These quick and easy teriyaki salmon bowls make a perfect weeknight dinner and can be prepped in under 30 minutes. The homemade teriyaki sauce doubles as a marinade, so you get big flavor with minimal effort. Customize your bowls with shelled edamame, cucumbers, avocado, pickled onions, sesame seeds, or any favorite toppings. Air fryer and oven baking instructions are included below.
Years ago I made my first batch of homemade teriyaki sauce while testing a ground turkey teriyaki stir fry, and I haven’t bought bottled teriyaki since. It’s easy to make, tastes fresher, and adapts well to salmon.
These teriyaki salmon rice bowls are a fast, flavorful way to put dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. The sauce serves as both a marinade and a finishing glaze, giving the salmon a sticky, savory coating and lots of depth.
Why We Love These Teriyaki Salmon Bowls
These bowls are ideal when you want a simple, satisfying meal that’s easy to customize. The recipe is fast, adaptable to air fryer or oven cooking, and delivers crispy, saucy salmon bites over rice with your choice of fresh or pickled toppings.
These teriyaki salmon rice bowls:
- are simple and quick to prepare
- can be cooked in the air fryer or oven
- are highly customizable with many topping options
- yield crispy salmon bites coated in a sticky teriyaki glaze
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for exact measurements. A few tips before you start:
- Use center-cut salmon fillets for the best texture and more even pieces. Remove the skin before cutting into bites unless you prefer to cook the fillet whole.
- Choose low-sodium soy sauce for better control over salt. For a gluten-free option, substitute tamari.
Ways To Vary This Recipe
- Spice it up: Add sriracha or hot honey to the teriyaki sauce, or finish bowls with a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
- Bowl add-ins: Top your rice with cucumbers, avocado, shredded cabbage, pickled red onions, kimchi, steamed broccoli, sesame seeds, or crispy shallots.
- Flavor boost: Grated orange zest in the sauce brightens the flavor—try it if you want a citrusy twist.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk together the teriyaki sauce ingredients, leaving the cornstarch and water aside. Divide the mixture in half and reserve one portion for finishing the sauce.
Step 2: Toss the other half of the marinade with cubed salmon so each piece is coated. Marinate 30–60 minutes, or up to 8 hours for more flavor.
Step 3: Arrange marinated salmon bites in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Step 4 (Air Fry): Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook 7–10 minutes, turning or shaking once if you like. Salmon is done when the edges are browned and a thermometer reads 145°F or to your preferred doneness.
Step 5: While the salmon cooks, mix cornstarch with cold water until smooth and stir into the reserved marinade. Heat the mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thickens into a glaze. If it gets too thick, thin with a splash of water.
Step 6: Transfer cooked salmon to a serving dish and toss with the warm teriyaki glaze, or drizzle the glaze over individual bowls. Assemble bowls with cooked rice, salmon, edamame, cucumbers, carrots, and any other preferred toppings. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
Cut uniform pieces: Try to cut salmon into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly. Center-cut fillets usually yield more uniform cubes.
Whole fillets work too: If you prefer not to cube the salmon, cook whole fillets instead. Cooking time will be slightly longer, and you’ll get fewer crispy edges, but the flavor is the same.
Storage
Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Keep the teriyaki sauce separate for up to 7–10 days for best quality.
To freeze: let leftovers cool completely, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently.
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Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Ingredients
Teriyaki Marinade/Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 Tbsp cold water (for slurry)
- 2 tsp corn starch
Salmon Bites
- 1½-2 lb center cut salmon fillets, skin removed and cut into ~1-inch pieces
Rice Bowl Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 sliced cucumbers
- ½ cup shredded or julienned carrots
- Optional: cubed avocado, sliced green onion, pickled onions, toasted sesame seeds, sauces
Instructions
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Combine the teriyaki sauce/marinade ingredients, except the cold water and cornstarch. Divide in half and set one half aside for finishing the glaze.
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Toss the remaining marinade with the salmon pieces to coat. Marinate 30–60 minutes, up to 8 hours if desired.
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Arrange marinated salmon in a single layer in the air fryer basket or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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To Air Fry: Cook at 400°F for 7–10 minutes, turning once if you like. Salmon should be browned and reach an internal temperature of 145°F or your preferred doneness.
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To Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake salmon bites on a parchment-lined sheet for about 12–15 minutes, until cooked through.
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While salmon cooks, whisk cornstarch with cold water until dissolved and stir into the reserved marinade. Heat in a small saucepan over medium until thickened, adding water if needed to reach desired consistency.
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Toss cooked salmon with the warm teriyaki glaze or drizzle the glaze over assembled bowls.
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Assemble bowls with rice, salmon, and desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
Whole fillets are an option: If you prefer not to cube the salmon, cook fillets whole; plan for a few extra minutes of cook time.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers 3–4 days; store sauce separately 7–10 days. Freeze cooled leftovers up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.