Salmon Bites Flavorful Bowl (Printable version)

Crispy salmon bites served over rice with fresh veggies and spicy creamy sauce. Easy and satisfying fusion meal.

# Ingredient list:

→ Salmon

01 - 10.5 oz skinless salmon fillet, cut into 0.8 inch cubes
02 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
04 - 1 tsp sriracha (optional)
05 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
06 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Rice

08 - 7 oz cooked jasmine or sushi rice

→ Vegetables & Toppings

09 - 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
10 - 1 small avocado, sliced
11 - 2 tbsp pickled ginger
12 - 1 small carrot, julienned
13 - 1 sheet nori, cut into strips
14 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds
15 - 2 tbsp scallions, sliced

→ Spicy Mayo

16 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
17 - 1 tbsp sriracha
18 - 1 tsp lime juice

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - In a bowl, combine salmon cubes with soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, honey, garlic powder, and black pepper. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat air fryer or oven to 400°F. Arrange marinated salmon bites in a single layer and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until golden and cooked through, turning halfway.
03 - While salmon cooks, mix mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice until smooth.
04 - Divide cooked rice evenly between two bowls. Arrange cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger, carrot, and nori on top.
05 - Top bowls with hot salmon bites and drizzle generously with spicy mayo.
06 - Sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions over each bowl. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The salmon gets crispy on the outside while staying buttery inside, which is genuinely harder to mess up than you'd think.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under 40 minutes without feeling rushed or compromising on freshness.
  • Every bite tastes different depending on what toppings you hit, so it never gets boring even if you make it twice in a week.
02 -
  • Don't skip turning the salmon halfway through cooking; one side will brown faster than the other, and flipping ensures even crispiness without drying it out.
  • Make your spicy mayo right before serving—it won't break, but it's best when fresh and the sriracha flavor hasn't mellowed into the mayo.
  • If your salmon pieces are uneven in size, they'll cook unevenly; take 30 seconds to cut them as uniformly as you can.
03 -
  • Use an air fryer over an oven if you have one—the circulating heat crisps the salmon edges in a way ovens struggle with, and it's genuinely faster and less temperamental.
  • Don't crowd the salmon pieces in the air fryer; they need space to crisp, so cook in batches if necessary rather than packing them in.
  • If you can't find pickled ginger or don't have time, a squeeze of fresh lime juice mixed with a tiny bit of ginger juice works in a pinch.
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