Sesame Chili Salmon Rice Bowl

Comforting warm rice bowl with salmon chunks, seasoned spinach, carrots, and mushrooms, topped with fresh avocado, a fried egg, and homemade sesame citrus sauce with gochujang chili paste.

Give it up to Korean Cuisine!

Sitting down to a steaming bowl of comforting sticky sushi rice is a delight, especially when accompanied by flaky salmon chunks with freshly seasoned, cooked spinach, carrots, and juicy mushrooms. The fresh avocado chunks with a fried egg also are the perfect creamy touch. In addition, the homemade banging sesame citrus-flavored gochujang chili paste sauce gave an extra zingy kick to round out the dish!

Like many Korean dishes at restaurants and some homes, Bibimbap combines flavors and textures that can be savored when mixing them with your spoon to create one harmonious bite! The sheer variety in every mouthful makes it hard for me not to relish each spoonful with a big appetite.

All in all, this meal will satisfy any craving - and make your taste buds dance with joy. And if you like rice bowls, try the Japanese/Hawaiian-inspired Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl.

Try the Healthy Poached Egg Avocado Rainbow Tuna Salad and Fresh Hoisin Mushrooms Noodle Bowl with Spicy Peanut Sauce for a rainbow crunch if you love rainbow salads.

And Japanese!

For this salmon rice bowl recipe, the gochujang sauce, referred to as bibimbap sauce, has a variety of recipes out there using ingredients from raw garlic to chili powder. Similarly, this dressing hits several taste profiles: sweet, spicy, salty, and savory.

The idea for using salmon in this bibimbap inspiration comes from my making a favorite Japanese-inspired breakfast of broiled miso salmon over sushi rice served with sauteed spinach, fresh avocado, and a poached egg.

Knowing how much I love this combination, I knew turning this dish into an inspired Korean bibimbap would be just as great.

Ingredients

To make this delicious salmon rice bowl, you will start by making the rice. I use a rice cooker because it is just easy to throw all the ingredients in there, set it, and worry about your other prep.

The Sauce

Use sushi white or brown rice or multigrain Korean or Japanese rice. You'll move on to make the sesame chili sauce. Then combine with a whisk gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger paste, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds.

The Salmon

Then, you will prepare the salmon by patting it completely dry, seasoning the fish fillets with salt and cracked black pepper, and searing it on both sides until golden brown. This will create a crispy, flaky fish; it is so good!

The Vegetables

For the topping, you will saute the carrots, spinach, and mushrooms; fry an egg and cut a fresh avocado into chunks. In addition, the vegetables are flash-cooked to keep the carrot's crunchiness and the spinach's bright green color.

For quantities, see the salmon rice bowl recipe card.

Instructions

Use a sharp knife to slice off the skin by placing the fillet's skin side down. Then, turn the fish so that it is horizontal to you.

Place the blade right between the skin and flesh with your hand gently placed on top to prevent the fish from moving. Then, gently go with the flow of the skin to cut the skin off.

Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab.  Some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn more about preparing fish.

Substitutions

• Cremini Mushrooms - Use shredded oyster mushrooms or sliced fresh shitake mushrooms.

Change Heat Level - Modify the salmon rice bowl recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.

Variations

• Mushroom Bowl - Omit the salmon and make it with a mixture of your favorite mushrooms!
• Other Vegetables - Add cucumber, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, or zucchini slices.

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl - Used for making the bibimbap sauce.
• Cast Iron Skillet - To perfectly sear the salmon on high heat and sauteeing the vegetables. The cast iron pan is excellent for searing fish because it can spread heat evenly, creating a beautiful golden brown crust. However, a medium frying pan will do if you do not have a cast iron pan.
• Fish Spatula - Used for carefully lifting and flipping the salmon.
• Mandoline - To slice and julienne the vegetables. However, you can cut it by hand if you do not have a mandoline. In addition, to develop this recipe, I used my Benriner Japanese Classic Slicer; it helps to shorten the prepping time.
• Holding Dish - To hold the salmon and vegetables during the cooking process.

Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.

Storage

• Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can combine the rice with the salmon and vegetables in a 2-inch shallow pan to cool down quickly. Then store in an air-tight sealing container. The rice, salmon, and vegetable mix will last up to three days.
• Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fish Recipes

Looking for other Fish recipes like this? Try these:

Asian Recipes

Looking for other Asian recipes like this? Try these:

Recipe Video Overview

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Recipe

📖 Recipe

Salmon Sesame Chili Rice Bowl

Comforting warm rice bowl with salmon chunks, seasoned spinach, carrots, and mushrooms, topped with fresh avocado, a fried egg, and homemade sesame citrus sauce with gochujang chili paste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Seafood

Cuisine Asian, East Asian, Korean

Servings 2

Calories 525.93 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 3 cloves of garlic minced or garlic pressed
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 226 grams salmon fillets
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil
• ¾ cup carrot shredded or julienne
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup cremini mushrooms sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ avocado
• ½ cup cooked sushi rice

Instructions

 

• Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
• In a small 2-cup mixing bowl, make the sauce by combining the gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds with a whisk and set aside.
• On a cutting board for raw fish, pat your salmon dry with a paper towel.
• If your salmon has skin and you wish to remove it, use a sharp knife to slice off the skin: Place the fillet's skin side down, turn the fish so that it is horizontal to you, place the blade right between the skin, and flesh with your hand gently placed on top to prevent the fish from moving, gently go with the flow of the skin to cut the skin off. Note: Use the picture tutorial in the recipe's post for visual assistance.
• Next, season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat the pan on medium-high heat in a 10-inch medium cast iron or 10-inch medium nonstick pan.
• Once the pan is hot, add and heat the avocado oil.
• Once the avocado oil is hot, add your salmon flesh side down right before it starts smoking.
• Flip with a fish spatula or silicone tongs to prevent breaking the fish after 2 minutes to brown the other side. Note: The fish should easily come off if cooked in high-heated oil.
• Remove the seared fillets and place them on a medium sheet pan or dish close to the stove to keep warm.
• Reduce the stove heat to medium-low.
• Using your tongs, saute the carrots with a pinch of salt for one minute and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan with the cooked salmon fillets.
• Next, saute the spinach with a pinch of salt for one minute and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan.
• Finally, saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and black pepper for two minutes and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan.
• Then add more oil if necessary and fry the eggs in the pan until the side of the eggs is golden brown. Remove with a spatula and place on the sheet pan. Note: To prevent overcooking, do not leave the eggs in the pan.
• Using a fork or chopsticks, shred the salmon into smaller chunks.
• Plate up the servings of cooked sushi rice in bowls and gently spread it out evenly to add the toppings.
• Using your tongs, plate the carrots, spinach, mushroom, and salmon.
• To prepare the avocado, place the avocado on the cutting board horizontally to you, take the knife, and place the blade in the center where the stem used to be; insert the blade until you hit the seed, and turn the avocado with your hand until the blade has cut around the seed. With both hands, separate the halved avocados. Place the avocado with the seed and seed side up on our cutting board, and with the blade, hit the side; it should enter the side, allowing you to pull the seed out with your knife. Please be aware of where your fingers are. Discard the seed. From this point, you make line incisions into the flesh of the avocado horizontally and vertically. Then you can use a spoon to scoop out the chunks. Note: Please refer to the video for an overview. Disclaimer: In the video, it is done on my hands, but it is safer to do this on a cutting board.
• Then plate up the avocado chunks among the bowl servings.
• Place the fried egg in the center of each bowl.
• Using a spoon or whisk, combine the sesame chili sauce again in its mixing bowl.
• Using the spoon, drizzle the sauce over the bowl dish.
• Serve the extra sauce on the side.

Keyword fish, rice, rice cooker, lunch, dinner, sauce, eggs, 30 minute meal, fall, summer, winter, spring, pescatarian, meal prep, bowls, stove top, spicy, saute pan

fish, rice, rice cooker, lunch, dinner, sauce, eggs, 30 minute meal, fall, summer, winter, spring, pescatarian, meal prep, bowls, stove top, spicy, saute pan

Seafood

Asian, East Asian, Korean

Yield: 2 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author: Maika Frederic

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Salmon Sesame Chili Rice Bowl

Comforting warm rice bowl with salmon chunks, seasoned spinach, carrots, and mushrooms, topped with fresh avocado, a fried egg, and homemade sesame citrus sauce with gochujang chili paste.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients US Metric

Sesame Chili Sauce

• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or garlic pressed
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Salmon

• 226 grams salmon, fillets
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil

Toppings

• ¾ cup carrot, shredded or julienne
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ avocado

Serve With

• ½ cup cooked sushi rice

Instructions

1. Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
2. In a small 2-cup mixing bowl, make the sauce by combining the gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds with a whisk and set aside.
3. On a cutting board for raw fish, pat your salmon dry with a paper towel.
4. If your salmon has skin and you wish to remove it, use a sharp knife to slice off the skin: Place the fillet's skin side down, turn the fish so that it is horizontal to you, place the blade right between the skin, and flesh with your hand gently placed on top to prevent the fish from moving, gently go with the flow of the skin to cut the skin off. Note: Use the picture tutorial in the recipe's post for visual assistance.
5. Next, season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.
6. Heat the pan on medium-high heat in a 10-inch medium cast iron or 10-inch medium nonstick pan.
7. Once the pan is hot, add and heat the avocado oil.
8. Once the avocado oil is hot, add your salmon flesh side down right before it starts smoking.
9. Flip with a fish spatula or silicone tongs to prevent breaking the fish after 2 minutes to brown the other side. Note: The fish should easily come off if cooked in high-heated oil.
10. Remove the seared fillets and place them on a medium sheet pan or dish close to the stove to keep warm.
11. Reduce the stove heat to medium-low.
12. Using your tongs, saute the carrots with a pinch of salt for one minute and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan with the cooked salmon fillets.
13. Next, saute the spinach with a pinch of salt for one minute and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan.
14. Finally, saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and black pepper for two minutes and remove them, and place them on the same sheet pan.
15. Then add more oil if necessary and fry the eggs in the pan until the side of the eggs is golden brown. Remove with a spatula and place on the sheet pan. Note: To prevent overcooking, do not leave the eggs in the pan.
16. Using a fork or chopsticks, shred the salmon into smaller chunks.
17. Plate up the servings of cooked sushi rice in bowls and gently spread it out evenly to add the toppings.
18. Using your tongs, plate the carrots, spinach, mushroom, and salmon.
19. To prepare the avocado, place the avocado on the cutting board horizontally to you, take the knife, and place the blade in the center where the stem used to be; insert the blade until you hit the seed, and turn the avocado with your hand until the blade has cut around the seed. With both hands, separate the halved avocados. Place the avocado with the seed and seed side up on our cutting board, and with the blade, hit the side; it should enter the side, allowing you to pull the seed out with your knife. Please be aware of where your fingers are. Discard the seed. From this point, you make line incisions into the flesh of the avocado horizontally and vertically. Then you can use a spoon to scoop out the chunks. Note: Please refer to the video for an overview. Disclaimer: In the video, it is done on my hands, but it is safer to do this on a cutting board.
20. Then plate up the avocado chunks among the bowl servings.
21. Place the fried egg in the center of each bowl.
22. Using a spoon or whisk, combine the sesame chili sauce again in its mixing bowl.
23. Using the spoon, drizzle the sauce over the bowl dish.
24. Serve the extra sauce on the side.

Notes

What is gochujang?

• This is a Korean red spicy hot pepper paste made with fermented ingredients giving it a salty, sweet, and savory kick.

What mushrooms to use?

• You can use a variety of mushrooms, but white to brown button mushrooms to oysters.

Why cast iron to sear fish?

• The cast iron pan is great for searing fish because it can spread heat evenly, creating a beautiful golden brown crust.

Why avocado oil for searing fish?

• Avocado oil is excellent for searing fish due to its high smoke point.
• If you do not have it, you can use canola oil as an alternative.

What is a smoke point?

• These oils can reach a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit before smoking, learn more.

How to prevent oil from splattering when cooking?

• Make sure to pat dry your fish to remove excess water that can cause hot oil to splatter.
• You can also try using an Oil splatting guard.

Storage: Refrigerator

• To store in the refrigerator, you can combine the rice with the salmon and vegetables in a 2-inch shallow pan to cool down quickly.
• The avocado should be stored separately, and if you are saving a cooked egg, just know the next time you reheat it, it will be overcooked.
• Then store in an air-tight sealing container.
• The rice, salmon, and vegetable mix will last up to three days.

Storage: Freezer

• First, follow the refrigeration process mentioned above.
• Then you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Reheat

• Thaw it out entirely in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth.
• Stovetop
• For the dish, I suggest heating it slowly in a saucepan, all mixed up on low heat, covered with a lid with an ice cube, and occasionally stirring to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan.
• Microwave
• For the dish, heat one to two cups in a bowl for two minutes with one ice cube and a microwave cover, stirring the dish content every minute until it is hot.

Recommended Products:

Checkered Chef Baking Sheet with Wire Rack, 19

All-Clad HA1 Nonstick Hard Anodized Everyday Pan with Lid and Potholders, 12 inch, Black

Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD Digital Cool-Touch Rice Grain Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless, Silver, 4-Cup (Uncooked) / 8-Cup (Cooked)

Nutrition Facts

Calories

525.93

Fat

28.86 g

Sat. Fat

5.1 g

Carbs

32.75 g

Fiber

7.09 g

Net carbs

25.66 g

Sugar

10.69 g

Protein

35.02 g

Sodium

1499.68 mg

Cholesterol

248.15 mg

These are calculations based on search results of the ingredient's nutritional information.

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Food safety

• Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent food bourne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
• Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
• Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
• Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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