Food in a bowl is just better. Taco bowls, burrito bowls, big grain bowls, warm salads, cold salads, pastas, and more can all be eaten in bowls! Kevin and I usually eat dinner together after he’s home from work and after the kids are in bed. Sitting on the couch with a delicious dinner in a bowl is the absolute best. We’ve been enjoying salmon at least once a week, and these bang bang salmon bowls are our new favorite recipe. Served over rice and with a quick pickled cucumber salad, the salmon is so crispy and delicious. Top it all with sliced green onion and a sriracha mayo for the perfect dinner in a bowl situation. The salmon itself is not spicy at all, making it perfect to give your kids with their own dipping sauce. My five-year-old was eating this salmon as a snack as I was recipe testing! An easy and delicious dinner that the whole family will enjoy? Sign me up!
Ingredients for Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
- Salmon. Wild caught will give you the most flavor and nutritional benefit. Here, we are using fresh Copper River Salmon fillets.
- Buttermilk. A quick dip in the buttermilk before breading will help lock in moisture and allow the dry mixture to stick. Buttermilk is a bit tangier and thicker than regular milk which is important here.
- Salt + pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Sugar
- Cornstarch. The cornstarch helps keep the coating of the salmon thin and it gets super crispy. It’s better than using flour or breadcrumbs to get the right texture!
- Rice. Serving the salmon and cucumber salad over rice helps soak up all that flavor.
- Cucumbers. The crisp cucumber salad is the perfect addition to the salmon.
- Rice vinegar. We are using this for the cucumber salad.
- Mayonnaise + sriracha. The sriracha mayo is going to be a great condiment! Drizzle over the salmon bowls or go ahead and dunk them right in.
- Green onions. For topping!
How to Make Bang Bang Salmon Bowls
- First, start your rice. This will take the longest time to cook, so be sure to cook according to your preferred directions. I boil 3 cups of water and add about a tablespoon of butter or oil and a teaspoon of salt. Once it’s boiling, I add 1 1/2 cups of long grain white rice. I give a quick stir and then let it cook undisturbed until the water is just about gone. Then, turn off the heat and add the lid to the pot. After about 10-15 minutes I fluff it with a fork and it’s ready to go.
- While the rice is cooking, work on your salmon. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, cut the fillets into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl covered with buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat the oil in a large shallow skillet and take pieces of the salmon from the buttermilk and dredge on all sides in the cornstarch mixture. Place in the hot oil and cook until the breading darkens a bit and the fish is crispy on all sides. The salmon won’t get super browned so be careful not to overcook it. When the salmon is done cooking, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- For a quick cucumber salad, chop your cucumber and place in a bowl with rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Mix together your mayonnaise and sriracha to your desired spiciness. Serve a scoop of rice topped with salmon and the cucumber salad on the side. Drizzle the whole thing with sriracha mayo and top with sliced green onions.
If you don’t want to serve your crispy bang bang salmon in a bowl, it’s also delicious all by itself with a bowl of sriracha mayo for dunking! However you enjoy these bang bang salmon bowls, they are truly delicious!
- 2 lbs. salmon fillets
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- Canola or Vegetable oil
- 1 English or Persian cucumber
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2-3 tbsp. rice vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 tbsp. sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it!
- Cooked rice
- Sliced green onions
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Soak in the buttermilk.
- While the salmon are soaking, whisk together cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
- Heat about ¼ inch of oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Take the salmon from the buttermilk and dredge in the cornstarch mixture. Place in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Flip the salmon over after the cornstarch mixture darkens and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels once it's cooked on both sides.
- In a small bowl mix together chopped cucumber, salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. Stir to combine, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. You can use as much as you want depending on how spicy you want it!
- To assemble your bang bang salmon bowls, place a scoop of rice in the bottom of the bowl and add the salmon and cucumber salad. Top with sriracha mayo and green onions. Enjoy!
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