Mike and I have been eating a variation of salmon rice bowls since 2021, ever since Emily Mariko‘s salmon rice bowl Tiktok went viral.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- done in 5 minutes with only one bowl and a microwave
- the perfect shovel into your mouth snack
- tastes like the best homemade sushi
At a glance
| Flavor Profile | Savory and creamy, with tangy spicy kimchi, sriracha heat and the umami-ful crunch of seaweed snack |
|---|---|
| Make Ahead Tips | Make rice and salmon in advance, then assemble when needed |
| Storage | Keeps 1-2 days in the fridge |
| Pro-trick | Use spicy mayo if you’re out shopping so you only need to buy one condiment |
Viral hits come and go, but salmon rice bowls have evolved into a cornerstone go-to meal that always hits. The very first bowl we made, we didn’t have a bowl. We were in Montreal and the place we were staying at only had plates. There were no bowls, which, to me, was puzzling. How do you eat cereal without a bowl? How would we make salmon rice bowls? We literally went on a hunt for bowls and I still have (and love) this bowl:
The rice bowl that broke the internet
It’s funny how Emily’s changed so many people’s lives. And it’s also very strange and parasocial how I know that she went from having a boyfriend to being married with two children during the five year span between the viral bowl and today. It kinda makes me feel a little icky, but at the same time, I’m also, aww, so cute, she still makes rice bowls, just now with her kids.
What is the Tiktok salmon rice bowl?
Popularized way back in 2021 by Emily Mariko, a Japanese American Tiktoker, the Tiktok salmon rice bowl is a rice bowl made from flaked salmon mixed with rice and soy sauce, topped with kewpie mayo, sriracha, and avocado. To enjoy it, you scoop up a bite of mixed rice with roasted seaweed and enjoy it with kimchi. Basically, it’s salmon sushi in a bowl for when you’re lazy or only have 5 minutes.
How to make a salmon rice bowl
- Flake up your cooked salmon. Use a fork and mash the salmon into flakes.
- Add the rice on top. Top off the salmon with some leftover or fresh rice.
- Nestle in an ice cube into the rice and cover everything with parchment paper and warm in the microwave until warm. The ice cube melts in the microwave and adds moisture to the salmon and rice.
- Remove the ice cube, add a drizzle of soy sauce and mix everything up.
Top with mayo, sriracha, and avocado slices. - Enjoy with roasted seaweed and kimchi!
This salmon rice bowl legitimately tastes good. Asian kids all over the world have been eating rice like this forever: a bowl of leftover rice mixed up with protein, topped off with sauce, and eaten with seaweed. It’s fun and fast and easy!
Do you need to do all this?
This recipe is meant for leftovers, but if you’re making it from scratch, you don’t need to follow most of it. Honestly I just make fresh rice and air fry some salmon and go to town. Just be inspired by the essential flavors of salmon, rice, avocado, kimchi, sriracha, and mayo. And seaweed, that’s the best part!
Tiktok salmon rice bowl ingredients
- cooked salmon – any leftover salmon is perfect for this. You can even used canned if you don’t have a leftover salmon filet
- rice – cold rice straight from the fridge, don’t worry, it’ll get nice and fluffy when you steam it up in the microwave.
- ice cube – a single ice cube helps steam the rice and salmon. It won’t melt completely, it’ll just add a bit of moisture.
- soy sauce – add soy sauce to taste, remember to get the good stuff.
- kewpie mayo – I’m in love with kewpie mayo, it’s the best mayo out there. If you don’t have kewpie mayo, use a spicy mayo.
- sriracha – optional but if you love spicy sushi, a squirt or two is *chef’s kiss*
- avocado – perfectly ripe slices of avocado adds a nice creaminess.
- roasted seaweed – roasted seaweed snacks are key, more on this later!
- kimchi – a bit of kimchi on the side adds acidity, crunch, flavor, and spice.
No leftover salmon?
If you don’t have leftover salmon, you have options:
- air fryer salmon: throw a couple of pieces of salmon in the air fryer at 300ºF for 10 minutes. You can even meal prep a whole bunch for the week this way.
- canned salmon: canned salmon can be amazing if you ask me. We’ve been drain and
- poke style: use raw sashimi grade salmon (be sure it’s sashimi grade), skip the microwave and drop it over the top of slightly cooled rice. I would even toss the raw salmon in a little soy sauce first.
- smoked salmon: tear the smoked salmon over top of the rice, no need to microwave this either.
Why does this rice bowl work?
It’s the combination of flaky salmon, fluffy rice, umami filled soy sauce, and creamy kewpie mayo that works so well. If you love Japanese rice balls or onigiri, this is like eating a deconstructed onigiri. The seaweed stays nice and crispy and you can change the flavor with each bite, adding kimchi or avocado. Plus, the idea of using an ice cube to steam your leftover cold rice and salmon is genius.
Is the Tiktok salmon rice bowl worth the hype?
YES! I mean, I love scooping up rice with seaweed and all the flavors work together perfectly, kind of like a deconstructed salmon kimchi sushi roll. Microwaving your salmon and rice with an ice cube and parchment paper is a game changer. I think people are in love with this recipe because it’s easy, fast, and it tastes good. It’s taking leftovers and making them into bestovers.
Frequently asked questions
Which seaweed should I use?
The seaweed is one of the most important parts! I like roasted Korean seaweed packs, the kind that you can grab at Whole Foods or even Costco. It’s not the same as nori or seaweed for sushi, it’s lighter, crispier, and are pleasantly salty. Conveniently, seaweed snacks are the perfect size for scooping up bites of rice and that’s how a lot of Koreans enjoy them.
Why do I need an ice cube?
Old rice gets pretty hard and the ice cube will melt and steam the rice as it heats. This ensures the rice comes out soft and fluffy instead of hard. If you don’t have an ice cube, sprinkle a little water with your fingers (like a tablespoonful) and that should work too.
My rice is still hard.
Your rice needs to steam longer. I’d suggest a damp paper towel tucked over the bowl and covered with a plate and more time in the microwave. Or cling wrap if you’re ok with plastic.
I made it too salty.
You’ll need to be careful, it’s pretty easy to accidentally splash too much soy sauce on (ask me how I know). If you have some extra rice and salmon, just mix that in and it’ll take down the salt level a bit.
Can I use regular mayo instead of Kewpie?
Yes. We even have a whole page here where you can make your own Kewpie with regular mayo.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes! This is meant to be a leftovers bowl, and who says you have to eat the leftovers before they become leftovers? Just make the rice and salmon ahead of time and store separately. You can cut the cucumbers in advance, but personally I would wait til you’re ready to eat for the avocados, although sometimes I do toss avocados in lime and keep them in the fridge that way if I know I’m going to be super duper lazy.
Isn’t this just a salmon sushi bowl?
Kind of, especially if you use raw sushi, but the beautiful thing about this bowl is that it’s lazy and easy. It’s just what most of us Asian kids grew up eating as well.
And that’s it!
As with all and any Tiktok recipes there’s always a lot of controversy. It’s no different with this one. People are all over Tiktok split between saying that this is the most amazing thing that they’ve ever made and that Emily didn’t invent anything new. In the end, she’s the one who brought the world’s eyes on it so I don’t really understand why people are so salty about how they’ve eaten this at home forever. In the end, it’s a quick and easy way to make your leftovers taste amazing so thanks Emily for sharing your love for salmon rice bowls with the world!
If you love salmon
And even more easy viral hacks
– xoxo steph
Tiktok Salmon Rice Bowl
Leftover salmon and old rice combined with soy sauce, kimchi, and mayo make the yummiest trend from Tiktok so far.
Serves 1
- 1/2 filet salmon cooked, about 2 ounces
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 ice cube
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- 1 tbsp kewpie mayo or to taste, sub regular mayo if needed
- 1 tsp sriracha or to taste, optional
- 1/2 avocado sliced or diced, optional
- 1/4 cup kimchi optional
- 1 package roasted seaweed snack
Nutrition Facts
Tiktok Salmon Rice Bowl
Amount Per Serving
Calories 521
Calories from Fat 168
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.7g29%
Saturated Fat 2.6g16%
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 1102mg48%
Potassium 573mg16%
Carbohydrates 55.4g18%
Fiber 1.7g7%
Sugar 0.3g0%
Protein 26g52%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
