Salmon Bowls with Bang Bang Sauce
10/10 recipe says our team! These Bang Bang Salmon Bowls are a quick, nutritious meal featuring smoky air fryer salmon bites, a sweet and flavorful bang bang sauce, cooked rice, and your choice of toppings. This gluten-free, dairy-free salmon bowl recipe is perfect for meal prep and easy to customize!
“We really enjoyed these! Great recipe. Super flavorful!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Whitney
About This Recipe
A few highlights to know before you get cooking (motivation, right?!)…
- Fast: This recipe is on the table in 35 minutes. Fast enough for a weeknight and impressive enough for guests.
- Taste and Texture: The crispy bang bang salmon bites are the star: smoky, lightly caramelized, and perfectly seasoned. And about that bang bang sauce–creamy, sweet, a little spicy, and completely irresistible drizzled over everything.
- Customizable: Use whatever toppings you have on hand and each person can make it how they like it.
- Great for Meal Prep: All components store separately and hold up great for 3-4 days. (Except the avocado…add that fresh.)
- Actually Enjoy Eating Fish: A genuinely delicious way to eat more salmon (omega 3 fatty acids, baby) during the week.
- Allergen-Friendly: These are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Use a vegan mayo for egg-free. You can swap the fish for chicken easily as well.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to build the best bang bang salmon bowl recipe:
Ingredient Notes
- Bang Bang Sauce:
- Adjust the heat to your liking by changing the amount of sriracha. Use less for a milder sauce, more if you like it spicy, or leave it out altogether for a kid-friendly version.
- We recommend Melinda’s Thai sweet chili sauce for the cleanest ingredient list and best balanced flavor. Check the label on whatever brand you choose, since some are loaded with sweeteners.
- Avocado oil mayo is what we used in testing and loved. You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- Rice vinegar can be swapped for white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
- Optional add-ins: a splash of soy sauce, fresh minced ginger, fresh lime juice, or sliced green onions.
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites:
- Skin-on or skinless salmon both work. Just remove the skin before cutting into bites.
- Pat the salmon very dry before tossing with the spice blend. This helps the seasoning stick and is key to getting a crispy exterior.
- The brown sugar and cornstarch in the spice rub are what give the bites their lightly caramelized, crispy crust. Don’t swap them out.
- Rice:
- White or brown rice both work well here.
- Our Instant Pot Coconut Rice is an especially delicious option that takes this bowl to another level.
- Pre-cooked rice from the store is also a great time-saving shortcut.
Testing Tips From Our Kitchens
Our little team made these Bang Bang Salmon Bowls 5 times in our various kitchens before publishing, and a few key discoveries made a real difference in the final result.
1. Brown sugar and cornstarch are non-negotiable for crispy salmon.
Our first test skipped these, and the bites came out cooked but soft and under-seasoned. Adding both made a huge difference. The cornstarch creates a light crust and the brown sugar gives the outside that caramelized, slightly smoky edge. Don’t skip them.
2. Your Thai sweet chili sauce brand matters.
We tried a couple of brands and landed on Melinda’s (available at Walmart and Amazon) because the ingredient list is clean and the flavor is balanced. Some brands are overly sweet or loaded with additives, so flip the bottle and check the label before you buy.
3. Air fry in two batches, and watch your second batch closely.
1 1/2 pounds of salmon is too much to fit in a single layer until you have a massive air fryer. Also note: the second batch cooks faster because the air fryer is already hot from the first round, so check it a minute or two early to avoid overcooking. Here’s the air fryer we tested these in.
4. Make the pickled red onions, if you have the time.
This was the biggest surprise from testing. They take about 10 minutes to prepare and make a genuinely significant impact on the final bowl. The tangy, bright flavor cuts right through the richness of the sauce and avocado. We now consider them a core topping, not optional. (Here’s our easy pickled red onions recipe.)
5. 1/2 to 3/4 cup of rice per bowl is the sweet spot.
These bowls are already filled with all the salmon and toppings. Pile on too much rice and the ratios feel off. Stick to this range.
6. These taste great cold (seriously).
We were genuinely surprised by how well the assembled bowls held up overnight. No reheating required if you’re meal prepping. Grab one straight from the fridge!
How to Make Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls
Before you start: If you’re cooking rice from scratch, get it going first so it’s ready when the salmon comes out of the air fryer.
What to Serve With Your Salmon Rice Bowl
The toppings are half the fun with a salmon rice bowl. Here’s what we love, so mix and match to your heart’s content:
Topping Staples:
- Grated carrots (use the large side of a box grater)
- Sliced or diced cucumber (use the mandolin side of the box grater)
- Diced avocado (dice right before serving)
- Pickled red onions or thinly sliced radishes
- Lime wedges and sesame seeds
- Bang Bang Sauce (obviously)
Optional Extras Worth Trying:
- Roasted broccoli
- Edamame beans
- Thinly sliced red cabbage
- Crispy wonton strips
- Thinly sliced green onions
A Note on the Rice:
Coconut rice takes this from a great weeknight dinner to something truly special. The subtle sweetness pairs beautifully with the smoky salmon and spicy bang bang sauce. Plain white or brown rice is always a perfect base too.
Make It Your Own:
One of the best things about this bang bang salmon bowl recipe is how customizable it is. Lay everything out family-style and let everyone build their own. It’s a crowd-pleaser for picky eaters and adventurous ones alike!
Shortcuts to Save Time
This recipe has a few components, but the store can do some of the work for you:
- Pre-cooked or microwaveable rice pouches are a total time-saver.
- Pre-shredded carrots from the produce section skip the grating entirely.
- Jarred pickled red onions mean zero prep.
- Buy salmon that’s already thawed and with the skin removed. This saves at least 10 minutes of prep!
How to Meal Prep Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
These bowls were practically designed for meal prep. Here’s how to do it well:
- Prep all components separately and store each in its own airtight container: rice, salmon bites, bang bang sauce, and toppings (the avocado is best diced fresh).
- Build individual bowls with 1/2 to 3/4 cup rice and a portion of salmon bites. Add toppings and drizzle the sauce over the top, or store 2 tablespoons of sauce per bowl in a small separate container.
- Add avocado fresh each day rather than prepping it ahead of time to prevent browning.
- These taste great cold straight from the fridge. No reheating required! Or heat the salmon bites and rice in the microwave quickly first.
Storage Tips
- Salmon bites and assembled bowls will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in airtight containers.
- Bang bang sauce on its own lasts up to two weeks in the fridge.
- Store components separately for the freshest results, or keep them as fully assembled bowls. Either way works!
- Tastes great cold or gently reheated in the microwave.
Our team truly can’t wait for you to try these. Please comment and let us know what you think!
Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used avocado mayo.)
- 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce (I used Melinda’s brand.)
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
Air Fryer Salmon Bites:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (sub: paprika)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (sub: olive oil)
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon (skin removed)
For the Bowls: (see cooking notes for additional ideas)
- 3 cups cooked white or brown rice (coconut rice would be delicious!)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and grated)
- 1 medium cucumber (sliced or diced)
- Pickled red onions (to taste; sub: radishes or red onion, thinly sliced)
- 1 large ripe avocado (diced or sliced)
- 2 limes (cut into wedges)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bang Bang Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, and honey until smooth. Cover and set aside in the fridge so flavors meld together. (Tip: Put into a plastic squeeze bottle.)
- Prep Salmon Bites: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cornstarch onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cut the (skinless) salmon into 1-2 inch pieces and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the salmon and oil to the spices and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Air Fry: Arrange salmon bites in the basket of an air fryer in a single, even layer, with a little space between pieces (you will likely need to do this in two batches). Air fry at 400°F for 8 minutes, shaking at least once during the cook time, until crispy on the outside. (Tip: This is a good time to prep all your fresh toppings/garnishes.)
- Assemble Bang Bang Bowls: Assemble the base for the bowls using cooked rice and salmon bites. Top with carrots, cucumber, pickled red onions, avocado, and any additional optional toppings (see Cooking Notes). Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Bang Bang sauce per bowl. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes/Tips
- Before Beginning: If you didn’t buy pre-cooked rice, start cooking your rice according to package instructions before beginning this recipe so it’s ready to go. You’ll need ½ – ¾ cup cooked rice per bowl. I think our Instant Pot Coconut Rice recipe would be amazing in this dish!
- Optional additional toppings: Roasted broccoli, edamame beans, thinly sliced red cabbage, thinly sliced radishes.
- Tips for prepping fresh toppings:
- Prep ahead of time and store in the fridge in individual containers.
- Use the large grating side of a box grater for the carrots. Then turn the grater to the side that has a mandolin slicer to thinly slice the cucumber and radishes (watch your fingers!).
- I personally think the pickled red onions make a BIG impact on this dish. If you have a little time at the front end, slice and make these onions. So easy and delicious!
Nutrition
Photos and video by Whitney Reist from Sweet Cayenne.
Leave a Comment