Salmon Rice Recipes

Let me be straightforward — earlier on I had the idea that salmon was one of those dishes you only
ordered in fancy restaurants when somebody else was doing the cooking. But after I began to prepare it
at home, I found that the entire process ends up requiring less effort than just waiting for takeout to
come. This recipe has now become one of the ones I cook over and over again, particularly on nights
when I’d like something that appears as if I’ve put in a bit of effort even though I haven’t actually.
It’s a portion of salmon that has been coated with sesame and is topped with a little honey-soy glaze,
and it’s served alongside warm rice and some garlic-sautéed bok choy. That’s all—there are no
sophisticated techniques employed and no odd ingredients which you’d use only once and then forget
about in the back of your fridge.
If you’re not someone who really likes salmon, then by all means stay on — there’s also a chicken
version below.

Why This Recipe Works

To be honest, it’s the glaze that’s carrying most of the work here; when you combine soy sauce, honey,
and a little garlic, it becomes a shiny, slightly sticky coating that caramelizes on the salmon as it’s being
cooked, which is why the deep golden colour is achieved—the kind of colour you typically see on dishes
that someone else has prepared. Adding a dash of sesame seeds on top gives it a bit of crunch, and
finally squeezing in some lemon helps to counteract the richness so that the mixture doesn’t taste heavy.
Combine it with some soft rice and a portion of bok choy that is cooked just until it’s tender but still has a
little bite, and then you’ll have essentially a complete meal which took about 25 minutes, most of that
time being spent simply standing by the stove.

“Salmon rice recipe, is a healthy flavorful one-pan meal ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights and full of protein and flavor.”

Easy Sesame Glazed Salmon Rice Recipe – Ready in 30 Minutes

A simple, restaurant-style Salmon Rice Recipes. Ready in under 30 minutes, with a delicious chicken variation included.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

What You’ll Need

• 2 salmon fillets skin-on
• One and a half cups of cooked white rice
• 1 small bunch bok choy halved
• 3 cloves garlic minced (split into two portions)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A handful of fresh parsley chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving
• You don’t need to make a special trip to the grocery store for any of this. If you cook even once or twice
• regularly then you probably already have most of it in your kitchen at the moment.

Method

 

How to Make It

Step 1.

1. First of all, get the salmon ready by patting the fillets dry with a paper towel—for many years I omitted
2. this step and always questioned why my salmon never browned properly. It turns out that was the
3. reason. Then season both sides with some salt and pepper.

Step 2.

1. Combine the glaze. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, honey, and half of the garlic together. That’s
2. all, there’s no need to overthink it.

Step 3.

1. Place it in the pan and heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Put the salmon down with
2. the skin side down and just leave it there for about four minutes. I know it’s tempting to stick a fork in it,
3. but don’t do it — that’s the way you end up with a crust. Turn it over, apply the glaze to the top, scatter on
4. the sesame seeds and cook it for another three to four minutes until it can be easily flaked with a fork.

Step 4.

1. Prepare the bok choy by cooking it. While the salmon is resting, heat the rest of the oil in a separate
2. pan together with the remaining garlic and put the bok choy in with the cut side down, then leave it for 2
3. to 3 minutes until it is lightly charred in places but still has some crunch remaining.

Step 5.

1. Now put everything together by spreading the rice onto a plate, scattering some parsley over it, and
2. then placing the salmon and the bok choy beside it. Have a few lemon wedges available alongside and
3. that’s that.

A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

1. It is important not to move the salmon during the searing process. I realise it’s difficult to leave it
2. there, but moving it too early is basically the main reason why it fails to develop that lovely golden
3. crust.
4. Put the glaze on after you have flipped the food, not before. Honey has a tendency to burn quickly,
5. and if you apply it too early you’ll generally end up with a bitter, blackened result rather than the
6. desired caramelization.
7. Go for rice that’s really warm because rice that has just been taken out of the fridge doesn’t taste
8. the same when it’s next to hot, glazed salmon—believe me about that.

If You’d Rather Use Chicken

1. It occurs in my home more frequently than I’m willing to admit that one of the family members isn’t feeling
2. like eating fish. The good point is that the glaze works just as well with chicken. Cut the boneless chicken
3. thighs or breast into pieces the size of fillets, season them with salt and pepper, and fry them in olive oil
4. for about three minutes on each side until they turn golden. Then apply the same soy-honey glaze,
5. scatter over them some sesame seeds, and cook them until they are fully done. Serve it in the exact
6. same way, that is, over rice with the bok choy and lemon available on the side. No one at the table will
7. end up feeling as if they’ve been left out.

Leftovers

1. It will remain good in the refrigerator for a couple of days provided it is stored in a sealed container. If you
2. want to eat it once more, reheat it gently in a pan by adding a little water so that the rice doesn’t dry out,
3. or simply microwave it, covering it for about a minute.

Final Thoughts

Notes

At this point I’ve made this dish enough times that I barely need the recipe anymore, and that’s really the sign of a good weeknight meal — simple enough to remember, good enough that you actually want to make it again. Whether you go with salmon or swap it out for chicken, it’s one of those plates that looks like more effort than it actually took.