This Easy Avocado Rice Bowl is served with honey lime fried salmon bites and is so delicious. It's inspired by Mexican flavours and is a healthy, zesty, and delicious avocado rice bowl. I really hope you enjoy it!
We've also topped with avocado rice bowl with a homemade honey lime cilantro sauce that takes this bowl to a whole new level!
We're using my avocado rice recipe that is super simple to make. For more Mexican-inspired recipes, check out my ground pork tacos or my fish tacos with mango salsa. Or for another tasty rice bowl, check out my butadon recipe that's inspired by the Japanese pork rice bowl.
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About Emily's Recipe
If you're new here, hi! I'm Emily - a recipe developer, food content creator, and cookbook author! Thanks for stopping by to check out my Easy Salmon and Avocado Rice recipe. I really hope you enjoy it and please do let me know in the comments if you give it a go!
If you'd like to join a community of food lovers, just subscribe to my newsletter for recipes, cooking tips, and foodie chats. Now, let me tell you a bit more about this recipe...
Texture: the rice is fluffy with creamy bites of avocado and the salmon is golden around the edges so has this slight crispness to it, with a flaky inside.
Taste: picture this, coconut fluffy rice with hints of creamy avocado, tangy lime, fresh cilantro, and seasoned to perfection. The salmon is sweet, spicy, and full of flavour.
Ease: you've just got to cook the rice according to my very specific foolproof instructions, and then fry off the salmon...pretty simple but it does require a couple of steps!
Top Tips: 1. make sure to season your rice with salt before cooking. 2. try and pick the more ripe avocados...this will ensure the best flavour and ease of mashing them 3. don't overcook your salmon, as it will end up dry.
Would I make this again? yes, it's a fantastic rice dish with oodles of toppings and flavour.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the avocado rice:
Garlic: we're using fresh garlic cloves to add extra flavour to the rice. I wouldn't recommend using garlic granules. If you're not a fan of garlic, fry off some finely chopped shallots.
Butter: this is what we're using to fry the garlic in. Feel free to use plant-based butter if you'd like.
Rice: we're using basmati rice for this recipe. You could use any long-grain rice.
Coconut milk: full-fat coconut milk will give you the best flavour.
Avocado: fresh ripe avocados are best!
Lime: we're using fresh lime because it tastes way better than store-bought pre-squeezed lime.
Cilantro: or coriander. We're using the fresh stuff! If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley.
For the salmon:
Salmon fillet: I'm using Scottish salmon fillets, but use whatever you have available!
Smoked paprika: I love smoked, but any kind of paprika you have is great. If you don't like paprika, you can use cayenne pepper or ground chili powder.
Chili flakes: this is to add an extra spice to the salmon. Feel free to omit if you don't like spice.
Ground cumin: this adds a lovely depth of spice. If you don't have ground cumin, feel free to use a touch of curry powder instead.
Honey: for sweetness! If you don't have honey, use agave, maple syrup, or sugar!
Lime: to balance out the acidity. If you don't have lime, you can use lemon.
The full list of ingredients and quantities is at the bottom of this blog in the recipe card!
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: To make the avocado rice, place a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and add in the butter and minced garlic. Fry for 3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Pour in the basmati rice followed by the coconut milk, water, and pinch of salt. Give it a stir, then bring it up to the boil. Once bubbling, add on the lid and reduce the heat to low. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Do not take off the lid. After the 10 minute timer has gone off, turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for another 5 minutes.
Step 3: Once your rice has finished steaming, remove the lid and fluff up using a fork.
Step 4: While you're cooking the rice, make your avocado crush. Mash avocado in a bowl and then add in the lime, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Combine, taste, and season accordingly.
Step 5: Combine the rice and the avocado mixture in a large bowl or in the saucepan until the rice has turned a lovely shade of lime green. Taste and season accordingly.
Step 6: Meanwhile, slice your salmon fillets into bite-sized cubes (skin removed), and add to a bowl with the olive oil, smoked paprika, chili flakes, ground cumin, honey, lime, salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly.
Step 7: Place a non-stick frying pan/skillet on low-medium heat and add in the salmon bites. Fry on each side for 3 minutes until golden and slightly browned. Total cooking time shouldn't exceed 8 minutes. You want the salmon to be just cooked and super flaky.
Step 8: Meanwhile, make your dressing by combining olive oil, lime juice, chopped coriander, honey, minced garlic, chili flakes, sliced chillies and salt in a bowl. Taste and season accordingly.
Step 9: Once all of your elements are ready to go, divide your avocado rice between your bowls, and top with the salmon. Place some lime wedges in each bowl and top with your spicy tangy dressing. Enjoy, my friends!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: once cooled, divide into containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: you can totally freeze this recipe. Once cooled, place into airtight containers (don't forget to label with date and contents) and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw/defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: place the container (lid ajar) in the microwave and reheat for a few minutes until piping hot.
FAQs
No, it's not. But if you'd like to make it vegan, sub out the butter with a plant-based version (I love Flora). And swap out the salmon for cubes of extra firm tofu.
Yes, it is!
For sure, feel free to create a mango salsa with mango, red bell peppers, red onion, and red chillies and have it on the side!
More recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried this Easy Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowl recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Easy Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 400 ml basmati rice measure it out in a measuring jug
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 400 ml water
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt
For the avocado mixture
- 4 avocados mashed
- 1 ½ limes juiced
- 15 g cilantro finely sliced
For salmon bites
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lime juiced
For the dressing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lime juiced
- handful cilantro finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 red chilli finely sliced or chopped
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt
Instructions
- To make the avocado rice, place a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and add in the butter and minced garlic. Fry for 3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the basmati rice followed by the coconut milk, water, and pinch of salt. Give it a stir, then bring it up to the boil. Once bubbling, add on the lid and reduce the heat to low. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Do not take off the lid. After the 10 minute timer has gone off, turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for another 5 minutes.
- Once your rice has finished steaming, remove the lid and fluff up using a fork.
- While you're cooking the rice, make your avocado crush. Mash avocado in a bowl and then add in the lime, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Combine, taste, and season accordingly.
- Combine the rice and the avocado mixture in a large bowl or in the saucepan until the rice has turned a lovely shade of lime green. Taste and season accordingly.
- Meanwhile, slice your salmon fillets into bite-sized cubes (skin removed), and add to a bowl with the olive oil, smoked paprika, chili flakes, ground cumin, honey, lime, salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly.
- Place a non-stick frying pan/skillet on low-medium heat and add in the salmon bites. Fry on each side for 3 minutes until golden and slightly browned. Total cooking time shouldn't exceed 8 minutes. You want the salmon to be just cooked and super flaky.
- Meanwhile, make your dressing by combining olive oil, lime juice, chopped coriander, honey, minced garlic, chili flakes, sliced chillies and salt in a bowl. Taste and season accordingly.
- Once all of your elements are ready to go, divide your avocado rice between your bowls, and top with the salmon. Place some lime wedges in each bowl and top with your spicy tangy dressing. Enjoy, my friends!
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