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These sticky salmon rice bowls are one of my go-to healthy weeknight dinners. These bowls are packed with flavor, protein (almost 40 grams!), and veggies. With Japanese barbecue salmon, brown rice, crisp cucumber salad, sesame shiitake mushrooms, and edamame, it’s a balanced meal that’s super satisfying.

This sticky salmon rice bowl recipe serves 4 people, making it a great option for family dinners or meal prep. If you’re cooking the rice from scratch, it takes about 40-45 minutes to make this meal. But you can definitely swap frozen or instant rice to cut the cooking time down to 25–30 minutes total. This way you can have a delicious dinner on the table in less time!

The star of this bowl is the sticky salmon, marinated in a sweet and savory Japanese barbecue sauce and ginger, then cooked until perfectly caramelized on the outside and tender inside. My favorite Japanese barbecue sauce to use is the Bachan’s brand, which you can find at Costco and many grocery stores. However, it’s super easy to make something similar at home by mixing barbecue sauce with soy sauce. Also, if you don’t have an air fryer, you can just as easily bake or pan fry the salmon.

Besides being delicious, this bowl is incredibly nutritious. You get protein from salmon and edamame, fiber from the brown rice and edamame, and antioxidants from the colorful vegetables. This bowl is also packed with healthy omega-3 fats from the salmon. If you look at the nutrition label below, you can see that you also get a good dose of vitamin D and potassium! It’s a complete healthy dinner that checks all the boxes: quick, nourishing, and flavorful.

If you’re looking for a new salmon recipe to add to your rotation, this sticky salmon rice bowl is one you’ll come back to again and again.

Sticky Salmon & Vegetable Rice Bowls

These sticky salmon rice bowls are a quick and nutritious weeknight dinner with brown rice, edamame, cucumber salad, and shiitake mushrooms.

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Cook 40

Total 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Calories 580 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked rice (or 2 cups cooked rice if using pre-cooked)
16 oz salmon
3 tbsp Japanese barbecue sauce (or combine 2 tbsp barbecue sauce with 1 tbsp soy sauce)
1 tsp ginger (powder or fresh grated ginger)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, divided
1 large cucumber
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp furikake seasoning
2 cups steamed edamame beans

Instructions

Cook rice using desired method (if using pre-cooked rice, skip this step).
Cut salmon into 1" cubes and place in a medium sized bowl. Add Japanese barbecue sauce and ginger and mix well. Set aside to marinate while completing other steps. If using the oven to cook salmon, preheat to 400F.
Slice mushrooms into thin pieces. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sautee for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. You may need to add a splash of water if the pan gets dry. When the mushrooms are slightly browned, add 1 tbsp of soy sauce and stir well. Cook for a few more minutes while stirring until browned and fully cooked.
Air fryer method: add salmon to air fryer basket and cook at 400F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Oven method: cook salmon at 400F for 8-10 minutes.
Stovetop method: cook salmon in a pan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure to brown each side of the salmon.
Slice cucumber into small pieces and add to a medium bowl. Add 1 tbsp of each: sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and furikake seasoning and mix well to combine.
Heat your edamame beans in the microwave or stovetop.
Once the rice is fully cooked, assemble your bowls by adding rice, edamame, mushrooms, cucumber salad, and salmon to the bowl. Feel free to top with additional Japanese barbecue sauce or furikake if desired.

Video

Notes

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, with the exception of the cucumber salad, which tastes best on the day that it’s prepared. If you are cooking for meal prep, I suggest dressing the cucumber salad on the day you plan to eat it.