Salmon Sushi Bowls

These Salmon Sushi Bowls have all of the flavors you love about a sushi roll piled up into a bowl and drizzled with spicy mayo and eel sauce! Pan fried salmon is seared then baked until juicy then topped with eel sauce. It’s served on a bed of homemade sushi rice, pickled carrots, avocado and cucumbers! This easy salmon bowl is loaded with flavor and so fun to make! This is a great heathy meal for weeknights or for a fancy date night!

Looking for more Salmon Recipes? Then give my Air Fryer Salmon or my Blackened Salmon a try!

salmon sushi bowl with avocado, cucumber and pickled carrot

Salmon Sushi Bowls

We love making sushi at home but it can be time consuming and difficult to do. This salmon sushi bowl solves the problem! It is easy to throw together with no fancy rolling or slicing like regular sushi.

This sushi rice bowl is loaded with flavor and tastes just like a salmon sushi roll. The bowl is loaded with homemade seasoned sushi rice, pickled carrots, sliced cucumber, avocado and salmon. The salmon gets seared over high heat to get a golden brown crust on the outside. Then it get’s brushed with eel (unagi) sauce then transferred to the oven to finish cooking. The bowl then gets drizzled with a homemade spicy mayo and eel sauce. The spicy mayo makes the bowl. It’s creamy, tangy and spicy. It’s the perfect topping for the salmon bowl.

This sushi bowl is perfect for lunches or weeknight dinner! You can make a keto sushi bowl by replacing the white rice for cauliflower rice.

Love this recipe? Then give my Teriyaki Glazed Salmon a try!

Homemade Sushi Rice on a baking sheet topped with sesame seeds

What you need to make a Salmon Sushi Bowl

  • Rice: We use short grain white rice for this recipe. It clumps up when cooked and mimics a traditional sushi rice. You can use Calrose rice, sushi rice or Japanese rice. All of these types of rice are short grain and typically used when making sushi.
  • Pickled veggies: We soak thinly sliced carrots in a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt.
  • Spicy mayo: This is my favorite part of any sushi bowl! I could literally eat this stuff on everything. All you need to make spicy mayo at home is mayonnaise and sriracha!
  • Salmon: Wild caught never frozen salmon is best if you can find it!
  • Eel sauce: Is brushed on top of the salmon before baking. I also like to drizzle it on top before serving. It adds a sweet, savory umami flavor that goes perfectly with the spicy mayo!
  • Other veggies: I like to add thinly sliced cucumbers and avocado to my bowl but feel free to use whatever you have on hand! Get creative and try some of my suggestions below.

How to make a Deconstructed Sushi Bowl

  • Make the sushi rice: I always start by rinsing off my rinse. This helps the rice from getting gummy and clumping up.

rinsing sushi rice through a colander

  • Boil rice: According to the package instructions until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Mine usually takes about 20 minutes or so.

boiling sushi rice in pot

  • Pickle carrots: In a medium bowl whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add in carrots and allow them to soak for 15 minutes (or while you are preparing the rest of the dish).

tossing carrots in rice wine vinegar and sugar

Cool and season rice: After rice is cooked spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to cool. Use the reserved liquid from the carrots and drizzle it on top of the rice. This seasons is what seasons the rice! Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and set aside.

seasoning sushi rice for salmon on sheet tray lined with parchment paper

  • Cook the salmon: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and chili powder.

searing salmon filets brushed with eel sauce and sesame seeds in large cast iron pan

  • Spicy Mayo: In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, Sriracha and sesame oil. Set aside until you are ready to serve.

whisking sriracha and mayo in small white bowl for salmon sushi bowls

  • Assembly: To assemble start by diving the rice between two bowls. Top with pickled carrots, sliced cucumbers, avocado and salmon. Drizzle with spicy mayo and a drizzle of eel sauce, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

drizzling salmon sushi bowls with homemade spicy mayo and eel sauce

Variations

Use whatever fruit or veggies you have on hand! I also like to add:

  • Mangos
  • Shrimp
  • Imitation Crab or Crab Stick
  • Radish
  • Edamame
  • Nori (Seaweed)
  • Wasabi
  • Pickled Ginger
  • Tofu
  • Green Onions
  • Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs

How to store sushi bowls

Since the salmon is cooked this sushi bowl recipe stores really well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They make great make ahead lunches.

If I don’t have eel sauce what can I use?

Eel sauce also known as unagi sauce can be made at home if you don’t have it on hand. Here’s a great recipe for Homemade Eel sauce!

Can I make this Salmon Sushi Bowl healthier?

Absolutely! This sushi bowl is already packed with tons of healthy fats, protein and nutrients but it is calorie dense thanks to all the rice and mayo. To save of calories here is what I recommend:

  • Use only 1/2 the rice per serving and increase the veggies.
  • Replace some or all of the rice for cauliflower rice. My husband and I have done this before and it tastes just as great!
  • Use less spicy mayo and eel sauce!

gif of sushi bowl

Here are more Easy Salmon Recipes to try!

 

Salmon Sushi Bowls

5 from 12 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2

These Salmon Sushi Bowls have all of the flavors you love about a sushi roll all piled up into a bowl and drizzled with spicy mayo and eel sauce! This easy salmon bowl is loaded with flavor!

Ingredients

Salmon Sushi Bowls

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 (6 oz.) salmon filets
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 large cucumber, cut in half then sliced
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tbsp eel sauce, plus more for drizzling if desired

Pickled Carrots

  • 1 large carrot, julienned
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Sushi Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Spicy Mayo

  • 1/4 cup mayonaise
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

Images:

Pickled Carrots

  • In a medium bowl whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add in carrots and allow them to soak for 15 minutes (or while you are preparing the rest of the dish). After 15 minutes strain out carrots and reserve liquid for seasoning the rice. Set aside.

Sushi Rice

  • Rinse the rice under lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Add rice to a saucepan and cook according to package instructions.
  • After rice is cooked spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to cool. Use the reserved liquid from the carrots and drizzle it on top of the rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Spicy Mayo

  • Whisk together mayo, Sriracha and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Salmon

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and chili powder.
  • Heat oil in a large oven safe skillet over high heat. Sear salmon on both sides until golden brown and caramelized on the outside 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Brush each piece of salmon with eel sauce and bake for 7 minutes or until the salmon is fully cooked (140 degrees).

Assemble

  • To assemble start by dividing the rice between two bowls.
  • Top with pickled carrots, sliced cucumbers and avocado.
  • Top with salmon and drizzle with spicy mayo and a drizzle of eel sauce, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Nutrition facts does not include spicy mayo*

Nutrition Facts
Salmon Sushi Bowls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 697 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 628mg27%
Potassium 899mg26%
Carbohydrates 114g38%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 6362IU127%
Vitamin C 17mg21%
Calcium 69mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Healthy Dinner, Salmon Sushi Bowl

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments - page 1/2

  • Kai

    I just made this with tofu (to save a little money hehe) and it was absolutely delicious! Made the eel sauce myself and was so excited to learn it was so simple. I’ll definitely have to make this again.

  • Athina

    This recipe was absolutely delicious! I cooked it with my boyfriend and we had so much fun making it. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!

    • Hi Athina!

      I am so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed making this recipe! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!

      Kelley

  • Tracy

    Wow. This absolutely delicious! Made my own eel sauce and added wasabi!! Thanks for the recipe

  • Amy

    This recipe was AMAZING. We loved it! I have never commented on a recipe before, but this one definitely deserved it!

  • Hi

    I have made this a couple of times now. It is amazing !!! Thank you for the recipe. 😊
    Super hit in my house.

  • Mary

    I’ve made this several times because it is so delicious and easy! I use basmati rice and have tried with salmon and trout. Thank you for this great recipe!

  • Zach Rosenfeldt

    This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of salt for the carrot brining liquid and then has you drizzle this liquid onto the rice. 1/4 cup of salt is enough salt to season 100 bowls of sushi. PLEASE for the love of god update the recipe to ensure people only drizzle an extremely small amount of that liquid onto the rice. I drizzled the entire liquid onto the rice and it completely ruined the dish.

    • Hi Zach!

      So sorry but I think you might have misread the ingredient amounts. It 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 TSP of salt not 1/4 cup of salt.

      Thanks,

      Kelley

  • Christina

    This was delicious.
    Left out the eel oil because I couldn’t find it. It was fast and easy. I have a family of four so I doubled it using a whole fillet, definitely making this again.

  • Angela

    My teenager was making noises and stopped only to say it was the best dinner I’d made in a while. She then asked to make it again next Saturday. If that’s not high praise, I don’t know what is. SOO GOOD!!

    • Angela your comment made my day! I am so happy to hear your teenager enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for making my recipe and for taking the time to leave a comment!

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