I am recently OBSESSED with these Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowls! It is my new favorite last minute weeknight dinner. Salmon rice bowls look fancy but everything comes together so fast! A quick marinade and then a hot sear for the salmon, plus cucumbers, edamame, avocado, and sushi rice. You will feel like a super human after eating all this green stuff! Such an easy recipe.
Marinate the salmon. In a medium bowl, add all the marinade ingredients: 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sriracha, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablepoons sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon each garlic and gresh ginger. (If you are in a hurry use jarred garlic, or ginger from a tube!)
Chop each salmon filets into about 3-4 pieces, about 3(ish) inches each. It doesn't have to be exact. Add the salmon to the marinade and set aside on the counter. Don't refrigerate, it's best to sear room temperature fish.
Make the sushi rice. Rinse 1 and 1/2 cups sushi rice through a strainer. Or skip this entirely, no one is watching.
Add 1 and 1/2 cups sushi rice, 1 and 1/2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. When the rice has come to a boil, turn the heat down to low (leave the lid on) and cook on low for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off but don't remove the lid. Let the rice steam for another 10-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons sugar to 1/3 cup rice vinegar. Stir. The goal is to dissolve the sugar completely. If you let it sit for a while it will dissolve on its own. If your rice is already done, put it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and it will be dissolved in no time.
Fluff the rice with a spatula, then carefully pour the dissolved vinegar/sugar mixture over the rice, folding as you go to distribute. Keep the lid on to keep it warm.
Make the sriracha mayo. This is super easy to whip up and you only have to measure if you want to; eyeballing is fine. In a small bowl add about 3/4 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar in a small bowl; stir it up and set aside.
Prep the toppings. While the rice is cooking, chop all the veggies. Slice the cucumbers. Follow the instructions on the bag of edamame for steaming in the microwave (it should say to microwave for about 2-3 minutes.) Slice the avocados, chop the green onions, chop the cilantro.
Sear the salmon. Set a large skillet over medium high heat on your stove. Let it preheat (dry) for about 1-2 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Lift the salmon one piece at a time, letting it drip for a moment, then adding it to the pan. Add as many pieces of salmon as you can fit without crowding the pan; each salmon should have 2 inches of space around it. Sear for about 1-2 minutes, until the salmon is blackened and crispy.
Use tongs to flip each piece of salmon over and sear the other side. After 30-60 seconds of searing on the second side, turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking another 1-3 minutes (depending on the size of the salmon) until it is cooked all the way through and flaky on the inside. Feel free to keep turning each piece of salmon to sear more sides.
Remove the cooked salmon to a plate (or to a wire cooling rack, if you are really dedicated to keeping the bottoms crispy). Keep warm! (sometimes I stick the plate in the (off) microwave)
Turn the heat back up to medium high, wait a minute, and continue searing the rest of the salmon, adding more old to the pan as necessary.
Assemble the salmon bowls. In a bowl or plate, add seasoned sushi rice, hot salmon, sliced cucumbers, edamame, sliced avocado, plus a sprinkle of chopped green onion and cilantro. Top each plate with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and rice seasoning. Serve right away!
How to store: Store all the components in the fridge, separately! It will keep for a couple days. See post for more details!
Notes
I usually discard the marinade after searing the salmon, but if you want extra-saucy bowls, add the marinade to the hot pan after searing, and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Then top the salmon with it!