Easy Salmon “Sushi” Bowls

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Tamari-glazed salmon, rice, avocado, cucumber salad, and other sushi bowl ingredients in a large bowl

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!

Green onion, pickled ginger, fresh ginger and garlic, cucumber salad, avocado, salmon, water, rice vinegar, tamari, and other ingredients for making salmon sushi bowls

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:

Cubed salmon marinating in a ginger garlic tamari marinade

Cubed salmon marinates in a gingery, savory, garlicky sauce before being cooked to caramelized perfection.

Perfectly browned cubes of salmon in a cast iron skillet

A super crunchy cucumber salad joins the party for major freshness and flavor!

Bowl of our Asian-inspired smashed cucumber salad recipe

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.

Pouring rice vinegar over a saucepan of sushi rice

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!

Salmon sushi bowl with tamari-glazed salmon, avocado, green onion, seaweed, cucumber salad, pickled ginger, and rice

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

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!

Close up shot of salmon, cucumber, rice, and green onion on a fork

Easy Salmon “Sushi” Bowls

Savory salmon “sushi” bowls with a crunchy cucumber salad! All the satisfaction of sushi without finding sushi-grade fish or assembling rolls. Just 9 ingredients!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Overhead shot of a salmon sushi bowl
5 from 20 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 (generous servings)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Japanese-Inspired
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 1-2 Days

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

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

*Prefer a vegan version? Try our Vegan Sushi Bowls with Ginger Marinated Tofu.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 sushi bowl Calories: 616 Carbohydrates: 56 g Protein: 44.5 g Fat: 23.9 g Saturated Fat: 4.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.7 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4.8 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 77 mg Sodium: 1360 mg Potassium: 1094 mg Fiber: 4.8 g Sugar: 5.4 g Vitamin A: 305 IU Vitamin C: 8 mg Calcium: 107 mg Iron: 2.4 mg

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  1. Kat says

    This looks amazing and I’m excited to try it this week. Do you have a recommended rice vinegar? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We use Marukan rice vinegar, but any should work! We cant wait for you to try it!

  2. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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

  3. Robin Miller says

    This is on a frequent rotation in my house. My daughter (14) loves it. Thank you so much for this!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad it’s a hit in your household. Thank you for sharing, Robin! xo

  4. 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!

  5. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you so much for the lovely review, Irene! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it. xo

  6. 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!!

  7. 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

  8. 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!

  9. Darlene says

    Delicious! I used ahi tuna, and honey as opposed to maple syrup. Could not believe how tasty this was! Will make again! :)

  10. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mira! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo

  11. 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! 😋

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Bee. Thank you for the lovely review! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Deanna, we prefer the salmon and rice to be warm, but even cold it would be delicious :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jodi, we liked wild sockeye in this recipe, but found it can get a little dry! We preferred wild king salmon.

  12. Meredith says

    This was delicious! First time using pickled ginger, and it was so good! Will definitely be making this again!

  13. 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!! 😀

  14. 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

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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

  15. 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.

  16. 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!

  17. 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

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Hannah. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

  18. Maneesha says

    This was delicious! No need to go to a restaurant for sushi bowls anymore! Thank you for this great recipe!

  19. 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!

  20. 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!

  21. nancy says

    looks amazing! making for family this weekend. Any suggestions for the vegans in the family? tofu with the same marinade?

  22. 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!

  23. 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.

  24. 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