Rich and spicy flavors of salmon, Kewpie mayonnaise, and sriracha on a bed of plump short-grain rice–this salmon rice bowl didn’t go viral for nothing. If you’ve been curious about trying the new Tiktok trend for salmon and rice bowls, then learn how to make it just the way Emily Mariko intended, but also learn small tweaks to customize it how we prefer to make it.

What’s great about this recipe is that you can definitely add other topping options if you want more texture and love garlic.

What is this TikTok salmon rice bowl and why is it popular?

If you haven’t heard, salmon bowls are all the rage on TikTok thanks to Emily Mariko, an influencer who is known for her grocery hauls and healthy but tasty food videos. Thanks to her addictive salmon rice bowl videos, her TikTok account grew from tens of thousands to millions over a few months.

Other than the fact that it combines appetizing ingredients like salmon, rice, Kewpie mayo, and sriracha, it took off in popularity because it’s so easy to make. This opens up new ways of eating leftovers!

Ingredients in the TikTok salmon rice bowl

Here is a breakdown of all the ingredients you need to make this easy and quick meal:

Cooked salmon: If you’ve been on TikTok and follow Emily, you know her farmer’s market hauls are the quintessential Sunday video and this is where she gets her salmon for these bowls. To keep this recipe relatively healthy, we also purchased wild Atlantic salmon at our local farmer’s market because it’s less fatty. Since we’re already adding Kewpie mayo to this recipe, the leaner salmon helps to balance out the flavors. I like to use leftovers from broiled salmon, pesto salmon, or miso salmon.
Leftover, short-grain rice: Emily uses short-grain Japanese rice and so do we because it’s stickier and more plump! We found this works best with this type of recipe because it’s sticky texture helps keep everything together when you mix the seasoning sauce for the salmon and rice bowl. Medium-grain rice works well for this recipe too because it has a similar consistency. Learn how to cook the perfect rice in a rice cooker here. Trust me that it’s not a flex, it’s not difficult to make perfect rice, but it is necessary for a good rice bowl!
Soy sauce: This is a great way to add salt and flavor to the rice bowl. We used Kikkoman brand soy sauce. If you’re allergic to soy sauce, you can also use liquid aminos.
Kewpie mayonnaise: Make sure to use Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, and not traditional western mayonnaise or else it will taste differently. Kewpie mayo is made with MSG, rice vinegar, and egg yolks so it’s creamier.
Sriracha: We used the OG, Huy Fong Foods brand.

Avocado: Ripe Hass avocados are the best for these salmon rice bowls. You can choose to slice or dice them into smaller pieces.
Roasted seaweed sheets: These roasted seaweed sheets are individually pre-packaged and great for holding the rice like a little taco. You can also buy regular nori and cut them into smaller sheets, but note that these roasted seaweed sheets are seasoned with salt (whereas nori is not) so they may taste differently.
Kimchi: The acidity and saltiness of kimchi is a great side to this salmon and rice bowl and balances out the fatty, flavorful, and spiciness of the seasoning too.
Optional toppings: Furikake and fried garlic pieces are great to add more flavor and texture to this salmon and rice bowl.

What is Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise?

Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise makes this bowl for me, hands down. Kewpie is originally from Japan and is different from regular western mayonnaise because it’s made with a higher ratio of egg yolks and includes MSG.

It’s got a sweeter and creamier flavor than Hellman’s from your grocery store and is perfect for recipes like this salmon rice bowl. Here are all the other recipes we’ve made here using Kewpie too:

NOTE: Kewpie mayonnaise also comes in an American version that I’ve seen sold at Costco or other American grocery stores. Whereas Kewpie mayo from Japan is made with MSG and rice vinegar, the American Kewpie version is made of three different types of vinegar, mustard flour, sugar, and yeast extract.

You can tell the difference between the two because Japanese Kewpie has a transparent, plain bottle packaged in a plastic bag and the American version has a label wrapped on the bottle. For this recipe, we use the Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise version just like Emily because it’s got that umami flavor from the MSG.

How to make this salmon rice bowl

To make a salmon rice bowl, take your salmon and use a fork to flake the fish in a shallow bowl evenly. Add your leftover rice on top of the fish by separating as many of the grains as you can. Separating the grains helps to allow for even heating in the microwave.

Take one or two ice cubes and place them on top of the rice and cover it with parchment paper or a hand towel. If you’ve ever seen Emily make this on TikTok, you know of its pure ASMRness when she crunches the parchment paper over the rice so it sticks to the surface. While the ice cube she adds on top of the rice looks cool, we prefer using drops of water to reheat rice for a more even reheating and rehydration process.

Microwave for about two to three minutes, and I like to check in one-minute intervals to make sure the salmon doesn’t overcook. Once it’s finished, remove the parchment and season with soy sauce, Kewpie, and sriracha to your heart’s desire.

Other recipes say to use one teaspoon, but I found you need at least one to two tablespoons of Kewpie mayo to get the best flavor. You are mixing quite a lot of salmon and rice, so the mayo helps to act as a binding ingredient too.

I love eating salmon rice bowls with roasted nori, slices of avocado, a side of kimchi, and topped with furikake and fried garlic for extra texture.

Is the TikTok salmon rice bowl worth trying?

This salmon rice bowl is SO WORTH trying first and foremost it is delicious. It’s not really meant to be a healthy food by any means, even if it comes from a mostly-healthy influencer.

Also, it is super easy to make in the microwave and it’s a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge. This would be great with leftover chicken, bbq beef, or if you threw in leftover veggies too.

Type of seaweed to use for this salmon rice bowl

Emily uses roasted seaweed sheets from the local Japanese grocery store, but you can also buy these at Costco or in your Asian aisle at the American grocery store. They’re seasoned with salt so take this into account when seasoning your rice.

What’s great about these roasted seaweed sheets is that they’re individually packaged with about 10-15 sheets so you don’t have to open a whole bag of nori as we do for spicy tuna rolls, California rolls, and temaki (hand rolls). If you already have nori at home, you can use these and cut them into smaller sheets to eat with your salmon rice bowl like a taco.

Don’t stop here, there are more viral recipes on TikTok like green goddess salad, crinkle dessert, TikTok ramen, and baked feta pasta.