Smoked salmon bowls are so easy to make, packed with flavor and ready in just 15 minutes. This smoked salmon sushi bowl recipe is great for lunch or dinner and can even use leftover rice or salmon. This deconstructed sushi roll is so fun to eat and super customizable based on what you have on hand!

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make – no need to learn how to roll your own sushi! Packed with flavor, these smoked salmon bowls are so much easier to make than sushi but have all the same flavors.  
• Customizable – use whatever veggies you have in the fridge to make these cooked salmon sushi bowls a meal. These are great for leftover rice, salmon or whatever veggies you have on hand. You can even make this into a spicy salmon sushi bowl by adding some sriracha mayo or red pepper flakes!
• Less expensive than takeout or a night out – making your own sushi rice bowls at home is a great way to enjoy all your favorite flavors from takeout at home. Rice is so budget friendly and smoked salmon tends to be less expensive than fresh salmon and lasts so much longer in the fridge.
• Great for meal prep – you can make these smoked salmon bowls for your meal prep, just be sure to wait to add the sauce until right before serving. If you use jasmine rice, you can even enjoy these cold for lunch, no heating required.

Ingredients

• Cooked rice – this recipe works well with any kind of cooked rice. I love making a batch in the Instant pot in under 15 minutes, but you can also use leftover rice too. Another great option would be to make smoked salmon quinoa bowl instead by using quinoa in place of the rice.
• Smoked salmon – smoked salmon is already cooked. It’s got a smoky, salty and really delicious flavor. Smoked salmon can either be cold smoked or hot smoked but is usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store around where they sell fresh fish. You could also use cooked salmon (fresh or leftover) for this recipe as well.
• Cucumber and shredded carrots – cucumber and carrots are typical ingredients in sushi rolls and are easy to keep on hand. I prefer to soak the veggies in the soy sauce mixture ahead of time to give them a deep layer of flavor, but it’s not required.
• Coconut aminos – coconut aminos are the gluten free, soy free version of soy sauce. They are salty and slightly sweet and can be used just like you would soy sauce. If you don’t have coconut aminos, you could also use gluten free tamari or soy sauce if you aren’t gluten free.
• Rice wine vinegar – rice wine vinegar is a staple ingredient when making sushi. It’s typically added to the sushi rice to give it the unique flavor. I like to mix it together with the coconut aminos and the sesame oil to create a really flavorful sauce for the entire dish.
• Sesame oil – sesame oil adds so much flavor to the sushi rice bowls. A little bit of sesame oil goes a long way and it can easily overpower the rest of the ingredients if too much is used in a recipe.
• Avocado (optional) – avocado adds a creamy texture to the smoked salmon bowls and really helps to make them filling (they are a great source of fiber and healthy fats). If you don’t love avocado, you can just skip it.
• Pickled ginger (optional) – pickled ginger and sushi just go together. Sometimes it’s used as a palate cleanser between rolls when eating sushi, but I personally love to put ginger with my sushi (like every bite) so I love adding pickled ginger to my smoked salmon sushi bowl as well.

How to make smoked salmon bowls

Top tips

• If you are making this in advance, skip soaking the cucumbers in the sauce and just pack it on the side. The cucumbers start to wilt because of the salt in the sauce so for the best texture, it’s better to wait to add the sauce until serving.
• Use whatever rice you have on hand for this. Since you aren’t rolling the sushi up into rolls, you don’t have to use the traditional sticky rice that is used in sushi. I always have jasmine rice on hand, so that is what I used.
• I typically buy shredded carrots at the store. If you don’t have shredded carrots, you can shred them yourself with a box grater or use the grater attachment of your food processor.

Other additions

• Edamame
• Veggies: Radish (red or daikon), bell peppers, snap peas, green onion
• Seaweed sheets
• Pickled veggies: like pickled red onion, kimchi or pickled cauliflower or radish
• Spice: Red pepper flakes, wasabi or homemade sriracha mayo
• Cauliflower rice
• Sesame Seeds
• Quinoa

Common questions

Can you make this sushi rice bowl with anything other than smoked salmon?

You could use freshly baked salmon, leftover salmon, cooked shrimp, cooked scallops or if you can find sushi-grade tuna or salmon you could also use that. If you are choosing to make this with uncooked fish, be sure it’s sushi-grade.

Does smoked salmon need to be cooked?

Smoked salmon is already cooked, making it great for leftover meals like this. Smoked salmon is usually cold smoked or hot smoked and is put in a brine before smoking. This process cooks the salmon, so no further cooking is required.

What is the best rice for rice bowls

• Jasmine rice or basmati rice – white or brown jasmine rice or basmati rice is my go to for rice bowls because it’s easy to prepare (I love to use the Instant Pot for this) and leftover rice is so good. Unlike traditional white rice, jasmine rice and basmati rice stays soft and fluffy even days later, it doesn’t get rock hard in the fridge.
• Frozen rice – you can buy frozen rice at the grocery store, helping to make this meal in just 10 minutes. I like to keep a box of frozen jasmine rice on hand for those days when I don’t want to cook but need food quickly.
• Prepackaged rice – you can buy rice in the dry goods section of the grocery store that cooks in about 1:30 minutes. It’s great to keep on hand but can be more expensive since it’s a convenience item.
• Cauliflower rice – if you are trying to cut back on your carb intake or just trying to get in more veggies, cauliflower rice can be a great substitute for regular rice. Be sure to cook it in a hot skillet with some salt for the best flavor.
• Sushi rice – for this recipe, sushi rice would give you the most authentic sushi rice bowl taste and texture, but sushi rice can be hard to find. If you have it on hand, here is how to prepare it.

Can you make smoked salmon sushi bowls for meal prep?

Yes! These smoked salmon rice bowls are great for meal prep. Prepare the rice, prepare the sauce, chop the veggies and cut up the smoked salmon. Do not marinade the veggies in the sauce, instead put the sauce on the side in a separate container until you are ready to serve (the salt from the coconut aminos will make the cucumber watery).

When you are ready to serve, assemble the bowls and pour the sauce over the top.

Storing leftovers

Fridge – the cucumbers are best to be eaten immediately if they have been marinating in the sauce. You can store the rest of the smoked salmon bowls in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you know you will be enjoying leftovers, wait to add the coconut amino marinade to the veggies until right before serving.

I do not recommend that you freeze this recipe as the veggies will get very watery.

Substitutions

• Rice – you can use quinoa or cauliflower rice in place of the rice in this recipe. You could also make this with noodles as well.
• Smoked salmon – you can use cooked salmon (fresh or leftovers), shrimp, tofu or sushi grade tuna or salmon as well.
• Cucumber and carrots – use any veggies you have on hand. You can use raw radish, bell peppers, green onion or you can steam broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.
• Coconut aminos – this helps to create a sauce that makes these bowls really delish. You can use gluten free tamari or soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos. If you don’t love soy sauce with your salmon, you can instead make a spicy sriracha mayo to drizzle on top.
• Rice wine vinegar – rice wine vinegar helps to brighten all the flavors of the bowl and is a traditional ingredient when making sushi rice. If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can use lime juice or apple cider vinegar in place of the rice wine vinegar or simply omit it.
• Sesame oil – sesame oil really adds so much deep flavor to the dish. If you don’t have it, just omit it.
• Avocado – the avocado is optional. If you don’ have it, simply omit it. If you want to add some more fat to the meal to make it more filling, you can make a spicy sriracha sauce to drizzle on top.
• Pickled ginger – this is 100% optional. If you don’t have it, just omit it.

If you love this recipe, you should try

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites

Asian Buddha Bowls

Sesame Ginger Broccoli Slaw

Smoked Salmon Frittata