Salmon Sushi Bowl

This easy Salmon Sushi Bowl is packed with cooked salmon, avocado, brown rice and plenty of toasted sesame seeds. It’s a quick and healthy lunch recipe and budget-friendly way to enjoy sushi – deconstructed in a bowl!

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This Salmon Sushi Bowl is a dupe for Whole Foods’ Brown Rice Salmon Avocado Roll – which they stopped selling in my area last year. It combines salmon, avocado and sesame with soy sauce and is a healthy option for lunch or a summer dinner.

This recipe saves money since you are making it yourself at home.

How to make a sushi bowl

Making this sushi bowl takes a few steps.

1. Check that you have a ripe avocado on hand. The avocado is a key part of the recipe. Before you get ready to make the recipe, make sure you have at least one ripe avocado available – or almost ripe if you plan to eat the bowl the next day.
2. Cook the rice. Brown rice takes 30-40 minutes to cook. Make it in a rice cooker or stovetop before dressing it for the bowl. Yes. You can use white rice if you prefer.
3. Season and cook the salmon. You can grill, bake or sauté the salmon. I prefer baking it for a more hands off approach. The cooked salmon will stay fresh 3-4 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.
4. Gather all prepped ingredients and assemble the bowls.

This is a perfect meal prep recipe. Once the rice and salmon are cooked, the hard work is done and you’ll just need to assemble the bowls when you’re ready to eat.

Best salmon to use

The salmon is a key part of this recipe. Choose one that you enjoy eating but also pay attention to sustainable options. Use fresh or frozen fish fillets. You can cook farmed or wild salmon to go in the bowls.

For farmed fish, consider the origin. Salmon farmed in New Zealand, Maine, Faroe Islands, Scotland’s Orkney Islands, Nova Scotia and parts of Norway and Chile are the current best choices.

• I’m using baked Atlantic salmon (farmed) which provides a richer, higher fat content. Combined with the avocado, it makes for a very satisfying meal.
• Wild salmon works great too. Wild salmon is a bit drier in texture. As such, you might want to add a splash more soy sauce or even add extra avocado if you want.
• Canned salmon can also work in a pinch. I enjoy canned salmon for recipes like my popular baked salmon cakes but I’ve used it to make simple salmon pasta salads too.

NOTE: There are many different types of farmed and wild salmon. Seafood Watch provides recommendations and more information on the best salmon to buy and avoid for safety and sustainability.

How to serve the bowls

These salmon sushi bowls can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Be careful not to let the ingredients sit too long. Cooked salmon should be eaten within 2 hours at room temperature. But if it’s warmer – say you’re going on a picnic – you have less than 1 hour.

But for now, this sesame salmon avocado bowl tops my list of healthy, easy meals. It’s ideal for meal prep Monday, Sundays, and of course Fish Friday!