Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls (2024)

Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls with incredible glazed crispy salmon bites, fresh vegetables, steamed rice, creamy avocado, and creamy bang bang sauce! This co*cktail of fresh ingredients yields a healthy dinner that is nice and filling and energizing.

Fellow salmon lovers, I have what I assume will be you newest favorite dinner recipe!

These Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bowls feature sticky glazed salmon bites in an incredible sauce paired with broccoli, avocado, pickled cucumbers, brown or white rice, and the reason we’re all here: bang bang sauce to tie it all together.

I borrowed my Crispy Sesame Salmon recipe and built a bowl around it with one magnificent addition to really remind us miracles do exist: Bang bang sauce.

I love that each piece of salmon turns out marvelously crispy around the outside and is just teaming with incredible flavor.

A great source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, complex carbs and macronutrients, this bang bang salmon recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.

What Exactly is Bang Bang?

In case you’re new to it, bang bang sauce is this magically addictive creamy sauce that is sweet and has a gentle kick. It adds lovely texture, richness, and delicious flavor to everything it touches.

You may have come across this sauce without even realizing it if you’ve tried Bang Bang Shrimp, Bang Bang Chicken.

What is the difference between Bang Bang Sauce and Yum Yum Sauce? Bang bang sauce is sweeter whereas yum yum sauce is more savory.

The Thai sweet chili sauce in bang bang sauce really gives it a sweeter flavor whereas the tomato base in yum yum sauce makes it more tangy and savory.

We’re applying this delicious sauce to small hunks of crispy salmon to make bang bang salmon bites.

The salmon portion of the recipe makes enough for two to three people but you can easily double it by picking up multiple salmon filets or one large salmon filet if you’re serving more individuals.

Let’s talk about the simple ingredients to make this delicious salmon recipe. The best part is they can easily be found at any grocery store.

Ingredients for Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls:

Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:

Bang bang sauce is a simple combination of mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt (which is what I use), sweet chili sauce, and sriracha sauce.

This makes a slightly spicy sauce. For a milder sauce, omit the hot sauce.

For the Salmon:

One salmon filet, avocado oil for cooking, coconut aminos (or liquid aminos or soy sauce), rice vinegar, fresh garlic, sesame oil, and sriracha.

The sauce ingredients come together in a beautiful combination of sweet, umami flavors with plenty of garlic and a slight kick.

I recommend using fresh salmon fillets over frozen if possible. In addition, I’d recommend wild-caught salmon, King salmon, or Atlantic salmon over sockeye salmon for the best results.

Ingredients for the Bowls:

I use steamed brown rice, sauteed broccoli, avocado, and cucumber salad to compile my bowls. I love this combination of fresh snappy vegetables with some creamy avocado to keep it fun.

Add any of your favorite bowl toppings, such as edamame, kimchi, pickled vegetables, mango salsa (or fruit salsa of choice), etc.

You can also go with cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.

While this may seem like a lot of ingredients, most of them are pantry ingredients or refrigerator ingredients that last for a long time for the sauces and can easily be used in other future recipes.

​Recipe Adaptations:

• Swap the fresh garlic cloves for garlic powder in the salmon sauce.
• Add red pepper flakes to either the bang bang sauce or the sauce for the salmon for spicy flavor.
• If you’d rather not use sweet chili sauce in the creamy bang bang sauce, you can omit it, add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or honey and use 1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha.

To save time, you can make the recipe in parts or customize it using pre-made sauces to make meal prep easier.

Meal Prep Tips:

Steam the rice ahead of time (you can do this the same day you prepare the recipe or up to 5 days ahead of time).

You can make the bang bang sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container.

How to Make Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bowls:

Prepare the cucumber salad by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl and allowing it to sit for at least 15 minutes (ideally at least one hour if you have the time).

Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Gauge the amount of rice you make based on how many people you’re serving. For two people I usually make one cup of dry rice, which cooks to about 3 cups of cooked rice.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the bang bang sauce. To do so, stir together the ingredients in a small bowl until everything is well-combined. Refrigerate the sauce until you’re ready to use it.

Steam, sauté, or roast the broccoli according to your preference. I sauté the broccoli in about 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and ¼ cup of water in a nonstick skillet.

Prepare the Bang Bang Salmon Bites:

In a small bowl, combine the coconut aminos (or soy sauce + pure maple syrup), rice vinegar, minced garlic, sriracha and sesame oil and stir together until the sauce is well-combined.

Place the raw salmon filet on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut it into bite-sized cubes. If you don’t like salmon skin, you can remove the skin but I absolutely love it so I leave it on. You can also purchase skinless fillets.

Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil (or your favorite high-temperature cooking oil. I don’t recommend olive oil because it burns easily at high temperatures) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wait a few minutes for the oil to heat up and become sizzling hot.

Carefully place the salmon chunks on the hot skillet skin side down (if the skin is still on). Allow the chunks of salmon to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin is golden-brown.

Use tongs to carefully flip the salmon to another side and continue cooking another minute or two.

Pour the sauce for the salmon into the skillet. I should immediately boil – this is normal. If it appears as though the sauce is evaporating too quickly at any point, reduce the heat to medium as you want the boil to be under control.

Continue cooking and flipping the salmon every few minutes until it is fully glazed and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. The exact cooking time depends on the temperature of the salmon going in to the skillet and your desired level of doneness.

Salmon is fully cooked once it has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. You can use a meat thermometer to verify the temperature by inserting the thermometer into the largest chunk of fish.

You can also tell salmon is fully cooked when the center is fully light pink without any darker pink rawness to it.

Make the Crispy Salmon Bowls:

Add your desired amount of rice to two large bowls. Add desired amount of cucumber salad, sauteed broccoli, and avocado. Divide the cooked crispy salmon bites between each bowl and drizzle with bang bang sauce.

You can also drizzle the bowl with coconut aminos or teriyaki sauce if you like your bowls to be saucy (I do!). You can also sprinkle chopped green onions and sesame seeds over the bowls if you like them.

Enjoy this flavorful, nutritious meal!

Store any leftovers in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I Make Salmon Bites in the Air Fryer?

If you prefer using your air fryer instead of cooking salmon in a skillet, here’s how you do it.

Marinate the cubed uncooked salmon for one hour in the sauce ingredients (coconut aminos, garlic, etc.).

Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray then transfer the marinated salmon to your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through and the top of the salmon is golden brown.

Cook times vary depending on whether the salmon is room temperature or chilled and fresh out of the refrigerator.

You can also follow my instructions in my Sesame Garlic Air Fryer Salmon Bites recipe for a complete photo tutorial.

Baked Bang Bang Salmon Bites:

Similar to the air fryer method, simply chop the salmon into cubes and marinate it in the coconut aminos marinade mixture for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Transfer the marinated salmon bites to the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

You can also bake the salmon as a full filet for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. You can also broil the salmon for crispier texture.

Just be sure to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the fillet to check the internal temperature for the perfect cook.

These bowls are best when eaten fresh, because the salmon has the best texture and best flavor when it is hot off the frying pan. For this reason, I don’t recommend batch cooking this recipe unless you already know you’re a fan of leftover salmon.

And that’s it! An otherworldly dinner recipe that will delight salmon lovers to the core! This is a great option for those who love big bowls of food and try to get in a decent amount of whole food variety when possible.

If you love easy dinner recipes like this one, check out these other bowl recipes:

More Bowl Food Recipes:

• Thai Chicken and Cabbage Bowls
• Ground Turkey Egg Roll Bowls
• Salmon Power Bowls with Blueberry Salsa
• 10-Minute Salmon and Rice Bowl
• Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Crock Pot Shredded Chile Verde Chicken Burrito Bowls

Crispy salmon forever!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.