Japanese Salmon Chicken Bowl (Printable View)

A nourishing bowl of salmon, chicken, avocado, and veggies served over steamed rice with a special reheating method.

# Ingredient List:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 skinless salmon fillets (approximately 10.5 oz total)
02 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approximately 8.8 oz total)

→ Marinade

03 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
04 - 1 tbsp mirin
05 - 1 tbsp sake or dry white wine
06 - 1 tsp sesame oil
07 - 1 tsp honey

→ Rice

08 - 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice
09 - 2 1/2 cups water

→ Toppings & Vegetables

10 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
11 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
13 - 2 scallions, finely sliced
14 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
15 - 1 sheet nori, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Sauce

16 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
17 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
18 - 1 tsp sesame oil
19 - 1/2 tsp sugar

→ For Reheating

20 - 4 ice cubes

# How to Make:

01 - Rinse the rice under cold water until clear. Cook with 2 1/2 cups water in a rice cooker or saucepan. Let steam off heat, then fluff with a fork.
02 - Whisk soy sauce, mirin, sake, sesame oil, and honey. Divide into two shallow dishes. Marinate salmon in one, chicken in the other, for at least 10 minutes.
03 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken thighs for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked. Remove, let rest, then slice.
04 - In the same skillet, cook salmon fillets 2 to 3 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove and gently flake.
05 - Slice avocado, cucumber, and carrot. Finely slice scallions.
06 - Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until sugar dissolves.
07 - Divide rice into four bowls. Layer chicken, salmon, avocado, cucumber, carrot, and scallions over rice. Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle sesame seeds and nori strips.
08 - For reheating pre-assembled bowls, place an ice cube in the center of the rice. Cover with microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes until steamed. Discard any remaining ice before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feels like takeout but costs half as much and tastes twice as fresh.
  • The ice cube hack genuinely works and saves you from sad, rubbery reheated rice.
  • You can prep everything in advance and assemble bowls in under five minutes on busy nights.
  • Its endlessly customizable based on what vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Rinse the rice until the water runs completely clear or it will turn into a sticky, gluey mess instead of fluffy grains.
  • Don't skip letting the chicken rest after cooking or all the juices will run out when you slice it and it'll taste dry.
  • Use the ice cube hack only for reheating rice, not for fresh rice, or you'll end up with a watery puddle.
  • Slice the avocado at the last possible moment because it starts browning within minutes of exposure to air.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty and start popping slightly, it makes all the difference.
  • If your rice cooker has a timer function, set it to finish right when you start cooking the proteins so everything is warm at the same time.
  • Marinate the proteins the night before if you can; the flavors deepen overnight and the meat gets even more tender.
  • Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken against the grain so it stays tender and doesn't turn chewy.
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