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Spicy Ginger Caramelized Salmon Bowl – a new 30-minute dinner. Slightly spicy ginger sesame caramelized salmon, served over bowls of steamed rice with cucumber salad and a dollop of spicy mayo. These colorful, fresh salmon bowls may seem fancy, but they’re simple to make and full of so much flavor. The caramelized salmon has just the right amounts of sweet-n-spice – so delicious!
I’ve mentioned this before, but I often go through phases of loving certain styles of food. Right now, I’m back to loving “bowl” recipes, always with rice, greens, and usually a sauce or two.
I have some fun January “bowl” style recipes that I can’t wait to share, but this new salmon bowl has become a quick favorite. It really does have everything good piled into one bowl. Steamed rice, crispy spicy-sweet salmon, a salty cucumber salad, plus some spicy mayo too.
And it’s FAST, this bowl is done in 30 minutes.
Here are the details
Step 1: marinate the salmon
First up, give the salmon flavor. Marinate chunks of skin-on salmon in a mix of tamari, pickled ginger juice, fresh ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and chili flakes.
You can use skin-on or skin-off salmon, but I do prefer skin-on for this recipe. It’s up to you, however!
Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to all day.
Step 2: the salad
This might just be my favorite layer in this bowl. Avocado, cucumber, so much cilantro, lots of green onions, pickled ginger, a little roasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a jalapeño too. I love mixing the toasted sesame oil in. It adds so much yummy sesame flavor.
Step 3: cook the salmon
Now, rub the flesh of the marinated salmon with brown sugar. Add some cayenne or chipotle, if you like it super spicy. Then sear the salmon, flesh side facing down. Then flip and let the skin get crispy.
Add the reserved marinated sauce and simmer until the salmon is cooked to your liking.
Step 4: assemble
Steam the rice. Of course, quinoa, brown rice, or really any other grain would also work. Then layer everything in: salmon, salad, and dollop with lots of mayo.
So much happening, but really, it comes together quickly since we’re just repeating ingredients throughout.
Totally delicious – this will be great for the busy winter nights!
Looking for other salmon recipes? Here are a few…
Sheet Pan Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa
Parchment Baked Roasted Red Pepper Salmon
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Ginger Caramelized Salmon Bowl, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Ginger Caramelized Salmon Bowl
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 798 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger juice (from the ginger jar)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- chili flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon, cut into bite-size chunks
- sesame oil, for cooking
- 2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3-4 cups cooked rice
- spicy mayo, for serving
Cucumber Salad
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 small cucumbers, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled ginger
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 cup pomegranate arils (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a shallow dish, mix the tamari, ginger juice, ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and season with chili flakes. Add the salmon, getting them mostly submerged. Marinate for 15 minutes. For the best flavor, marinate for one hour or up to all day.2. Make the salad. Combine all ingredients and season with salt. 3. When ready, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Rub the salmon with brown sugar. Place the salmon skin side face up in the skillet. Sear until brown, about 1-2 minutes. Then flip and let the skin get crispy. Lower the heat to low. Add the marinade and simmer on low for 5-8 minutes until cooked to your liking. Then, remove from the heat.4. Spoon the salmon over the bowls of rice. Top with the cucumber salad and a dollop of spicy mayo. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 8, 2024
Loved this! Basically a deconstructed sushi roll😊
Thank you SO much Carrie! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xT
So delicious! THIS dish I will make again. The flavors & textures all work so well together. Maybe skinning the fish would be an idea just for convenience when enjoying.
Happy Friday! Thank you for trying out this recipe, and have a great weekend! xT
This was super good and simple to make. I skinned my salmon, used quinoa instead of rice. I think the only change I’ll make next time is to omit the jalapeño as the pickled garlic/chili flakes definitely added some heat and I’m a wimp when it comes to that.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have a great rest of your week! 🙂 xT
Loved it! The salad was amazing, much better than I expected.
Thank you
Thank you Mary! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
Second HBH recipe in a row! Another great meal. I made the recipe as written. I had to pickle some ginger beforehand so I had the ingredients for the marinade and the salad. My salmon didn’t get crispy, probably the pan wasn’t hot enough and I should have patted the filets dry before applying the brown sugar. The cucumbers added enough crunch to compensate 😉 I didn’t have spicy mayo so I subbed yum yum sauce. Great taste, another keeper.
Thank you so so much Valerie! 🙂 xT
This recipe was very delicious! I love the crispy texture of the salmon with all the spicy ginger flavors added!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try! xT
This recipe is AMAZING!!! We both loved it and appreciate you sharing it! Can’t wait to have it again!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try! xT
Delicious! There wasn’t any fresh salmon at the fish market so we made this with tuna. We also threw some shaved Brussels sprouts in since we had a bit leftover. It was really delicious, but simple. Everyone loved it.
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try! xT
I made this last night and will do it again love it 😊
Thank you so much! 🙂 xT
This was surprisingly quick and easy to make. My husband and I both had seconds and really loved it! I made it exactly as the recipe stated. No changes at all! Delicious – thank you!
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
Made this for dinner tonight . Added some peanuts in the cucumber salad . Soooo good and super easy!
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
I made this for dinner last night. My husband said I can make this recipe any time I want to- it was delicious! I don’t like cilantro so I used some chopped up spinach leaves instead. Fantastic! Thank you
Hi Shelley! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! 🙂 xT
What is the ideal marinade time? 15 minutes-all day is quite a large range! Will a longer marinade time affect the texture of the salmon? Thanks in advance!
Iwould like to know how you make the spicy mayo that goes with this bowl. i cant find that instruction anywhere. i’m in the process now… Thanks
Hi Nancy! Here is the recipe! https://fett-weg.today/essentials/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I made this dish last night. It was a huge hit and probably my best loved recipe I have ever tried and I cook alot. We like trying new things at our house and Tieghan keeps us excited to try her next recipe.
I will say, I was confused my the marinade because I did not know what the marinade was. Tieghan are you referencing the marinade we marinaded the salmon in?
I actually added more dark brown sugar and sauted my salmon in brown sugar and butter. The salad was delicious. I used arugula and left out the cilantro. I also used sliced red onion and toasted pine nuts in this salad. It was delicious.