These 7 Delicious Takes on the Viral Salmon Bowl Are Packed With Omega-3s

Baked feta pasta, you have been officially replaced. A couple of weeks ago, lifestyle vlogger Emily Mariko shared on TikTok one of her go-to lunches: a salmon bowl loaded with rice, veggies, and sauce. Oh, and an ice cube (to help steam the rice). With 4.6 million views and counting, it’s safe to say the salmon bowl is *the* viral food of the moment.

First, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how delicious—and nutrient-rich—Mariko’s bowl is. Salmon is one of the most brain-healthy proteins you can eat. The white rice, kimchi, and avocado are all full of gut-healthy fiber (the kimchi is doubly good for the gut because it’s a probiotic-rich food), and the seaweed has chlorophyll and iron. It truly is a great lunch for all parts of your body—taste buds included.

But this is certainly not the only way to enjoy a salmon bowl. Fish and rice are versatile enough to work with a wide range of different ingredients. Varying the ingredients in your salmon bowl isn’t just good for getting stuck out of a lunch rut; it means your body will be getting a variety of different nutrients too, which is definitely a health perk.

Stuck on how to switch things up? That’s where the seven salmon bowl recipes here come in. They build on the initial salmon bowl formula, switching the ingredients out for others, all full of health benefits. Give ’em a try, and sure, go ahead and add that ice cube if you want.

7 delicious, nutrient-rich salmon bowl recipes

1. Salmon burrito bowl

Like in Mariko’s salmon bowl, you still need your fish, rice, and avocado for this one. It’s the spices (chipotle powder, paprika, and cumin) that make it taste completely different. All three are great for helping to treat or prevent chronic inflammation too.

Get the recipe: salmon burrito bowl 

2. Salmon and broccoli bowl

If you have some leftover broccoli hanging out in your crisper, this is the perfect chance to integrate it into something really yummy. Really, any veg dressed up with a little garlic and onion powder tastes pretty great. Sub out the kimchi in the original salmon bowl for miso dressing, which still delivers on the probiotic front.

Get the recipe: salmon and broccoli bowl 

3. Mediterranean salmon bowl

This salmon bowl recipe is triple-registered dietitian-approved, so you know every ingredient is going to benefit the body. Besides salmon, it’s made with fiber-rich quinoa, greens, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, avocado, feta cheese, and a few key spices. Topping it off is a homemade tzatziki sauce made with Greek yogurt, extra-virgin olive oil, dill, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Told you everything in it was full of health benefits.

Get the recipe: Mediterranean salmon bowl

4. Korean rice bowl with sashimi (hoedeopbap)

Raw salmon works just as well in a bowl as cooked salmon. Here, it’s paired with tuna and several different types of greens, including green or red leaf lettuce leaves, chrysanthemum leaves, and perilla leaves—and they aren’t the only veggies on the ingredients list either. The final touch is a homemade cho gochujang sauce, made with gochujang, rice vinegar, soy sauce, apple, sugar, and lemon juice. It gives the whole bowl a perfect bit of tang.

Get the recipe: Korean rice bowl with sashimi (hoedeopbap)

5. Mango Caribbean-inspired salmon bowl

What makes this salmon bowl special is hands-down the mango-lime-coconut sauce—it’s a must. The citrusy topping adds sweetness to the bowl without overpowering the taste of the salmon, a perfect balance. In addition to the sauce, coconut milk is used when cooking the rice too, adding another layer of sweetness.

Get the recipe: mango Caribbean-inspired salmon bowl 

6. Barbecue salmon bowl

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you’re done with barbecue sauce until May; it tastes delicious with salmon. Besides the barbecue sauce, the other must-have for this salmon bowl is the pineapple salsa—it brightens up the whole bowl.

Get the recipe: barbecue salmon bowl 

7. Pesto salmon bowl

Making your own pesto sauce only takes a minute and it’s a great way to add more greens to your bowl. Other ingredients that taste great in this bowl are spring onions, cucumber, and baby peas, so throw ’em in there if you have them in your fridge.

Get the recipe: pesto salmon bowl 

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