Hot Honey Salmon Bites Bowl

If you’re looking for a fast, easy, and flavorful weeknight meal or meal prep lunch, this salmon bites bowl is going to be your new go-to recipe. With crispy, juicy, hot-honey-glazed pieces of salmon, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, and a sweet and spicy honey umami-forward sauce, this bowl hits all the right notes.

What is a salmon bites bowl?

A salmon bites bowl is a bowl of rice or other grain topped off with pan-seared salmon and served with crunchy marinated cucumbers and slices of avocado. The finishing touch is a generous drizzle of Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce to tie everything together, giving a sweet, savory, spicy finish.

Ingredients for salmon bite bowls

You’ll only need a few ingredients to put this dish together: rice, salmon, cucumbers, avocado, and of course, Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce. Glazing the salmon in Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce will give it a sweet and sticky and just the right amount of spicy deliciousness.

How to choose salmon

Look for thick, center cut salmon fillets. A center-cut salmon fillet is the meatier, thicker portion of salmon that comes from the middle of the fish. Because it’s a uniform thickness, it makes it easy to cut into equal size bites which will cook evenly with the same timing. 

Skin-on salmon fillets are ideal because the skin has so many nutrients and adds a delicious crispy crust. The skin also prevents your salmon bites from over cooking. Even if you prefer not to eat the skin, it’s better to cook salmon bites with skin on so they stay juicy throughout, then remove before serving if desired.

A short primer on salmon

Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon have bright orange flesh and silver skin. They’re mild and tender with a generous amount of fat. All Atlantic salmon are farmed - fishing for wild Atlantic salmon is prohibited as they’re a protected species.

Sockeye salmon

Sockeye (also known as red salmon) are a Pacific Ocean salmon with deep red flesh and red skin. Like most Pacific salmon, they’re born in fresh water, travel to the ocean to live their lives, then return to fresh water to spawn. They’re the leanest of all the salmon and are considered a salmon-forward fish with a more assertive salmon flavor. All sockeye salmon is wild caught.

King salmon

King (also known as Chinook salmon) are called king because they’re the biggest of the Pacific salmon. They have a very high fat content and mild flavor that is sweet and delicious. King salmon is available both wild-caught and farmed.

Coho salmon

Coho (also known as silver salmon) has bright silver skin with medium bright red flesh. They’re milder in flavor compared to sockeye or king salmon and have semi-firm flesh with a moderate amount of fat. Just like other Pacific salmon, they’re born in fresh water but live most of their lives in the ocean before returning to fresh water to spawn. Coho salmon is available both farmed and wild-caught.

How to cut salmon for salmon bites

First off, pat the salmon dry with a clean towel or paper towel - removing any excess moisture on the surface will help with browning and crisping. If any sides of the fillet are much thinner than the rest of the fillet, trim using a sharp knife, to ensure that the fillet is about the same thickness throughout. Cut the fillet into even 1.5 to 2 inch cubes.

How to cook salmon bites

You can cook these salmon bites several ways: on the stove top, in the oven, or in the air fryer. Sometimes the easiest thing is to just grab a pan and pan fry, but the oven and air fryer are both great options too, especially if you’re doing meal prep.

How to pan fry

Lightly season the salmon bites with salt and pepper. Heat up a bit of neutral oil in a skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the salmon bites, skin side down, and cook without moving so the skin crisps up and browns. When the skin is crispy, flip and continue to cook - the second side will take less time - until the salmon is cooked through. Turn the heat down, give it a generous squeeze of Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce, and toss to coat until the sauce reduces and turns into a sticky glaze. Remove from the heat and use in your salmon bowl.

How to bake

Heat the oven to 400°F. Season the salmon bites with salt and pepper and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toss the salmon in oil and then arrange on the baking sheet, skin side down. Bake until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, toss with Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to slightly reduce the glaze. When sticky and glazed, remove from the oven and they’re ready to go.

How to air fry

Season the salmon bites with salt and pepper, then toss the salmon bites in oil. Arrange in the air fryer basket, skin side down. Set the air fryer to 400°F and air fry until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the salmon bites from the fryer basket and place in a bowl. Toss with Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce until coated and place back in the air fryer basket and air fry for 2-3 minutes at 400°F to caramelize the sauce on the salmon bites. Remove from the air fryer basket and enjoy.

Assembly

Once your hot honey salmon bites are cooked, it’s time to assemble. You need cooked rice (or grain of your choice), marinated cucumbers, sliced avocado, and extra Bachan’s Hot Honey Japanese Barbecue Sauce to drizzle. 

Like all grain bowls, this salmon bite bowl is infinitely customizable. You can switch the salmon out for other fish like steelhead trout, cod, tuna, or halibut. The vegetables can easily be swapped as well. Try mixed greens, shelled edamame, broccoli, or cabbage. The rice can easily be switched out for your favorite grain. Even the toasted sesame seeds can be swapped for sliced almonds or your favorite nut. The world is your salmon bowl!