Firecracker Salmon Bowls with spicy peanut sauce and a super simple slaw over rice. These nutritious, flavorful bowls come together in just 30 minutes. 

Why You’ll Love these Firecracker Salmon Bowls

Find the perfect alchemy of spicy, sweet, and deeply savory flavors in these salmon bowls. (Similarly to my favorite Sesame Crusted Salmon Bowls.)

First, we start with a fluffy foundation of fragrant Jasmine rice. Next comes a perfectly seared salmon fillet, accompanied by a light, simple veg slaw.

And to finish it off, one of the most wildly flavorful peanut sauces in my recipe arsenal.

You truly can’t beat this ingredient lineup, and it’s one you’ll want to come back to on repeat. And did I mention these bowls come together in just 30 minutes?

Meal prep or weeknight dinner couldn’t get simpler, or more delicious. For more salmon bowl inspo, check out these Salmon Sushi Bowls.

Recipe Ingredients

• Salmon: You need four 6-oz. salmon fillets for these rice bowls, which can be wild-caught or sustainably farmed. If purchasing wild, I suggest either King (or Chinook) salmon, which has a higher fat content and richer flavor.
• Rice: Jasmine rice is known for its aromatic flavor and soft texture, which makes it one of my favorite rice varieties to cook with. It’s a major ingredient in many Thai recipes, which is why it compliments the savory, umami-rich peanut sauce so well.
• Veg Slaw: For a crunchy compliment to the salmon and rice bowls, I like to whip up a simple cabbage slaw. You can either purchase a bag of pre-shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix), or shred the cabbage yourself. In addition to the slaw, you need some green onion, vinegar, and a dash of salt.
• Firecracker Peanut Sauce: This is where the flavor fiesta really kicks off. You won’t believe how easy, yet wildly delicious this sauce is. And luckily, it leans heavily on pantry ingredients that you may already have on hand. You need: peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, rice vinegar, and some zesty aromatics like ginger and garlic.
• Garnishes: Feel free to get as wild as you wish with the toppings, however my go-to’s are crushed peanuts and more green onion. A little extra crunch and nutty goodness really round out the bowl with savory depth and richness.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook rice in a small saucepan until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes.

Allow the pot to sit, undisturbed, for another 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to assemble the rice bowls. (The residual heat will steam the rice and absorb any remaining water, leaving your rice moist and pleasantly sticky.)

Step 2: Prepare peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, ginger, and garlic. Stir mixture with a whisk until smooth.

Step 3: Sauté salmon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the salmon cook about 3 minutes, until it appears ~75% cooked on the sides. Flip the salmon, turn off the heat, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, until cooked through. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Prepare slaw by combining cabbage, green onion, vinegar, sesame seeds, and salt in a medium bowl; toss to combine.

Step 5: Assemble bowls by dividing rice evenly into each of four bowls. Top each bowl with one salmon fillet and a spoonful of slaw. Next, drizzle peanut sauce evenly over all components, and garnish with peanuts and green onion.

FAQs and Expert Tips:

How to Use Leftover Peanut Sauce:

If you end up with extra sauce (or just make a double batch from the start), here are some tasty ways to use it up:

• Drizzle over roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, or broccoli
• Toss with crispy tofu, baked tempeh, or grilled chicken and serve with rice noodles and veggies.
• Spread on a sandwich or wrap, or dress up a black bean burger.

More Salmon Bowl Recipes to Try:

If you give these firecracker salmon bowls a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!