Honey Garlic Salmon Bowl Recipe

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch.

Combine rinsed rice, 2.5 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes (for jasmine) or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with fork before serving.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil a baking dish.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place fillets skin-side down (if skin-on) on the prepared baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.

Make the honey garlic sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together 6 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp neutral oil. In a separate small cup, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry; add the slurry to the sauce and whisk until smooth.

Reserve about 2 tbsp of sauce for drizzling at the end. Using a pastry brush or spoon, generously brush remaining sauce over the top of each salmon fillet.

Bake salmon in the preheated oven 10–14 minutes depending on thickness (about 10 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets) until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. During the last 1–2 minutes, switch oven to broil (if desired) and broil on high to caramelize the sauce—watch carefully to prevent burning.

Remove salmon from oven and let rest 2 minutes. Spoon any collected pan juices over fillets. If reserved sauce has thickened, gently warm it and drizzle over finished salmon.

Quickly wilt the spinach: heat a large skillet over medium heat, add baby spinach (do not add oil), and cook 30–60 seconds, stirring, just until wilted. Remove and squeeze out excess liquid if desired. Alternatively, keep spinach raw for a fresher texture.

Place cooked rice into 4 bowls (about 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving if making 4; adjust to appetite). Arrange wilted or raw spinach, 1/4 cup julienned carrots, and 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes around the rice.

Top each bowl with one honey garlic salmon fillet. Drizzle reserved/warmed sauce over salmon and vegetables. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp sesame seeds and 1/2 tbsp sliced green onion per bowl, and finish with a light drop (1/8 tsp) of toasted sesame oil if using.

Serve immediately with a lemon wedge alongside for squeezing over the salmon.