Salmon bowls are all over the internet and although I love having salmon in all its forms, it has been a struggle for me to pass this love of to my family. So, when I saw this new Tiktok trend, I jumped on it in the hopes that I would get them to give this omega 3 rich protein another try.
Salmon is not found in South Asia so it truly is an acquired taste for myself and Ali. We are used to eating mostly white fleshed fish like Pomfret and would go for shrimps or prawns any day of the week but salmon, a much meatier fish, took some getting used to. And before I made these bowls, it was something Ali just did not enjoy.
How I made these salmon bowls my own.
I loved the presentation of the viral Tiktok salmon bowls but I haven’t tried the exact recipe myself. Instead I chose to tweak the recipe to make it more South Asian in flavor and it worked! Everyone loved it!
Wild caught vs. farm raised salmon
Now, before I tell you how to make this easy weeknight recipe, I thought it would be helpful to talk a little bit about something that may have caused some confusion when it comes to buying salmon and most seafood for that matter. You have wild caught and farm raised salmon. So which is healthier and is it worth the money to buy wild caught? Here’s what I found out through my research and I hope this will help you figure out what is best for your budget as well.
Here are some things you need to consider:
- The feed: Farm raised often means the fish is fed a processed, high fat, high protein diet which makes them bigger whereas wild caught salmon eats what it finds in its environment and is the size nature intended it to be. This can mean a better nutrient profile for wild caught salmon compared to farm raised. Read more details here.
- The price: Wild caught salmon is more expensive compared to farm raised salmon
- Antibiotics use: Farm raised salmon are given antibiotics to prevent or curtail infections while wild caught salmon has no such issue. There are regions that use less antibiotics than others. Chile e.g uses way more than Canada and Norway.
The takeaway
even if you are buying farm raised salmon, you are still benefiting from this nutrient dense protein source. If antibiotic use is an issue to you, make sure you buy salmon sourced from regions that have some amount of regulation in the use of antibiotics. You can find the source of the salmon on the packaging.
How to make salmon bowls
There are four components to this dish. The rice, the salmon, the spicy mayo and the vegetables.
- Prepare your rice of choice. I have made this with white rice as well as cauliflower rice but I can imagine brown, wild rice or even quinoa working really well.
- Make the spicy mayo. I use this same recipe for my Sweet Potato Kimchi Fries and it can be used as a dipping sauce all on its own!
- Prepare the salmon. Skin and cube and cook the salmon.
- Assemble everything and garnish with your vegetables of choice. In this recipe I used cucumbers, carrots and cilantro with a drizzle of lime juice. Broccoli, onions and avocado would also work really well.
I hope you try this recipe. If you do, let me know how it went in the comments! I love hearing from you!
Salmon Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 pounds salmon fillet cubed
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala optional
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
Spicy Garlic Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or any other hot sauce of choice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
Instructions
- Skin and cube the salmon fillet. Place in a bowl.
- Make the marinade by adding all the spices, garlic, lime and soy sauce/coconut aminos.
- Add the salmon cubes to the marinade.
- Set aside while you make the spicy mayo and rice.
- Cook rice.
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the spicy mayo and mix to combine.
- Heat a ceramic, non stick pan on medium high heat.
- Once hot, add oil and place salmon pieces in two batches so as not to over crowd the pan.
- Let the salmon cook for two minutes and then flip to the other side, making sure you get a good sear.
- Cook for another two minutes.
- Take out onto a clean plate.
- Repeat with the rest of the salmon.
- Finish cooking the rice.
- Prepare the salmon bowl putting rice first into a bowl, then the salmon pieces. 5-6 pieces per bowl is good.
- Add the vegetables on the side.
- Drizzle the mayo. You can be as generous with this as you want.
- Finish off with some cilantro and a lime wedge.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- A non stick pan works best here. I did try this with a cast iron but if you're not using lots of oil, it will just result in the salmon breaking up and shredding.
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Quick, easy and flavorful! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Shafaq! Thanks for leaving a review!
Thank you for sharing.