Tropical Salmon Rice Bowl! This healthful, hearty meal is served with a tangy slaw and mango dressing, capturing the flavors of steamy summer nights in the tropics.
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Salmon is a protein I typically buy weekly because it's so quick to cook, versatile, and loaded with beneficial Omega-3s. Most of the time I season it and throw it in the air fryer for one of the easiest meals ever, but every once in a while I like to mix things up and make it extra flavorful.
While this recipe is not the same as the TikTok famous Emily Mariko salmon rice bowl recipe, it's definitely worth making!
Tropical Salmon Rice Bowl is like a little beach vacation in a dish! Salmon is sprinkled with blackened seasoning and seared before cooking to perfect, flaky goodness in the oven. Topped off with super quick mango dressing-tossed slaw, fresh mango chunks and some cilantro, and served over a bed of aromatic coconut rice, this meal will make a weekday feel like an island getaway!
Looking for more sumptuous salmon recipes? Try my Basil Panko Crusted Salmon, Asian-Inspired Grilled Salmon, Corn & Cucumber Salad, or Smokey Salmon Bagel Burgers with Garlic-Dill Schmear.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and can be made vegan. (See Variations & Substitutions.)
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- White rice. You can also use brown rice or your favorite grain in place of rice.
- Coconut milk. Canned, full-fat coconut milk works best here.
- Sea salt
- Mango. Fresh or frozen will work. The texture of thawed, frozen mango can be a bit mushy, so it may be best to omit them if you don't have fresh mango. (Tip: Check out my video showing how to prep a fresh mango!)
- Lime juice.
- Honey
- Salmon. I prefer fresh salmon, but frozen works, too. This article shares the best ways to prepare frozen salmon.
- Blackened seasoning blend. I love Kinders, but feel free to experiment with seasonings.
- Pre-packed coleslaw mix. You can find this pre-shredded cabbage (and sometimes carrot) blend in the packaged salad section at the grocery store.
- Cilantro. Feel free to leave this out if you're opposed to cilantro.
Instructions
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and salt, and mix to coat the rice with the oil for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the water and coconut milk. Allow the liquid to come to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Next, give the rice a good stir, then cover with the lid once again and let the rice cook until tender, about 12-15 more minutes. Fluff it with a fork, then set it aside until you're ready to assemble your bowls done.
Tip: You can also make rice of any kind in a rice cooker or even an Instant Pot! I just make mine on the stovetop because that's how my Abuela taught me to do it.
Make Mango Dressing
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor or a blender, puree diced mango, fresh lime juice, honey, coconut milk and salt until smooth.
With the processor or blender running, drizzle in the oil until it's fully blended and emulsified. Set it aside.
Cook Salmon
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In an oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season two salmon filets with blackened seasoning and salt (unless your blackened seasoning is high in salt, then skip it.)
Place the salmon pieces (skin-side down, if you're cooking salmon with the skin on) in the hot skillet and sear for about 2 minutes on one side; flip and sear for about 1 minute, then transfer the skillet to the oven.
Bake the salmon for about 3-5 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
Tip: Salmon is considered safe to eat at an internal temperature of 145 degrees. I like to use a meat thermometer to test it; just insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the filet for the reading.
Make Slaw
In a medium bowl, toss about ¼ cup of the Mango Dressing with coleslaw mix until well-combined.
Assemble Bowls
Spoon the cooked coconut rice into each bowl as a base. Divide the mango slaw evenly between bowls.
Top each rice bowl with salmon. Add diced mango to each dish.
Finally, drizzle extra Mango Dressing over the top of each bowl and garnish with sprigs of cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
FAQ's
Yes. Prepare the rice, salmon and slaw separately, then place them in separate containers with airtight lids and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble.
When you're ready to eat, heat the salmon thorough (275°F for 15 minutes in the oven is the best way to do this without over-drying), zap the rice in the microwave for minute or two to warm, and assemble.
Stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, cooked salmon is usually safe to eat for 3-4 days.
Yes, salmon skin is safe to eat. Many people love crispy salmon skin! If you don't enjoy it, you can simply remove the skin from the fish (it slides off fairly easily once it's cooked.) This article discusses how to get crispy salmon skin if you're interested in trying it!
Variations & Substitutions
Want to try a different version of this salmon rice bowl? Give these versions a go:
- Thai-inspired. Skip the mango dressing and mangos and drizzle with store-bought peanut sauce instead. Add shredded carrot, radish and crunchy peanuts.
- Teriyaki Salmon Bowl. Use teriyaki sauce instead of mango dressing and chopped fresh pineapple instead of mango.
- Cuban-inspired. Use plain white rice. Swap mango chunks for black beans and finish off with a drizzle of mojo sauce and plantain chips.
Diet-Specific Substitutions
Vegan: Use a piece of seasoned, crispy/ pan-seared tofu instead of salmon.
Make It Faster
In a rush? Try these quick subs:
- Use frozen white or brown rice. If you still want a bit of coconut flavor, sprinkle with toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Use pre-cooked salmon or canned salmon.
- Use thawed, frozen mango. The texture isn't quite as nice as fresh, but if you chop it small enough, it'll do the trick!
Tropical Salmon Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For Coconut Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup white rice
- ¾ cups water
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Mango Dressing:
- ½ cup diced mango
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- Sprinkle of salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
For Salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 4-6 ounce salmon fillets fresh or thawed from frozen
- 2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For Slaw:
- 1 ½ cups prepared coleslaw cabbage blend
- ¼ cup Mango Dressing
Additional ingredients
- ¼ cup diced mango
- 2 tablespoons cilantro if desired
- 2 lime wedges if desired
Instructions
For Rice
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and salt, and mix to coat the rice with the oil.
- Stir in water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover the pot with a lid and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir the rice, then cover with the lid once again and reduce heat to low. Let the rice cook until tender, about 12-15 more minutes. Fluff with a fork when done.
For Mango Dressing
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, puree diced mango, fresh lime juice, honey, coconut milk and salt until smooth.
- With the processor running, drizzle in the oil until fully blended and emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
For Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In an oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season salmon with blackened seasoning and salt.
- Place salmon in hot skillet and sear for about 2 minutes on one side; flip and sear for about 1 minute, then transfer skillet to oven.
- Bake for about 3-5 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through {should flake easily with a fork}.
For Slaw
- Combine prepared coleslaw cabbage mix with ¼ cup of Mango Dressing. Set aside.
Assemble Bowls
- Spoon rice into each bowl as a base. Divide slaw evenly between bowls. Place cooked salmon fillets on top of slaw in each bowl; add diced mango to each dish. Drizzle Mango Dressing over the top of each bowl and garnish with sprigs of cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- Thai-inspired. Skip the mango dressing and mangos and drizzle with store-bought peanut sauce instead. Add shredded carrot, radish and crunchy peanuts.
- Teriyaki Salmon Bowl. Use teriyaki sauce instead of mango dressing and chopped fresh pineapple instead of mango.
- Cuban-inspired. Use plain white rice. Swap mango chunks for black beans and finish off with a drizzle of mojo sauce and plantain chips.
- Vegan: Use a piece of seasoned, crispy/ pan-seared tofu instead of salmon.
Caitlin says
The coconut/mango/salmon combination sounds amazing! I have never made coconut rice but this might be a good reason to try 🙂
thekitchenprep says
Thanks, Caitlin! Coconut rice only requires a slight tweak {the addition of coconut milk}, and is such a nice, easy way to change up plain rice! Hope you enjoy it!
Henrikovratd says
Sounds wonderful....can't wait to make:)
Thank you!
thekitchenprep says
Thank you for stopping by! Hope you love it!