Who loves all things sushi but feels a little intimidated by making sushi at home? (Slowly raises hand.) Solution: this quick and easy salmon sushi bowl! It’s our take on the satisfaction of sushi without the need for sushi-grade fish or assembling rolls! We’re into it.
Just 9 ingredients required, friends. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Salmon “Sushi” Bowls
These EASY salmon “sushi” bowls come together with just three required components, plus a few optional add-ons to step up the sushi vibes! Here’s what’s required:
- Salmon with a gingery, garlicky, tamari-sesame glaze
- Sushi rice
- Gingery Smashed Cucumber Salad (or sliced cucumber + carrots to keep it simple)
Cubed salmon marinates in a gingery, savory, garlicky sauce before being cooked to caramelized perfection.
A super crunchy cucumber salad joins the party for major freshness and flavor!
Then it’s on to the rice! We love sushi rice for its sticky texture and slightly sweet flavor, but any short-grain rice will do the trick.
Assemble it all together and get ready to choose your favorite sushi add-ons! Avocado adds richness, sliced green onions give it a kick, sesame seeds add crunch, and wasabi, pickled ginger, and crumbled seaweed speak for themselves!
We hope you LOVE these salmon “sushi” bowls! They’re:
Gingery
Savory
Fresh
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
These sushi bowls are easy enough for weeknights and impressive enough to serve to dinner guests! And while plenty filling on their own, they’d also pair well with our Spicy Stir-Fried Green Beans or Spicy Garlic Edamame (The Ultimate Appetizer!).
More Delicious Bowls
- Veggie Noodle Bowls with Almond Butter Tofu
- Grain-Free Burrito Bowls with Shredded Mexican Chicken
- Smoky Tempeh Burrito Bowls
- Crispy Miso Chickpea Bowls with Garlic Sesame Dressing
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Salmon “Sushi” Bowls
Ingredients
SALMON
- 3 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce // ensure gluten-free as needed)
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp ginger, grated or finely minced (a 1-inch piece yields ~1 Tbsp or 9 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional // for heat)
- 1 ½ pounds salmon filets (~1 inch thick, skin removed and cut into 1-inch cubes // wild-caught when possible // king salmon for best flavor/texture)
RICE
- 1 cup dry sushi rice (or sub short-grain white or brown rice and increase water)
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
SALAD
- 1 batch Gingery Smashed Cucumber Salad (or sub 1 cup each thinly sliced cucumber and carrots)
FOR SERVING optional
- 1 large avocado, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks green onion (scallions), thinly sliced
- 1 small package seaweed snack chips or nori sheets, crumbled into a “sprinkle”
- Sesame seeds
- Pickled ginger
- Wasabi
Instructions
- SALMON (MARINATE): In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger, grated garlic, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes (optional). Set aside 2-3 Tbsp of the marinade for serving with finished bowls (optional). Add the cubed salmon to the remaining marinade and allow to marinate for ~20 minutes. While it marinates, start your rice and cucumber salad.
- RICE: Rinse rice with cold water in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear. Drain and transfer to a small saucepan. Add water and rice vinegar. Bring to a strong simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender (~15 minutes). Turn off the heat and let rice steam with the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Once your rice is cooking, make the Gingery Smashed Cucumber Salad and prep your desired toppings.
- SALMON (COOK): Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, gently place the salmon in the pan using a fork or slotted spoon, leaving excess marinade behind in the bowl. Cook the salmon cubes for 5-6 minutes total, flipping occasionally until lightly caramelized and cooked to your preference, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F (63 C // temperature recommended for food safety).
- To serve, divide the rice between bowls and add the salmon, cucumber salad, and other toppings of choice — we like it with cubed avocado and garnished with green onion, crumbled seaweed, sesame seeds, pickled ginger, and/or wasabi.
- Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Not freezer friendly.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Kat says
This looks amazing and I’m excited to try it this week. Do you have a recommended rice vinegar? Thanks!
We use Marukan rice vinegar, but any should work! We cant wait for you to try it!
T says
Made this last night, major hit in my family and definite repeat!!! I added finely shredded carrot and set out lots of different sauce / dip options on the table: sriracha mayo, Japanese barbecue sauce, ponzu, and tamari.
Yay! What a great idea to set out difference sauces/dips! We’re so glad it was a hit and will be on repeat! xo
Robin Miller says
This is on a frequent rotation in my house. My daughter (14) loves it. Thank you so much for this!
Whoop! We’re so glad it’s a hit in your household. Thank you for sharing, Robin! xo
Summer says
This wasn’t what I usually make with salmon, but it was delicious. I air fried my cubes for 5 minutes at 400 F, since I am yet to invest in a cast iron (I can’t wait to!) and it gave a medium rare centre, which was so delicious. I also halved the recipe, used short grain brown rice, and, rather than making a new dressing, reserved 1-2 T of salmon marinade prior to adding the salmon, and added that over the cucumber salad, however, I did add extra ginger to that mixture. I refrigerated it until the salmon was ready to cook and I think that the 10 minutes marinating in the fridge really helped the cucumbers absorb the dressing, but not enough to grow soggy. I topped with avocado, and sesame seeds (rather than adding them to the salad) as suggested, and I will have to try the pickled ginger next time! I loved this recipe and will definitely be making again. Thank you!
Sounds lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Summer!
irene says
Just made this tonight for my Asian family and everyone loved it. The only thing that I would say is that the rice amount is not enough. 1 cup of sushi rice does not yield enough for 4 (Asian) people. We eat a lot of rice, LOL.
This is super easy and quick to make, and tasty to boot. Adding this to my regular rotation of salmon dishes!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Irene! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it. xo
Neely Carpenter says
My 2 daughters requested this for dinner and I have made it several times. It is a hit every time and so flavorful! Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Amazing! We’re so glad it’s a hit in your household, Neely. Thank you for sharing! xo
Dana Zia says
Wonderful mid-week recipe! I used your cucumber salad recipe you recommended with the addition of cilantro and furikake. Loved the dressing! Yum! I used Japanese BBQ sauce and sriracha in the marinade to give it some zing. Also served it with sriracha Mayo. FABULOUS!! Thank you
YAY! Your modifications sound AMAZING, Dana! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Alice Rochow says
Fantastic and easy recipe! I think I’ll just start doubling the sauce and use half on the veggies, as the two sauce recipes are very similar. Used cucumbers the first time, and the small “snackable” little peppers the second time as they didn’t have any cucumbers. Both times, delicious!
Smart! Love that idea, Alice. Thank you for sharing! xo
Darlene says
Delicious! I used ahi tuna, and honey as opposed to maple syrup. Could not believe how tasty this was! Will make again! :)
Sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing, Darlene! xo
Mira says
I just made this and it was absolutely AMAZING! I used Tuna instead of salmon but the overall flavor of this dish was so impressive; it left a lingering, gingery taste (good!) in my mouth (i love ginger!). The combo of the brown rice, the cuc salad, and the ginger-y tuna was a total winner. Worthy of a repeat for sure!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mira! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Bee says
Oh my gosh, you know when you make a meal for the first time and the family make loads of ‘mmmm!’ noises as they eat?! They loved it! Teen kids, husband & me – we all scoffed it and they all asked for me to make it again! Thank you! 😋
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Bee. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Deanna says
Is this meant to be eaten cold or warm? It looks amazing!
Hi Deanna, we prefer the salmon and rice to be warm, but even cold it would be delicious :)
Jodi Ladetzky says
Excited to make. How would wild sockeye salmon?
Hi Jodi, we liked wild sockeye in this recipe, but found it can get a little dry! We preferred wild king salmon.
Meredith says
This was delicious! First time using pickled ginger, and it was so good! Will definitely be making this again!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Meredith!
Janet says
Made the sushi bowl with cucumber salad and we both loved
It!! Next time I would probably toast the sesame seeds. That’s because I love the nutty salty taste.
Thank you once again for a great recipe!! 😀
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Janet. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Carolyn says
A delicious meal with the cucumber salad and the extras you suggested. Prepared exactly as per your recipe except for plain jasmine rice instead of sushi rice with rice vinegar. Will definitely make again for the family
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Carolyn. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Carolyn says
Sorry I didn’t realise I missed the rating!
Thank you, Carolyn!
Julie says
What a great recipe! I was not able to use all the ingredients (wasabi, pickled ginger) and it was still very good. I followed the instructions and the rice came out great. I made the smashed cucumber salad and it was so good! Will definitely make this again. I added some cabbage and carrot slaw that I needed to use up.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Julie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Beth Schweigert says
So so delicious!! I had made coconut rice the night before so I just ended up using that and it was honestly so good. This will now be a weekly staple in our house. So easy and so yummy!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beth. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Hannah says
I made this dish for my family (including a very picky 14 year old and two year old) and they both LOVED it! The marinade for the salmon was so delicious and easy! This is going to be a staple for our family dinners
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Hannah. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Maneesha says
This was delicious! No need to go to a restaurant for sushi bowls anymore! Thank you for this great recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed, Maneesha!
Jane says
Salmon was fantastic! I’m not at all a fan of cucumber but it was a perfect compliment with the salmon and rice. Added to the list!
Yay! We love to hear it. Thanks so much for the great review, Jane!
Deanne says
This salmon was so good! I wanted really easy, so I just ate it with steamed broccoli, microwave brown rice, avo, and sriracha. It was so filling and delicious! Great recipe, as usual!
Sounds delish! Thanks so much for the great review, Deanne!
Amanda says
Any thoughts about trying this with tuna?
Hi Amanda! We think it would be delicious with a tuna steak!
nancy says
looks amazing! making for family this weekend. Any suggestions for the vegans in the family? tofu with the same marinade?
Hi Nancy, we have a vegan version here. Hope that helps!
Sherry says
I made this tonight following the recipe almost exactly. The only deviation was because my salmon was a 3/4 lb piece with skin, so I cooked it whole and broke it apart for serving.
The bowl was delicious!! I enjoyed smashing the cucumber for the salad, it was a great way to blow off stress. I served it with avocado, sliced green onion and pickled ginger.
This recipe was an easy and delicious way to change up our salmon routine. Thanks for all the great inspirations MB, I foresee this becoming a regular in our house!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sherry. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Susan says
This is a great bowl idea and easy to scale for one serving but what I especially love about salmon sushi is the texture of the raw salmon. Cooked salmon just isn’t the same “fish”! But cooked salmon is yummy too and I look forward to making this.
We hope you enjoy it, Susan!
Joe says
Hi, I do follow you and thank you for using the term “Sushi” meaning “Rice” I know some get confused when they go out. I myself! love salmon sashimi! Being diabetic is difficult enough, no sushi for me. The bowl looks wonderful. I am a retired chef and had my own restaurant.
Ciao
Thanks for the support, Joe!