Rice
- Sushi Rice
- Brown Rice
- Mixed Greens
- Cauliflower Rice
- Soba Noodles
- Quinoa
Choose Your Toppings
- Cucumber
- Mukimame (Shelled Edamame)
- Avocado
- Pickled Ginger
- Shredded Nori
- Furikake Seasoning
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Bok Choy
- Bagel Seasoning
- Red Onion
- Soft-Boiled Eggs
Select a Sauce
- Ponzu Dressing
- Sriracha Mayo
- MIso Vinaigrette
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Wasabi Aioli
- Gochujang Aioli
- Honey Ginger Dressing
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Kewpie Sesame Dressing
- Kimchi Aioli
- Miso Ginger Dressing
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the ingredients for the air fryer salmon bowls separately. The rice, salmon, and fresh veggies will keep for 3-4 days. You can store the leftover dressing in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to one week.
- Reheat: You can easily reheat the rice in the microwave by adding a splash of water to help soften it. You can also reheat the salmon, but I recommend using short intervals of about 20 seconds until it’s hot to prevent it from drying out.
More Bowl Recipes:
Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
- Glass Jar or Small Bowl
- 3 tablespoons shoyu sauce or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ -inch knob of ginger, finely grated
- 4 salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1½ cups sushi rice, cooked according to the package (makes about 4 cups cooked rice)
- furikake seasoning, to taste
- 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup mukimame
- 1 medium avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pickled ginger
- ¼ cup shredded nori
- Whisk the marinade ingredients, shoyu sauce, sesame oil, mayonnaise, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Add the salmon cubes and toss to combine. Cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the ponzu sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, and sesame oil in a glass jar or small bowl for the dressing. Set it aside.
- Transfer the marinated salmon pieces to a colander to drain the excess marinade.
- Start with a scoop of cooked rice and sprinkle it with furikake seasoning. Add a scoop of salmon bites and all your favorite toppings. Finish your bowl with a drizzle of sesame ponzu dressing, and enjoy!
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Arrange the salmon in a single layer in the air fryer basket for the best results, allowing the pieces space to become crispy and caramelized. I usually get it done in two batches.
- How do you know when salmon is done? Gently twist a fork into one of the pieces. If the salmon flakes easily, it’s ready. If not, give it another minute. Salmon cooks quickly in the air fryer, especially when cut into bite-sized chunks, so keep an eye on it. Every air fryer runs a little differently, and overcooked salmon tends to dry out quickly.